Moving to the U.S

This is certainly the first place I want to start asking this question. I'm looking at moving to the U.S mainly to try something different. I have a lot of support in the Milwaukee area from a girl and her friends/family who would help me move. This essentially means my overhead expenses will be extremely low and will have nothing to lose trying this excursion. I'm also very young for those who know so I thought I would try this now.

I've done loads of research with regards to U.S Visa and Citizenship. I have been applying for Jobs and believe one has made me an offer. I've looked at the options of NAFTA Temp Visa as well. It isn't as simple as that so I would love to hear if anyone has done it and if they have and tips for me.

I have no criminal charges or any outstanding tickets. Credit is great for my age and hold a Marketing Diploma and Business Degree. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Make sure your new employer helps you get a work Visa....it is simpler if they do it. You will need to hire a lawyer to get your Green Card.

Make sure the emloyer has a good benefit program.

There is a shortage for "good" man power.....

Milwaukee is not "cheap".....especially housing can be very expensive....depends where you want to live....on lake etc....

Weather is tougher than GTA....very windy and colder/damp...

Nice city and many activities in the Summer....concerts etc.....plus, Chicago is near...which is also VERY beautiful.

Good colleges/Universities

Probably one of the easiest US cities to get integrated.

Good luck....."eventual Cheese head"...

 

Man, she must be cute Thomas!

But seriously. The best of luck to you. I remember when you were in recently and you told me about this. Takes balls for sure. You'll do well.

Also, you can ask John AKA JHollywood. He just made the move recently too.

 

Sadi,

Thanks for the great advice. I visited in Milwaukee/Chicago area for more or less all of October and had a great experience. I've already got a GreenBay jacket and have worn a cheesehead.

I saw the schools and do like it because I may considering going back to school for a degree in finance or M.B.A in Business.

The employer is the key part here because I will need all the help I can get. If I know correctly I should be discussing it on Thursday.

 

Vasco,

A cute tour guide never hurt anybody

 

Good day Thomas,

Depending upon your qualifications you may be eligible for a TN (Temporary need) work permit (if it still exists)... It allows you to work in the US for up to a year and in some cases it can be extended. It is (was) super easy to get if you qualify. When I did this a number a years ago, all it took was a letter of employment offer from my new US employer, my qualification documents (in my case, my degree and Professional Accreditation), $45 (if I remember correctly), and 45 minutes later at the US Border crossing I had my INS approved document. After that I have to take this INS doc to an IRS office to apply for a US Social Security number. 3 Days later my SSN arrived and I was good to go. The SSN is way more important in the US than in Canada, as you cannot open any account without it... and I mean non banking items... Since 9/11 this process may have become a lot more strict and so check on the US INS site to see what is now available.

As for landed immigrant status, i.e. Green Card, you can still pursue this if you wish. However, keep in mind that once you become a US citizen you will be subject to their taxation laws no matter where you live in the future. This may not be a big deal if you plan on living in the US or other Countries which have a taxation treaty with the US. But if you make a bunch of $$$, etc and decide to retire somewhere like the Cayman Islands (which has no tax) you will have to pay US tax even if you never go back to the US. If you give up your US Citizenship on the basis of taxes, they penalize you for a number of years as well. In Canada, Revenue Canada is not as far reaching... you just pay your tax bill while you were in Canada and you are on your way (assuming you are not generating income within Canada).

Lastly, you really need to determine if this is a permanent move or temporary. I say this , as there are taxation filing consequences. If it is temporary, then you will have to file taxes in both Countries which can be complicated. Since US and Canada have a taxation treaty you will get a tax credit for taxes paid in the respective Country. However, which tax laws you ultimately fall under is rather ambiguous. In my case I ended up using KPMG as my tax accountant and so they filed both taxes for me and all was fine... but they charge a good bit of $$$ for this service. Like I said this dual tax filing should not be taken lightly, as if Revenue Canada determines you fall under their jurisdiction you will be subject to Canadian tax levels... Forgetting to cancel your Canadian Health insurance, having property, bank accounts, etc can muddy the waters in terms of how Revenue Canada sees you. I am not trying to scare you, but it is best to seek professional advice/direction so that you are not caught up in a tax nightmare.

Anyway, I hope the above helps a little.

