Long stays in Canada as a US citizen?

[kokotg]

My husband can retire in probably 9-10 years, when he's still in his 50s (teacher...he'll hit 30 years in 10 years, I think, but he also has a ton of sick leave built up, so may be able to retire a year or so early). This lines up pretty nicely with when our youngest graduates and I'm all done homeschooling. Thinking ahead, I sure wouldn't mind spending a lot of our time in a different county, and I'm wondering how it would all work if we were to spend several months of the year (likely in an RV) in Canada...sort of reverse snow birds. Generally speaking you can stay for 6 months as a visitor with a US passport. Can you just stay for 6 months every year without anyone objecting? Can you stay for 6 months, leave for a couple of weeks, and come right back for another 6 months (or a month or two? or whatever). I know my brother and SIL spent a year in Australia this way....they had to leave every 3 months, I think, but it could be for a week long trip and they came right back (my SIL couldn't work at all. My brother was officially working in the US, but actually in Sydney, working remotely. But my brother actually hired an immigration lawyer to help him with all the details). How does health insurance work? How do Canadians do this  when they winter in Florida or wherever? do they buy travel health insurance? I mean, we could plan to be back home for routine health care or anything non-urgent, and I've read that insurance will usually cover emergency care when you're traveling, though you might have to pay oop and then be reimbursed. What else am I not thinking about? 

[Laura Corin]

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=208&top=17

I would guess you would need long-term health/ travel insurance. We had that when we lived overseas.

[Laura Corin]

@kokotg expatriate or gap year insurance might be suitable. 

[kokotg]

Just now, Laura Corin said:

@kokotg expatriate or gap year insurance might be suitable. 

Thanks--yes, I looked into travel insurance because we'll be in Newfoundland for over a month this summer, and it seemed fairly affordable.

The link you posted above was just re: leaving and coming back and visas, not insurance, yes? US Citizens don't need a visa for Canada, so the rules about needing a new visa wouldn't apply in this situation. 

[Arctic Bunny]

Is this helpful? There’s also this. And it says the wait for the extension is 173 days right now. So you would have to apply for an extension at pretty much the same time as you arrived. US Citizens are allowed to enter without a visa, but they must still be able to prove they have money to support their stay and that they have a reason (job, etc) to  return to the US.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Arctic Bunny

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, kokotg said:

 Can you stay for 6 months, leave for a couple of weeks, and come right back for another 6 months (or a month or two? or whatever).

I'm not sure about the official answer to this from border services. My practical response would be that living in an RV in Canada in the winter would be challenging. Most campgrounds are closed in the winter, heating your unit would be crazy expensive, and you'd probably have a better time returning south anyway.  There's a reason Canadians go south for the winter. 😅

[Arctic Bunny]

6 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I'm not sure about the official answer to this from border services. My practical response would be that living in an RV in Canada in the winter would be challenging. Most campgrounds are closed in the winter, heating your unit would be crazy expensive, and you'd probably have a better time returning south anyway.  There's a reason Canadians go south for the winter. 😅

Lol, I was assuming it was for the summer…. But it my neck of the woods you wouldn’t have to worry about exceeding 6 months! I mean, it’s the middle of April and I just shovelled a foot of snow, with more on the way! 

[kokotg]

19 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I'm not sure about the official answer to this from border services. My practical response would be that living in an RV in Canada in the winter would be challenging. Most campgrounds are closed in the winter, heating your unit would be crazy expensive, and you'd probably have a better time returning south anyway.  There's a reason Canadians go south for the winter. 😅

oh, definitely not talking about winter! not in the RV, anyway 🙂

[fraidycat]

19 minutes ago, Arctic Bunny said:

Lol, I was assuming it was for the summer…. But it my neck of the woods you wouldn’t have to worry about exceeding 6 months! I mean, it’s the middle of April and I just shovelled a foot of snow, with more on the way! 

I thought you were further north, but you must be more south than I thought. This snow is crazy today. 
 

Back to the OP. I think technically, it is just as easy as leaving the country for a a few days and re-entering if you want to stay longer. However, as has already been pointed out, heating an RV in winter (or spring and fall in many cases) would not be fun.

Health insurance and proof of a reason to return to the US such as a job or primary residence ownership and proof that you can afford to visit for as long as you have indicated you will stay (so you won't be working in Canada) is about all you need.

