Bud the Wiser

Not sure if this is the right section of the right forum, but here goes.

Planning our retirement and will eventually move back to the UK. However, we're not quite ready for the bungalow, pipe and slippers and days spent in the potting shed.

Discussing options, we wondered about the possibility of full time RV between Canada & the USA, spending five months in each country and a couple of months elsewhere in the world. Sounds good in theory, but is it practical or even feasible? Immigration, driving licence, insurance, medical cover, pets etc.etc.

sir_eccles

What is your current status in the US?

scrubbedexpat091

For Visa exempt visitors the maximum stay in Canada is generally 6 months, however the CBSA officer at the entry point can reduce that time limit for a variety of reasons so its not set in stone one would get the max stay permitted.


I can only speak of BC but visitors to BC can drive on their non-BC license for 6 months.

Visitors can also buy and insure a vehicle in BC generally provided they are staying in BC but if one intends to leave BC and tour the country, insurance may not be an option.

Every province has different insurance and licening rules.

lansbury

Have a look at the FAQ section on this web site. The RV – and us…

The guy is a Brit who lives in the UK but travels for 4-6 months of the year, for the last 4 years, around the US and Canada. He is currently in Arizona, I've know him for about 20 years. In the FAQ he gives information about driving licenses, insurance etc which you might find a useful starting point.

Steve_

You don't mention your immigration status currently. CBSA will allow you to visit up to six months in Canada, but you have to have non-immigrant intent, which in both countries means you have a bona fide residence abroad you intend to return to.

If you're in some sort of temporary status in Florida and it runs out and you have nowhere to return to in the UK, then you have no residence.

Bud the Wiser

Thanks, I'll give that a read.

I'll currently on an E2 visa, but once I've sold the businesses I'm just a plain old tourist. Owning a house in the UK could be a problem as I don't wish to purchase one until I'm ready to settle. Could be done though.

Owen778

I think you're going to struggle to achieve what you suggested in your first post, to be honest.

Once your E2 status ends, you will be only able to visit the US on the visa waiver program, assuming you are eligible. I do not know if you are allowed to adjust status to the VWP to give yourself more time in the US before you have to leave, though I suspect not. In any case, the VWP only allows visit lengths of up to 90 days, not the five months you are looking for.

To allow longer visits, you would need to apply for a B-2 visa, after exiting the US. Firstly, there's no guarantee they would give it to you, since your application after holding an E2 visa would strongly suggest you'd be looking to live in the US, and secondly, you'd need to establish residence in the UK (or elsewhere) before applying.

Spending less time each year with your RV is probably going to be your best compromise available.

I will say, though, that I'm not speaking from direct experience. Others on this forum have more experience with these sorts of visas, and can give you more concrete advice.

Oh, and you will undoubtedly have to watch out for tax issues. Look into the US Substantial Presence Test and the following Closer Connection Exception. The situation you describe would almost certainly leave you subject to taxes in the US.

sir_eccles

Those criteria apply equally to the VWP.

Owen778

Yes, that's true, but I'd argue the application process is very different, and the the shortened visits also make it harder to argue that visa or VWP would be used as a pseudo-immigrant visa.

scrubbedexpat099

Could you get US PR?

Bud the Wiser

Thanks for the replies. Probably an option that could lead to too many problems further down the line.