Does anybody know any Americans who have purchased a home in Ontario, and the visa issue involved? If I buy a house, how long can I live in it and what visas do I need? I am considering immigration, but figure if I live there as a visitor, then I'll get a better picture.
Location: Western Hemisphere
Posted on: 11-09-07 16:05:07
Shouldn't have problems buying a house as long as you can satisfy the lenders and the other gods to be.
As a visitor, you can stay in Canada for upto 180 days. You don't need any visas for visiting. You just need to satisfy the POE officers about your intent to enter Canada.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dimple2001
So what do i tell the POE officers, that I bought a house, show them the deed, and the truck with all my stuff in it, goes in the house? Do they really let you drive a moving truck into Canada thru the POE if you can show them a deed to property? Then ask them for a 6 month visa?
So what do I do after the 6 months? Pack up and leave for a month, then come back? I'm confused. I don't want to break any laws or lie about my intent, or fudge on the facts. I just buy a house, then move my stuff in and stay?
I wish I could talk to somebody who did this. What's funny, is all this paperwork to get a skilled worker visa, and all I have to do is buy a house so I can live there for 6 months? How long do I have to stay in the US in order to come back?
I know these questions seem silly, but I'm serious. This is mind boggling.
Quote:
Originally posted by Shari74
Does anybody know any Americans who have purchased a home in Ontario, and the visa issue involved? If I buy a house, how long can I live in it and what visas do I need? I am considering immigration, but figure if I live there as a visitor, then I'll get a better picture.
As an American ( Non Resident Canadian) you can buy a house in Canada and there is no visa issues involved.
If you need a mortgage for this house, the banks would require you to put up around 35% money as down payment and you have to provide your US credit bureau. Also, you should be able to carry the mortgage, taxes and utilities expenses of the house with the rental income it would generate. You would have to provide a rental lease agreement as well and may have to provide up to 6 months mortgage payments as deposit.
You can visit Canada on a visitor visa (American Citizens do not need visa to visit Canada) and live in a portion of your home to get a better picture of life and jobs here and decide yourselves.
Still any questions, you can pm me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Pramod Chopra
Senior Mortgage Consultant
Mortgage Alliance Company of Canada
Thanks everybody for the information. This is going to make the move a lot easier!
Quote:
Originally posted by Shari74
So what do i tell the POE officers, that I bought a house, show them the deed, and the truck with all my stuff in it, goes in the house? Do they really let you drive a moving truck into Canada thru the POE if you can show them a deed to property? Then ask them for a 6 month visa?
-- You are asking the right questions and your concerns are valid. You will have to do some serious explaining (and have a valid convincing reason) in order for the border guys to allow you in Canada with your truckload of stuff and that too on 6 months status!! Good luck!
Quote:
So what do I do after the 6 months? Pack up and leave for a month, then come back? I'm confused. I don't want to break any laws or lie about my intent, or fudge on the facts.
--- If you intend to keep on doing this back and forth business, you will be denied entry eventually, because this will be "living in Canada", not "visiting"! If you plan to live in Canada, consider applying for permanent status.
I would like to talk to other Americans living on the border, to ask them what they did. I'm trying to get a little clarity before I attempt this. I can park myself on a border state and visit on the weekends. Maybe that will be what I do, then I'll get the permanent visa thing worked out ahead of time.
It seems to me that there are a lot of Americans trying to do this, and we're all confused. So maybe I can help with the confusion. I'm also an investigative journalist, so I'm good at finding solutions and information.
I think the UN should hold a big meeting and get some level playing field going. I know for a fact that foreigners are living all over the U.S., for years, and they can buy property and stay, and there is very little oversight or concern. So either the United States should install a strict immigration policy, or the other countries should lighten up a little.
Canada is full of immigrants. I talked with the Prime Minister's office on this topic. Canada went to Russia and looked for immigration candidates. I told him that he didn't have to go all the way to Russia, there's plenty of Americans willing to go - it's just the bureaucracy. Of course, Canada is a rational country, and we're not used to living by rational laws. Which is why I'm leaving in the first place.
I will never complain about the Canadian immigration laws. I'll line up behind everybody else and take a number, and if I get in, great! If not, I'll go there on the weekends.
