Question about reentry permit and tax stuff - moving back to canada for a while

L

lanman2000

Registered Users (C)
Hi everyone,
First post here as I have a couple questions. I am a Canadian Citizen and have had a green card for 8 years. My wife is a US Citizen. We are moving to Canada for 2 years and possibly 4 years. Two questions:

1) I know i need to get a reentry permit I-131 which is good for 2 years but what if we stay longer? Can i just come back to the US for 1 day, e-file a new I-131 and then go back to Canada and then come back to the US for the biometrics and go back to Canada again? Is it really that easy? Heck could I just drive down and use the internet in the US somewhere to do that e-file and drive back over the border?

2) While we're in Canada we need to pay Canadian taxes and such. I know we need to file a US tax return but we shouldn't have to double pay taxes right? Also, when we file our US tax return is there anything that we should avoid doing that would mess up my permanent residence status?
 
oh and another question. Should I just apply for US citizenship? We are leaving for Canada in 3 months from now and I know the processing times are more than a year right now so i dont know whether I'd just be able to come back to the US for my interview and oath? I dont imagine that would be possible but hey... weirder things have been possible ;)
 
It is very possible to come back for your interview and such. Just make sure that you don't stay out of the country for longer than 6 months at a time. I say just apply for citizenship and be done with it. Where are you that it's taking a year?
 
lanman2000 said:
Hi everyone,
First post here as I have a couple questions. I am a Canadian Citizen and have had a green card for 8 years. My wife is a US Citizen. We are moving to Canada for 2 years and possibly 4 years. Two questions:

1) I know i need to get a reentry permit I-131 which is good for 2 years but what if we stay longer? Can i just come back to the US for 1 day, e-file a new I-131 and then go back to Canada and then come back to the US for the biometrics and go back to Canada again? Is it really that easy? Heck could I just drive down and use the internet in the US somewhere to do that e-file and drive back over the border?

2) While we're in Canada we need to pay Canadian taxes and such. I know we need to file a US tax return but we shouldn't have to double pay taxes right? Also, when we file our US tax return is there anything that we should avoid doing that would mess up my permanent residence status?
Click to expand...

If you apply for re-entry permit and depart the U.S before your biometrics is captured, the application will surely be denied. NSC has been issuing denail notices
 
lanman2000 said:
oh and another question. Should I just apply for US citizenship? We are leaving for Canada in 3 months from now and I know the processing times are more than a year right now so i dont know whether I'd just be able to come back to the US for my interview and oath?
Click to expand...
You need to maintain continuous residence during the citizenship process, i.e. still living in the US. If you are outside the US for several months during the process, and have given up your home/apartment in the US, you run the risk of being denied for breaking continuous residence.

But it's worth a try to try for citizenship. You already have 3 upcoming months in the US, so if you can hold on to your home for the next 6-7 months and can spend more than just a few days in the US in last 3-4 months of that, you wouldn't have extended stretches of time outside the US so there would be less risk of denial.
 
petertherock77 said:
If you apply for re-entry permit and depart the U.S before your biometrics is captured, the application will surely be denied. NSC has been issuing denail notices
Click to expand...
You can leave the US before biometrics, as long as you were in the US when the application was filed and received by USCIS, and you returned to the US to show up for the biometrics.
 
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