Edited April 19, 2023 by fraidycat

[kokotg]

26 minutes ago, Arctic Bunny said:

Is this helpful? There’s also this. And it says the wait for the extension is 173 days right now. So you would have to apply for an extension at pretty much the same time as you arrived. US Citizens are allowed to enter without a visa, but they must still be able to prove they have money to support their stay and that they have a reason (job, etc) to  return to the US.

ah, yes--that looks like the answer!  thanks! We wouldn't have jobs to return to in this case, but it must be somewhat common for retired people to stay for a long time? I mean, it's a common situation for Canadians RVing in the US; there must be some people who do it the other way around!

15 minutes ago, Arctic Bunny said:

Lol, I was assuming it was for the summer…. But it my neck of the woods you wouldn’t have to worry about exceeding 6 months! I mean, it’s the middle of April and I just shovelled a foot of snow, with more on the way! 

it's true...I guess there'd really be nowhere to stay in an RV outside of May-September for the most part, so more than 6 months would only be an issue if we wanted to extend it with some airbnbs on either end or something. 

[Arctic Bunny]

48 minutes ago, kokotg said:

ah, yes--that looks like the answer!  thanks! We wouldn't have jobs to return to in this case, but it must be somewhat common for retired people to stay for a long time? I mean, it's a common situation for Canadians RVing in the US; there must be some people who do it the other way around!

it's true...I guess there'd really be nowhere to stay in an RV outside of May-September for the most part, so more than 6 months would only be an issue if we wanted to extend it with some airbnbs on either end or something. 

I bet Vancouver Island would have longer seasons… For example, this is the first one I found, and appears to be year-round, but maximum stag is 6 months less a day. But I imagine lots of long seasons out there.

[Arctic Bunny]

54 minutes ago, fraidycat said:

I thought you were further north, but you must be more south than I thought. This snow is crazy today. 
 

Back to the OP. I think technically, it is just as easy as leaving the country for a a few days and re-entering if you want to stay longer. However, as has already been pointed out, heating an RV in winter (or spring and fall in many cases) would not be fun.

Health insurance and proof of a reason to return to the US such as a job or primary residence ownership and proof that you can afford to visit for as long as you have indicated you will stay (so you won't be working in Canada) is about all you need.

Used to be a waaaaaay further north. But alas, unpredictable springs, here we are. It’s just gross today!

[gardenmom5]

Customs agents will also probably want to know you have a US bank account with plenty of money to support yourselves.  Have a plan on where you plan on going, etc.
you can't legally work (not even bartering doing something for something in return) without a work permit.

 

1dd had a Canadian work permit (attached to her passport) at her previous employer (they had a location in Canada that required her to occasionally work there) - it was rather amusing all the things listed on it she wasn't allowed to do while in Canada.

[gardenmom5]

20 minutes ago, Arctic Bunny said:

I bet Vancouver Island would have longer seasons… For example, this is the first one I found, and appears to be year-round, but maximum stag is 6 months less a day. But I imagine lots of long seasons out there.

the south eastern side of the island is more in the Olympic rain shadow.   west side . . . it will be wet.

You could also spend time on the north-eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula in the US  (sequim is a popular place to retire, and lots of golf courses and lavender farms because it's sunny) - rain shadow - or even into the San Juans.   I will always remember the April trip dh and I took to San Juan Island one year.  It had snowed in Everett that morning. (not far from where we boarded the ferry) It was cold and wet.  When we got to Friday Harbor - it was 60 degrees and sunshine.  (the west side of the island gets a lot of wind, it was cold, but sunny) The south end of San Juan Island is desert because of the Olympic Rain Shadow.  The north end of the island - it rained every day we were there.

[Arctic Bunny]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

the south eastern side of the island is more in the Olympic rain shadow.   west side . . . it will be wet.

You could also spend time on the north-eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula in the US  (sequim is a popular place to retire, and lots of golf courses and lavender farms because it's sunny) - rain shadow - or even into the San Juans.   I will always remember the April trip dh and I took to San Juan Island one year.  It had snowed in Everett that morning. (not far from where we boarded the ferry) It was cold and wet.  When we got to Friday Harbor - it was 60 degrees and sunshine.  (the west side of the island gets a lot of wind, it was cold, but sunny) The south end of San Juan Island is desert because of the Olympic Rain Shadow.  The north end of the island - it rained every day we were there.

