Yes, some of my friends have lived in Canada for many years but do not have permanent residence. They say you do not need as no one checks when you leave. When they go home to Hong Kong to visit family, they just buy another return ticket to Toronto and ditch the return portion. They say it is cheaper to buy a return anyway. As far as work goes, they are self employed and could not care less and certainly are not interested in paying taxes.

Do they tell a white lie at customs - yes, do they care - nope! It is all a game.


Like I said before - Canada certainly has no idea who overstays and who does not. This is certainly true if you have a passport that does not require a Visa to enter Canada.