How long can someone from US visit in Canada?

[Lemondrop78]

How long can a person with a permanent residency in the US visit in Canada? I ask this cause over a decade ago when my husband went to Canada, he was there for about 8 months before I returned to US with him. At the time he was a permanent resident of US...he is a US citizen now though. I hope it won't hinder our application for his PR in Canada. I think he may have filed an extension but i can't remember now, it's been so long. But lets say he didn't file for one, was that something illegal?

 

[sidkrose]

6 months, so yes, he wasn't allowed to be there for the last two months of his visit. As long as he wasn't deported though, and left of his own free will, on his own dime, I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem.

 

[Huron]

Actually the person can stay in Canada as long as the CBSA agent at the POE allows them to stay. This can be anywhere from 0 or 1 day to 6 months..... and is usually indicated on a stamp in ones passport or visitor record

 

[sidkrose]

Well, yes, that's true. But often they don't even stamp your passport, so the default is 6 months.

 

[Lemondrop78]

Will it delay the processing time since he stayed for 8 months? or do you think it could be something they can use to decide not to grant him the residency? I hope it'll be ok.

 

[Midcityjohn]

He does NOT need legal status to get PR in Canada. He could be out of status and still be approved since status is not used in determining approval of in Canada spousal PR. My passport was not stamped coming from the US either. I went to an immigration office to ask what to do, and they told me to just remember the date I entered. For US residents and citizens it is basically a "honor box system". When you leave Canada, They do not have a tracking system to see who left on visa-free countries like US. So what he did 10 years ago, they wont have the slightest.

 

[Lemondrop78]

Thanks...I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly. We have been waiting over a decade to return to my home country to build a life there.