Oh, I will definitely take my 325 days of sunshine a year… but at least it it looks like Vancouver Island would have RV places open!

[gardenmom5]

5 minutes ago, Arctic Bunny said:

Oh, I will definitely take my 325 days of sunshine a year… but at least it it looks like Vancouver Island would have RV places open!

It's easy to go back and forth.  The Coho Ferry goes between Port Angeles (olympic peninsual) and Victoria (vancouvery island).

[kokotg]

23 hours ago, Arctic Bunny said:

I bet Vancouver Island would have longer seasons… For example, this is the first one I found, and appears to be year-round, but maximum stag is 6 months less a day. But I imagine lots of long seasons out there.

yes, that could work! I should try to get more excited about RVing in Mexico, but I follow a bunch of RVers who've been in Baja this past winter/spring, and it just doesn't appeal to me. I don't think I'm enough of a beach person. Or, rather, my favorite beaches are the cold, rocky kind. Hence the summer in Newfoundland! 

[Faith-manor]

Portugal offers a retirement visa for 90 EUR with proof of ability support self without working in country plus as well as proof of life and health insurance. There is an option to renew for 5 years.  Portugal is beautiful, and not as expensive as other European nations. I don't know about renting an RV to tour the country, but rent in small towns is often reasonable on modest apartments.

Just throwing that out there since Canada for a year means enduring so much cold!

Edited April 20, 2023 by Faith-manor

[wintermom]

2 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Portugal offers a retirement visa for 90 EUR with proof of ability support self without working in country plus as well as proof of life and health insurance. There is an option to renew for 5 years.  Portugal is beautiful, and not as expensive as other European nations. I don't know about renting an RV to tour the country, but rent in small towns is often reasonable on modest apartments.

Just throwing that out there since Canada for a year means enduring so much cold!

Now *I* want to go live in Portugal! I don't want to have to endure living in Canada's winter any more. 🤣

[kokotg]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

Portugal offers a retirement visa for 90 EUR with proof of ability support self without working in country plus as well as proof of life and health insurance. There is an option to renew for 5 years.  Portugal is beautiful, and not as expensive as other European nations. I don't know about renting an RV to tour the country, but rent in small towns is often reasonable on modest apartments.

DS spend a few days in Portugal during spring break of his study abroad semester last year and loved it! Thanks...yeah, I should look into possibilities in other countries, too--probably it's not that hard to piece together a lot of time abroad every year if we're willing/able to move around. Need to figure out how to afford it all, too! 

[jen3kids]

2 hours ago, kokotg said:

yes, that could work! I should try to get more excited about RVing in Mexico, but I follow a bunch of RVers who've been in Baja this past winter/spring, and it just doesn't appeal to me. I don't think I'm enough of a beach person. Or, rather, my favorite beaches are the cold, rocky kind. Hence the summer in Newfoundland! 

Newfoundland is beautiful.  My sister and I took our parents last July for a week and I would have stayed for a month if I could have!  We only explored the west side of the island and I hope to go back someday to explore the rest and Labrador as well!

[Laura Corin]

4 hours ago, kokotg said:

DS spend a few days in Portugal during spring break of his study abroad semester last year and loved it! Thanks...yeah, I should look into possibilities in other countries, too--probably it's not that hard to piece together a lot of time abroad every year if we're willing/able to move around. Need to figure out how to afford it all, too! 

Long-term dog/house-sitting? When our old dog dies, we have our eye on that.

[kokotg]

44 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Long-term dog/house-sitting? When our old dog dies, we have our eye on that.

yes--that's a great idea. We've used the Trusted Housesitters site to find people to stay at our house several times now, and always had great experiences. Although that reminds me that that's one of the big issue with long term overseas travel...our own dogs! The ones we have currently won't be around in 10 years, but I do like to have a dog or two...that's one of the big appeals of RV travel. Hmm.

[kokotg]

2 hours ago, jen3kids said:

Newfoundland is beautiful.  My sister and I took our parents last July for a week and I would have stayed for a month if I could have!  We only explored the west side of the island and I hope to go back someday to explore the rest and Labrador as well!

We've been trying to plan this trip for years now, and it's never worked out for assorted reasons--so we're very excited! We'll be there around 5 weeks. We spent several weeks in Nova Scotia a few years ago and loved it.