Landing question: Is there a definition of "residing" in Canada after landing?

My partner and I have received our CoPRs and are planning how to land. Currently we live near the border in Washington state and travel to Vancouver weekly to visit family. We also own a home in Canada we are renovating.

Technically we would be making a “soft landing” to activate our PR status, and not permanently moving all of our household goods until next summer. However, because we already own a home there and will be traveling back and forth between residences either way, is there any reason we shouldn’t claim our initial landing as permanent with a declaration of goods to follow? We would be taking a few household essentials to our new house and spending time there, but not living there full time until renovations are completed.

I think this is kind of a weird grey area situation. I don’t want to dishonestly state my “intention of residing immediately in Canada,” but it’s also not clear to me what the definition of “residing” is.

Should we try to explain the situation to the officer when we land, or should we give the minimum information required? If anyone has any experience or information to aid our planning I would very much appreciate it.

Best option is to just explain your situation as is, and mention that you are planning to move as soon as you can. Bring up that you have a house there etc.

Declaration of goods shouldn’t strictly depend on that. I was able to submit GTF (goods to follow) after saying that I am still searching for a job, and we’d move as soon as I find one.

As far as I know, most officers are asking whether you are moving at the moment or later. Getting GTF and PR card done depends on how you convince them. If they don’t ask you about it, just hand over GTF and provide address for PR card.

1 Like

When I soft-landed I had both GA and GTF forms with me and they were processed. I moved here more than a year later and my GTF goods were processed then without any issues (i.e. the CBSA officer clearing the goods did not ask me why I had come a year later). I think it’s totally OK to do so.
In fairness, when I landed, I was never asked whether I’m moving permanently or not, but if I had, I would have answered honestly. It’s completely fine to land first and move permanently later. The worst that will happen is your GTF will have to be done at a later point. But this should not affect your actual landing in any way.

It’s best to be honest (if asked). Don’t give out any information unless asked. I would recommend taking all the forms and process them if possible, this will avoid hassle later.

Once you are a PR (and have the PR card in hand) you can come and go as you please. Just note than if you have OHIP there’s a restriction for first 6 months on how much you can be outside Canada.

Thank you for the responses, very helpful.

Now I’m wondering whether there’s a similar residency requirement for health care in BC in the first 6 months. All I can find online is that you must be present in Canada for 6 months of the first year, which we would be. I was hoping to apply for health care as soon as we get PR cards and hopefully not need bridge insurance once we permanently land.

At least in ON you can apply the day you land, but you need to wait for 3 months till you get the health card. After that, for next 6 months, you can be absent from ON for only 30 days cumulative.

If you’re residing in Canada till you get health card (which would be exactly 3 months after you land), you must have health insurance to cover you and your family.