Living in Vancouver and working in Seattle?

[tinu21]

Paying tax is pain. So far all
Savings is going to pay pending tax in canada. I m not sure how you guys are managing. But please share if any known tax consultant in Vancouver area.

Hi Prabjot,

Did you get any tax-consultant? FYI, I also travel from BC to Seattle, WA for work and return to Vancouver on Friday.

 

[KARVENKA]

Hi all
I plan on doing this starting this week. My family lives in Vancouver and I will travel to Seattle for 3 -4 days a week. Did any of you face any issues so far ? I applied for Nexus and was approved hopefully that speeds up border crossing . Some questions I need help with

Do we need to tell BC MSP that we have moved out of state ?
Do we need to take Washington state driving license since Washington state allows you to drive only for 30 days on your foreign license

Any pointers here will help

 

[coolss]

You would have to file a US tax return and a Canadian tax return as you are living in Canada more than 183 days/year.

If any one lives in Canada less than 183 days in a year and work in USA stillbhe/ she has

 

[vish4501]

Hi All on this thread,

Myself and my wife are Canadian PR’s and are on a H1B working for global companies in Seattle. We are planning to relocate to a suburb of Vancouver in the next one month to keep our PR active but will have to commute regularly to Seattle for work. I need some help in making a decision on this and would appreciate your help with my questions.

1. Is there someone who is in a similar situation. If so, can you please contact me at [email protected]? I would like to connect to ask a few questions and learn from your experience.
   
   
2. My major concern is regarding crossing the US border frequently. Once I take residence in Canada and if me/my wife have to travel every other week to the US, if we say we reside in Canada but work in the US, is that a concern? Will they say now that you are living in Canada, you dont need a H1B. My wife and I plan to travel together on Mondays and return on Thursdays.
   
   
3. Reg. this traveling from Canada, our managers are ok with it but for some reason our companies arent. But we plan to proceed anyway. Is this a concern?

Just wanted to see if there is someone in this group who has experience with this or who currently with such an arrangement of living in Vancouver and traveling for work in Seattle. I would like to connect with such folks directly. Really appreciate if someone could help.

Thanks in advance

I intend on doing this starting Jan 2019. IN each plan below, I plan on living near White Rock (closest to the border)

Plan A :
Monday: Leave Canada Monday Morning, Stay Night in Seattle
Tuesday: Travel back to Canada in the evening.
Wednesday: Work Remote
Thursday: Same as Monday
Friday: Same as Tuesday

This gives me all 7 days of residency in CA in a week.

Plan B:
Monday: Leave Canada Monday Morning, Stay Night in Seattle
Tuesday: Stay in Seattle
Wednesday: Stay in Seattle
Thursday: Travel back to Canada in the evening.
Friday: Work Remote

This gives me all 5 days of residency in CA in a week.

Plan C: Combination of Plan A and B, with daily commute if need be.

 

[canuck78]

Hi All on this thread,

Myself and my wife are Canadian PR’s and are on a H1B working for global companies in Seattle. We are planning to relocate to a suburb of Vancouver in the next one month to keep our PR active but will have to commute regularly to Seattle for work. I need some help in making a decision on this and would appreciate your help with my questions.

1. Is there someone who is in a similar situation. If so, can you please contact me at [email protected]? I would like to connect to ask a few questions and learn from your experience.
   
   
2. My major concern is regarding crossing the US border frequently. Once I take residence in Canada and if me/my wife have to travel every other week to the US, if we say we reside in Canada but work in the US, is that a concern? Will they say now that you are living in Canada, you dont need a H1B. My wife and I plan to travel together on Mondays and return on Thursdays.
   
   
3. Reg. this traveling from Canada, our managers are ok with it but for some reason our companies arent. But we plan to proceed anyway. Is this a concern?

Just wanted to see if there is someone in this group who has experience with this or who currently with such an arrangement of living in Vancouver and traveling for work in Seattle. I would like to connect with such folks directly. Really appreciate if someone could help.

Thanks in advance

Would look through the conditions of your H1B very carefully. Would imagine your companies are likely not interested since you’re supposed to be living in the US.

 

[kris72]

Hopefully this post will help someone in my situation
I've been travelling every other day between Seattle and South Surrey for past few months and making sure every day counts. Working on H1B in states and PR in Canada. Definitely there is significant cost involved with the travel back and forth (I own a house in Seattle and rent one in South Surrey). Wife works in Seattle and lives there so that's other hard part. I haven't sponsored her PR yet and she does have Visitors visa to travel Canada. I wanted to try this out myself and see if I can work it out to qualify for citizenship. I understand there will be scrutiny but will deal with it during Citizenship. It seems like people have done this in past so don't see an issue as long as maintaining the residency obligation and contributing to Canadian economy.

So far apart from travel being hectic crossing over border and staying away from wife for part of week rest seems fine . I do have nexus so that definitely is helping with border traffic.

I've been filing taxes on both sides and maintaining travel records I-94, saving receipts on daily purchases for ex: cup of coffee a day so just in case I-94 isn't updated for some reason and I get to have some alternate proof. Still long way to qualify for citizenship and hopefully one day......

 

[vish4501]

kris72, thank you very much for your message.