Cheers,

Sam

 

Thanks Sam,

Temp or permanent is something I truly don't know yet. I would prefer temp to start solely because I'm unsure if this is where I want to be forever. In reality I'd like to just go visit and work for a few months to see if I like it. However this is not an option so I have to look at alternatives.

The TN Visa is the one I've been looking into but my worry is that a Bachelor of Business degree is nothing to special. The list of the positions in this agreement are listed here: http://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/en/view.aspx?x=343&mtpiID=147#Ap1603.D.1 . This is the avenue we are looking at right now as the primary route.

The tax thing I'm not that worried about yet. My finances are always in order and everything is clearly documented. The bigger issue is actually getting into the U.S and being able to work without problems.

 

Good day Thomas,

Indeed, check to see if you will be accepted under a TN permit first. However, I would not dismiss the tax issue, as there can be $$$ consequences if you are not properly advised. Remember that you will no doubt have to file taxes in both Countries and this in itself is not very straightforward. It cost me over $400 an hour with KPMG to have it properly taken care of.

The other issue is health insurance. What I did was maintain my AB Healthcare, plus I added out of Country health coverage to my home policy, plus a US policy as well. The caveats were that I had to return to my home province once every 60 days to maintain my CAN policies.... which was not a big deal, as I came back periodically to visit. The Home policy (out of Country) extension was like $120 for the year and it had unlimited $$$ coverage. As a secondary measure, I had a US Policy for about $450 (for 6 month intervals) which covered a lot up to a maximum value. Thankfully I never had any major issues and only needed to see a US doc for the flu ... and here I just paid the $120 office visit and never claimed it. One the positive side and if you primarily fall under CAN tax laws, then these extra coverages are 100% tax deductible... simply because these are expenses you must incur in order to earn your income in the US.

If you are planning on having your Car in the US, then you must notify your car insurance about this. They will most likely charge you a premium for the extended out of province coverage. This is important, as most people do not realize that most car policies are voided/limited if you use your car out of your home province for more than 30 days... Remember it is in the Insurance company's interest to not pay a claim and so they will use any technicality they can to void a claim. Thus, ensure you are upfront with your Insurance company (car and home), otherwise it can be a major problem should something go awry.

As for the dual tax filing, etc... Do not let this all scare you, as the overall additional tax you will be paying is not absurd at all. In my case with filing in both Countries with CAN being my primary tax location, the additional tax I paid was about 10% over what I would have paid had I fallen under full US tax. This may seem like a bit, but remember that for that extra 10% I received unlimited $$$ health coverage (remember my additional insurances were tax deductible) and I did not need to liquidate any of my CAN assets (quick sales usually means discounted values on items)... which would have been a lot of work.

Cheers,

Sam

 

Hey Tom

last year when I participated on the FChat Secret Santa thread I got to know mrsjoker57676 a little bit as I was her SS and as a result Mark too....they are both attorneys in Milwaukee.....and seem like a cool couple. I'd pm him and get the conversation started.....

Member joker57676 - Mark Severino
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/member.php?u=17959

he and his wife Jennifer are regular posters on FChat.


Chris

 

Thanks Chris I will certainly do that. I now how confirmation that the company is looking to hire me and we will be looking at all the steps to do such a transfer.

Again, all the help is truly appreciated as it is not something I've done before.

 

I went through this 6 years ago, not a NAFTA visa mind you, but an L1A.
3 years ago I got my green card.

Its a tough system to navigate and getting a good, reputable immigration attorney at the beginning is very important.

Milwaukee though? Nothing against that city, but if you're going to leave Canada it might as well be to someplace warm! lol

 

I'm getting this question fairly often and it is starting to worry me. However I have an employer offering me a position and lots of resources to help me come over. I've had a great time in the past few weeks with regards to the atmosphere and would like to try it for a longer period while making some income. It's also very close to Chicago which opens more opportunity as well.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for an Immigration Attorney? It would help if they have experience in TN Visa processes.

We have decided that the TN Visa is what we will looking to attain. The move will also be temporary on a 6 month contract.

I've got some good advice and now have it narrowed down so any more advice is greatly appreciated.

 

PM sent.

 

Canadian or US? I could help in US, a close friend is a law clerk in Indianapolis that might be able to point you in the right direction....

Chris