Crossing Canadian border for OLYMPICS at Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond, - Canadian-USA-Global tax help - david ingram expert

Dear David,
My son is planning on moving to Vancouver, BC, for six months during the winter Olympics. He doesn't have a job yet and thinks, being a US citizen, he'll have to work in Washington. On a temporary basis like this, will he have a problem driving across the US/Canadian border on a daily basis to go to work and back?

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

david ingram replies

It will not be smooth sailing. 

Your son can enter Canada as a visitor to see the Olympics and try and find temporary accommodation to stay in.

He can NOT 'move' to Vancouver without a resident visa. 

To be a visitor to Canada, he is supposed to be living in another country.

In general, that means that he has a home, rental room, rented apartment or shared accommodation in another country that he is 'paying' for while he is visiting in Canada. 

He can get an exception and a border official may allow him to come as a visitor for six months without another residence but they are just as likely to say NO and if he is going back and forth on a regular basis, the chances of being turned down are obviously  larger.

Every time he goes across the border, he will be re-qualified for his entry to Canada.  His chances of being turned down increase exponentially with the number of crossings if he is not living in the US.

So - if he was just coming for six months to hang out at the Olympics and ski at Whistler and hang out in Yaletown, he would likely be okay.  But, if he needs a job to pay for this and will have to work on the US side, he should get a place and a job on the US side and commute to BC for his fun because every trip will be legal and he is not likely to have a problem..

You might want to have him (and yourself) call me to talk about this for five minutes at 8 PM Wednesday,  Sept 2nd (tonight at
www.david-ingram.com as follows

------------------

6 PM Fred Snyder (www.mutualfund101.com) at 6PM on Retirement Planning - Free Seminar 7 PM Thursday Sept 3, 2009 at Holiday INN in Vancouver, Phone 604-731-8900 to register

7 PM Chris Delaney at 7 PM to 8 PM on the HST in BC (and Ontario)  see
www.fighthst.com

8 PM Your free tax and immigration questions at 8 PM with David Ingram call 1-866-980-0499

 
YOUR FREE TAX AND WORKING VISA / IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS

I try and answer two FREE questions a day.
 
Free questions are only answered at [email protected]

I have exceeded my 2 a day limit for free questions in writing today.
 
This question can be answered one of two ways:
 
1.    A personal consultation by phone or in person.  This would cost $450.00  Canadian plus GST of $22.50 if  You are in Canada or $450 Canadian if you are outside of Canada. 
  
2. If you just have a quick question and want a free 5 minute hit, you can phone my webcast every Wednesday night from 6 PM to 9 PM Vancouver (Los Angeles) time by tuning in to www.david-ingram.com
 
The toll free North America Phone number is 1-866-980-0499
 
The Local Lower Mainland phone number is (604) 980-0321
 
If you are phoning from out of North America, you should use
 
(604) 980-0499 and tell them you are phoning on your own dime and we will try and put you in first.
 
Wednesday Sept 2, 2009 features

6 to 7 PM will be on Retirement planning with Fred Snyder (www.mutualfund101.com)  Fred is the Host of "IT's YOUR MONEY"  every Sunday  from 9 to 10:30  AM at 650 on the AM dial  (CISL Radio) www.am650radio.com and then again with a completely new phone in show from  5 to 6 PM  at 980 on the AM dial (CKNW)  www.cknw.com.  Fred also has a free seminar every Thursday evening.  This Thursday, Sept 3, 2009 is at the Holiday Inn

7 to 8 PM will be about the HST in British Columbia (and by default, Ontario).  In an unusual alliance Former SOCRED Premier Bill Vander Zalm has teamed up with Chris Delaney, former leader of the BC UNITY Party and Carol James, present leader of the BC NDP and Vicki Huntington, the Independent who beat Wally Opal in the last election to fight the Campbell Liberals on the HST. 

I am ambivalent about it.  I do NOT like the fact that I will have to charge each one of my Canadian clients 7% more BC sales tax for my services.  However, lawyers have had to charge the BC sales tax for years and maybe accountants have been getting a free ride.  Car repair shops have had to charge BC sales tax, so maybe accountants have been getting a free ride.  Upholsterers have had to charge BC Sales tax, so maybe accountants have been getting a free ride.

Tonight, at 7 PM Chris Delaney will be along to explain what he and Bill and Carol and Vicki and others are doing about it.  One thing is that they have to deal with the fact that the HST has been running successfully for a dozen years at least in the Maritimes and more recently in Quebec.  Ontario will be joining the same day the BC 'might' be joining, July 1, 2010.

I would like to point out that the Maritimes and Quebec have Not closed up shop and it is far easier to administer ONE HST than it is a GST plus a PST with different rates and different reporting rules.  Still, If i mail a US return out of the country, I do not need to charge GST.  If i mail a US return out of the country, are the rules going to change so that I now have to charge 13%.  I am interested as well.


8 to up to 9 PM  - I will be by myself and answering US Canadian Income tax and immigration questions.  This is the time to call.  If I have dead air time, I will likely just close off and head to a movie or something. saw Julie and Julia Once already and it is one of a very few movies that i have actually wanted to see more than once.

In other words, If you want to phone with a question, get on line early because if there are no questions for a few minutes i will shut it down.  On the other hand if there are enough, I will go for a couple of hours hours.


Through the whole program, I will be pleased to take calls on your Canadian, American or International Tax and immigration matters.  Call us at  1-866-980-0499
 
david ingram

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CEN-TA Cross Border Services - Tax, Visas, Immigration
http://www.centa.com/article.php/20090902175110639