I am exactly in the same situation
A brief history and current situation and few questions:
I am a US Permanent resident(US Green card holder). I have got my green card in
DEC 2001. Since then I have been working and living in the US for US employers
on different contracts.
Out of the whole time since DEC 2001, I have been out of the US only for
3 months(2 month and 1 month vacation trips to india)
So till today I have a accrued a total physical presence of 2 years and 9 months
(33 months of physical presence as a US permanent resident).
Last year I got married in India in Feb 2004.
Since then me and my wife have been apart
(she is living in india and I am living in the US)
as she cannot come to the US since I got married after I became a green card holder.
I will be completing my 5 years as a US permanent resident in Dec 2006.
Now(Jan 2005) I am planning on working in canada on a canadian
workpermit for a canadian employer.
I am planning on doing this because on a canadian work permit my
wife can immediately join me as my dependent.
What are all the formalities I need to take care as far as
maintaning my US permanent residence.
I have some questions related to maintaining the US permanent residence:--->
1) Does a US permanent resident need to be physically present for 6 months out of a calender year???
Or is it OK If I visit US once with in every 6 months????
Visiting U will not be much of an issue. As I am planning on living in Toronto CA,
coming into the US would be visiting Buffalo, NY
which is roughly 45 min drive across the border from Toronto.
2) Should I actually have a "US home" or an "US aparment on a lease" to prove that
I have some US connections.
I am not planning on buying any property until 2 more years.
How can I fulfil this requirement???
3) Filing taxes in US.
As I will be working and living in canada, I have to pay my taxes in canada.
So Do I have to file my taxes both in Canada and US??
4) How does US know how long a person is out of the country ???
When I left from US to India on my vacation trip 2 times,
US Immigration has a stamp in my passport only at the time I came into the country at the port of entry.
Once in Newark, NJ and the other time in Chicago IL.
But they never put any stamp or any kind of mark in my passport at the time I was leaving to india. How do they
calculate the time a person is out of the country ??? As they only know which day you came into the US??