If you dont mind, can you please drop an email to [email protected] with your phone number? I would like to talk to you to ask a few more questions. We are planning to move to Canada within a month and do the same commute that you are doing. We would like to learn from your experience. Thanks a lot for your help.

Hopefully this post will help someone in my situation
I've been travelling every other day between Seattle and South Surrey for past few months and making sure every day counts. Working on H1B in states and PR in Canada. Definitely there is significant cost involved with the travel back and forth (I own a house in Seattle and rent one in South Surrey). Wife works in Seattle and lives there so that's other hard part. I haven't sponsored her PR yet and she does have Visitors visa to travel Canada. I wanted to try this out myself and see if I can work it out to qualify for citizenship. I understand there will be scrutiny but will deal with it during Citizenship. It seems like people have done this in past so don't see an issue as long as maintaining the residency obligation and contributing to Canadian economy.

So far apart from travel being hectic crossing over border and staying away from wife for part of week rest seems fine . I do have nexus so that definitely is helping with border traffic.

I've been filing taxes on both sides and maintaining travel records I-94, saving receipts on daily purchases for ex: cup of coffee a day so just in case I-94 isn't updated for some reason and I get to have some alternate proof. Still long way to qualify for citizenship and hopefully one day......

 

[canuck78]

BC MSP also has it’s own residency requirements. You will have to consider whether it will be possible to keep your coverage.

 

[canuck78]

kris72, thank you very much for your message.

If you dont mind, can you please drop an email to [email protected] with your phone number? I would like to talk to you to ask a few more questions. We are planning to move to Canada within a month and do the same commute that you are doing. We would like to learn from your experience. Thanks a lot for your help.

There is a big difference in your situation. He owns a home in Seattle.

 

[YVR123]

Hi All on this thread,

Myself and my wife are Canadian PR’s and are on a H1B working for global companies in Seattle. We are planning to relocate to a suburb of Vancouver in the next one month to keep our PR active but will have to commute regularly to Seattle for work. I need some help in making a decision on this and would appreciate your help with my questions.

1. Is there someone who is in a similar situation. If so, can you please contact me at [email protected]? I would like to connect to ask a few questions and learn from your experience.
   
   
2. My major concern is regarding crossing the US border frequently. Once I take residence in Canada and if me/my wife have to travel every other week to the US, if we say we reside in Canada but work in the US, is that a concern? Will they say now that you are living in Canada, you dont need a H1B. My wife and I plan to travel together on Mondays and return on Thursdays.
   
   
3. Reg. this traveling from Canada, our managers are ok with it but for some reason our companies arent. But we plan to proceed anyway. Is this a concern?

Just wanted to see if there is someone in this group who has experience with this or who currently with such an arrangement of living in Vancouver and traveling for work in Seattle. I would like to connect with such folks directly. Really appreciate if someone could help.

Thanks in advance

For question 2, I don't know if there's any change in H1B requirement. But I never lived in US and I used to commute to work from Vancouver everyday. And I was on H1B. I would have applied for green card if I moved down back then. But I didn't have the intend.

For question 3, if I were you, I will be really concern. You companies need to support you to work remotely. You cannot hide the fact that you now live in a different country. You will have to update your address and some of the insurance coverage may not apply if you do not live in US. If I were you, I would start looking for a new job since you may not be able to hold your job long if your companies do not support that you commute to work across the border.

 

[canuck78]

For question 2, I don't know if there's any change in H1B requirement. But I never lived in US and I used to commute to work from Vancouver everyday. And I was on H1B. I would have applied for green card if I moved down back then. But I didn't have the intend.

For question 3, if I were you, I will be really concern. You companies need to support you to work remotely. You cannot hide the fact that you now live in a different country. You will have to update your address and some of the insurance coverage may not apply if you do not live in US. If I were you, I would start looking for a new job since you may not be able to hold your job long if your companies do not support that you commute to work across the border.

Where did your employer/payroll say you were living? If you were working remotely through your Canadian address you wouldn’t pay state taxes since you don’t live in that State.

 

[YVR123]

Where did your employer/payroll say you were living? If you were working remotely through your Canadian address you wouldn’t pay state taxes since you don’t live in that State.

All records showed that I lived in Canada. (HR, legal...etc) I did pay US tax. I was consider as an non-residant allian and still need to pay my US income. (I filed tax return in both US and Canada)
I guess it's too bad and too late now. I used an accountant in US who was familiar with cross boarder workers. (Well, even if I didn't pay state tax, the extra would go to Canadian tax anyway)

 

[kris72]

There is a big difference in your situation. He owns a home in Seattle.

I don't think owning a home would make difference. Being on H1B and working cross borders doesn't seem to be an issue as long as you are able to commute and get taxes figured out on both sides. I checked with company legal and they just needed to update my address.

 

[kris72]

BC MSP also has it’s own residency requirements. You will have to consider whether it will be possible to keep your coverage.

Yes BC MSP says you must be a resident and present at least 6 months in calendar year. If this was someone commuting and making every day of their week count in Canada then they will suffice the requirement.

 

[ryeCatcher]

I don't think owning a home would make difference. Being on H1B and working cross borders doesn't seem to be an issue as long as you are able to commute and get taxes figured out on both sides. I checked with company legal and they just needed to update my address.

Do you have to pay double tax? I thought Canada and US have a tax treaty ensuring that income will not be double taxed?