Dear Snowbirds,
On February 4, 2011 the Canadian and U.S. governments issued a declaration known as Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The purpose of the program is to enhance security and increase the legitimate traffic of people, goods and services.
By June 30, 2014, as part of the Beyond the Border initiative between our two countries, the border program will be expanded to include the sharing of entry and exit information on both Canadian and U.S. citizens. Thus, an entry record into one country can be utilized to establish an exit record from the other.
While this expansion will mean travellers will have to be more vigilant in calculating their length of stay in the United States, it will have no impact on the current policies which Canadian citizens are already subject to. To be clear, this exchange of information will in no way change or shift the way in which either country determines your residency. Canadian and U.S. policies related to immigration and taxation remain unchanged.
For immigration purposes, eligible Canadian citizens are generally admitted into the United States for a period of “six months less a day” which is calculated within any twelve month period.
For the purposes of taxation, generally speaking, if you consistently spend four (4) months or more each year in the United States, you would need to file IRS Form 8840, in order to avoid paying U.S. income tax.
These topics are discussed in further detail in the CSA Travel Information Guide.
If you have any questions or comments related to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact our office toll-free at 1-800-265-3200 or email us at csastaff@snowbirds.org.
Sincerely,
Bob Slack
President
The Canadian Snowbird Association
The Voice of Travelling Canadians
www.snowbirds.org
