In your answer to David Smith, you mention that returning to Canada for a week over Christmas or for a few days in Mexico should not be deducted from the six months…this may not be correct. I thought the same thing, that it had to be more than 30 days before not counting as time […]

Just trying to understand the Form 8840 submission requirements. We’re first-time snowbirds and will be spending several months in the U.S. this fall and winter. Is there a submission requirement prior to leaving, or will we just have to file in 2017 for the 2016 U.S. tax year? Karl P Newfoundland Response: Ed.: Congratulations! You […]

Dear Bird Talk, Here’s another question about the 182-day issue. We live in Vancouver and have a vacation home in Washington State. Unlike true snowbirds, we use it on many weekends through the year and most of the summer. I keep track of our days (for example, if we go down on Friday afternoon and […]

Dear Bird Talk, I’ve read with interest the various letters to Bird Talk in issue 94 of CSANews. The clear, definitive answers to the various questions are very helpful…almost. I say almost, because I wonder if you’re doing members a disservice with such emphatic answers without stating upon which rules you are basing your answers. […]

Dear Bird Talk, Is the potential “Retiree Visa” for Canadian citizens or Canadian residents? The root of my question is, if a person was a Canadian citizen but a resident of Costa Rica or Panama (as an example), would they be able to spend eight months in the U.S. with a “Canadian Retiree Visa for […]

Dear Bird Talk, I am told that in the Harper budget, it would make changes for long-term stays in the United States, four months instead of six months. True or false? Daniel Gouvrette Mirabel, QC Response: Ed.: We felt that these two letters should be answered together. The Harper budget will have nothing to do […]

Dear Bird Talk, In the fall 2014 Issue 92, the Vice President states that the data for individuals crossing from Canada into the U.S. is not yet exchanged between the two countries. While Googling this question on the Internet, I found that many references are made to reflect that they “do exchange” the information. Can […]

Dear Bird Talk, My wife has been undergoing chemo and radiation treatments in Florida. These treatments have consumed most of the six months on our visa. There are now followup scans and consolidation chemo treatments. How do we get an extension to the six-month visa? David Woodruff Ontario Response: Ed.: We have found that the […]

JUST A NOTE Our comments on the gun issue woke up every advocate in the CSA, for both sides. Their comments ranged from “they only want a gun to shoot someone” to “how dare they restrict our right to bear arms and defend ourselves.” The following comments, from someone who has obviously had some direct […]

Dear Bird Talk, There have been many questions regarding the wisdom of submitting a form 8840 to the IRS and it certainly makes sense to do this. Would you please provide clarification on two points? First, we are assuming that both my wife and I must submit separate forms. Is this correct? Second, can these […]