Is an American's Canada stay time affected if he flies to Europe from Canada?
Mar 16, 2014, 6:57 pm
#1
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Is an American's Canada stay time affected if he flies to Europe from Canada?
I just found out recently that a Canadian who sails out of a US port on a cruise, is considered to still have been in the US for the duration of the cruise -- the 6 months stay limitation. In a similar vein, as an American, if I drive into Canada and then fly to say, Europe, is the time I'm in Europe counted against my Canada stay time?
BTW, anyone hear anything about the progress of the immigration bill that contains a provision to extend to 8 months the time for Canadians who wish to stay in the US?
BTW, anyone hear anything about the progress of the immigration bill that contains a provision to extend to 8 months the time for Canadians who wish to stay in the US?
Last edited by XFed2001; Mar 16, 2014 at 6:59 pm Reason: Grammatical error
Mar 16, 2014, 8:21 pm
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I just found out recently that a Canadian who sails out of a US port on a cruise, is considered to still have been in the US for the duration of the cruise -- the 6 months stay limitation. In a similar vein, as an American, if I drive into Canada and then fly to say, Europe, is the time I'm in Europe counted against my Canada stay time?
BTW, anyone hear anything about the progress of the immigration bill that contains a provision to extend to 8 months the time for Canadians who wish to stay in the US?
BTW, anyone hear anything about the progress of the immigration bill that contains a provision to extend to 8 months the time for Canadians who wish to stay in the US?
Transit days are ignored provided you leave the same calendar day (i.e. are not present at 12 AM that day.)
Out of curiosity, why do you need to know this-are you a Canadian PR who wants citizenship?
Mar 16, 2014, 9:19 pm
#3
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I know that for duty free allowance and income tax you do not count the day you left as an absence but you count the day you return as an absence.
Transit days are ignored provided you leave the same calendar day (i.e. are not present at 12 AM that day.)
Out of curiosity, why do you need to know this-are you a Canadian PR who wants citizenship?
Transit days are ignored provided you leave the same calendar day (i.e. are not present at 12 AM that day.)
Out of curiosity, why do you need to know this-are you a Canadian PR who wants citizenship?
Mar 17, 2014, 8:34 am
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AA_EXP09: I am an American who has a girlfriend who lives in Ontario - as such I am allowed to be in Canada only 6 months of the year. So, my question revolves around making sure that I do not violate the 6 month rule -- i.e., when I'm not in Canada physically, am I free of the rule's stay limitations? I found out that a Canadian has to be physically out of the US for at least 30 consecutive days so as not to be in violation the US 6 month stay rule; otherwise, each day a Canadian is in the US counts as part of the 6 month rule.
(Similarly for US ESTA where a departure from N America counts as departure from the USA, or staying in a place where you have residence.)
Mar 17, 2014, 9:26 pm
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Interesting about the cruise thing for Canadians, but it's a completely different thing from flying.
As I understand it, you surrender your passport when you board an international cruise, and to go on a day trip when the ship docks you are given some king of a pass, while your passport remains in possession of the cruise ship personnel.
When you fly from Canada, you AND your passport leave the country, and when you return you receive a nice fresh stamp proving you were outside of the country @:-)
As I understand it, you surrender your passport when you board an international cruise, and to go on a day trip when the ship docks you are given some king of a pass, while your passport remains in possession of the cruise ship personnel.
When you fly from Canada, you AND your passport leave the country, and when you return you receive a nice fresh stamp proving you were outside of the country @:-)
Mar 17, 2014, 9:43 pm
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Interesting about the cruise thing for Canadians, but it's a completely different thing from flying.
As I understand it, you surrender your passport when you board an international cruise, and to go on a day trip when the ship docks you are given some king of a pass, while your passport remains in possession of the cruise ship personnel.
When you fly from Canada, you AND your passport leave the country, and when you return you receive a nice fresh stamp proving you were outside of the country @:-)
As I understand it, you surrender your passport when you board an international cruise, and to go on a day trip when the ship docks you are given some king of a pass, while your passport remains in possession of the cruise ship personnel.
When you fly from Canada, you AND your passport leave the country, and when you return you receive a nice fresh stamp proving you were outside of the country @:-)
Keep in mind that you don't necessarily need a passport-there is a driving licence that can be used for sea crossings.
Mar 17, 2014, 9:48 pm
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I was talking about cruises, such as those that take you to different islands in Caribbean or through Panama Canal, or Central America. But since I'm not a cruise kind of guy, I profess not to know details, only read about having to surrender your passport when you embark.
Mar 18, 2014, 9:03 am
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I was talking about cruises, such as those that take you to different islands in Caribbean or through Panama Canal, or Central America. But since I'm not a cruise kind of guy, I profess not to know details, only read about having to surrender your passport when you embark.
Mar 18, 2014, 9:47 pm
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AA_EXP09: I wish to clarify the questions I originally posed. As a Canadian visiting the US, one is allowed to be in the US for a total of 6 months out of the calendar year. If you, a Canadian, sail from a US port on a 2 week cruise, you are deemed to have still spent those 2 weeks in the US; thus those 2 weeks is counted included in your 6 month stay limitation. I was asking if Canada treated US visitors in the same way. Apparently, not..... Thanks for your input.
Mar 18, 2014, 10:04 pm
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Really? Is this to prevent you from drunkenly losing it? Or to prevent you from leaving the ship and flying home from a foreign port?
Mar 18, 2014, 10:32 pm
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I've been on 6 cruises on three of the major cruise lines and not once has my passport been in anyone's possession besides my own.
Mar 20, 2014, 2:38 am
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My friend took more than one cruise from Galveston and told me this; and Houston Chronicle travel section had a story about it a few years back.
Perhaps they stopped doing it, but it was very much being done a few years ago.
Come to think of it, my coworker also mentiond that it happened to him @:-)
But again, I don't do cruises, so no first hand report.
Mar 20, 2014, 4:28 pm
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When I cruise out of US ports I use my Canadian passport. The only time the ship took possession of my passport for the duration of the cruise was Disney Aug 2001. Have not had to surrender passport since then with RCCL and NCL.
Mar 20, 2014, 9:25 pm
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In 2008, went on an Antarctica cruise. Cruise line kept our passports the entire trip. Argentina, Falklands, Chile, Uruguay, back to Argentina. Maybe the rules are different for different countries. American Passport, for what that's worth. Azamara (Celebrity) again if it matters.
Mar 21, 2014, 4:54 am
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As I understand it, you surrender your passport when you board an international cruise, and to go on a day trip when the ship docks you are given some king of a pass, while your passport remains in possession of the cruise ship personnel....My friend took more than one cruise from Galveston and told me this; and Houston Chronicle travel section had a story about it a few years back.