I am a long time Landed imigrant in Canada,,bought a boat in San Fran..need help

[Nemo55]

My health and my future are my concern and possibly my family's and Doctors,,,it is of no business to anyone else, and should not be (since i am not on your doorstep asking for medicare) so lets try to keep this on point and leave Personal slights and politics aside shall we,,,,,will try to delte my previous comment as i am calm again now.

[Boatguy30]

I'm probably far more liberal than 95% of the people on these forums.

Perhaps you could volunteer your time in a soup kitchen or some such in Canada.

I'd prefer you not hurt yourself anymore here in the US or need a Coast Guard rescue. Not sure which would cost more ( the unpaid hospital bills or the CG rescue).

[Nemo55]

Boatguy,,,,i am asking you very nicely to get off my case!!! this is a very sensitive topic for me and i wish to stay off the war button.
I have been censured by the mods before, and do not wish to be again.


Kind Regards.

[bobconnie]

O O ! Demon God has reared his head !! Come on guys it's Nemos life why would anyone want to stomp him online ??? he's mearly asking for a little info !! he may have made a few mistakes but he's not asking for any handouts I can see ?? He wants to sail ! and being a canadian has plenty of medical benes and sure don't need anything from California LOL He just was asking for ideas ! not anyones ideas about his life !! Just my 2 cents

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Nemo55

Money has already switched hands,no turning back now.
Since i fully believe that i just cant be the only "Non American who has purchased an American built boat,,there must be details of successful transactions someplace.
I believe i have to have the boat de-registered from the USCG before it can be registered in Canada.
Question....cant a foreigner own a U.S. registered boat, which is moored in the U.S.???? if i pays the taxes what is the problem??

You are correct there are thousands of boats sold in the USA to non-USA citizens/residents. It is all a matter of "getting your ducks in a row" and then everything goes smoothly. But not always, be it a sale to a US citizen or somebody from outside the USA.

Yes, you can own a boat that is registered in a STATE of the USA but No, not a USCG Documented boat. It is not difficult to "de-register" a USCG Documented boat and then get a State Title and Registration.

This is the part about where what the boat can do and go is sometimes different from what you can do and where you can go.

You would normally drive or fly down to the location of the boat using your Visa Waiver status and inspect and take ownership of the boat. It would then be a State of (xx, e.g., California) Registered boat which you can legally own/possess.

Then you would either use the boat in the States and when finished fly/drive back to Canada completing your Visa Waiver requirements. Of course there is a limitation on how long you can remain in the USA, but it is not a short time and it can be renewed/extended.

To move the boat outside the USA you need to get it documented/registered preferably in your home country (Canada) and then you can cross international borders. Leaving the USA with the boat is not difficult normally, but Mexico in particular is getting uppity and wants an "Exit Document (e.g., Zarpe, Dispatchio, etc.)" from the USA which is something rather new and recent. Also there are monetary fees involved in crossing International Borders. Entry fees, Immigration Visitor Visa fees, Port Fees, etc., and in the case of Mexico, local Mexican insurance.

But to enter the USA via your boat you will have to have the B1/B2 Visa in your Canadian passport. Then your boat and you would be "foreigners visiting the USA" and you would be required to obtain a "cruising permit" for the boat. Your B1/B2 takes care of your presence in the USA.

All of this can and is being done all the time. It just takes time and money to complete the processes necessary to legally cruise the seas. That's all.

In this "modern world" there is little, if anything, "simple." And you will with time learn the "dance" or procedures that are necessary to become a world cruiser.

[avb3]

I was going to suggest why don't you just become a Canadian citizen, and then I looked and it takes 19 months from date of application, assuming all residency and other requirements have been met.

Looks like it is simpler going the visa route and jump through them hoops.

Interesting thread, as I expect to go through similar in a few months, except I am leaving the boat in the U.S. That way I avoid Canadian taxes. I believe there a lot of Canadian boats in Point Roberts for that exact reason.

You can register it as a Canadian boat, and tax only becomes payable if it ever comes into Canadian territory.

Just a thought for you.

[SVTatia]

Nemo, you will not be able to register the boat in Canada because you are not a citizen.
I really hope they will issue you a Visa for this purpose because you are on disability. I would do as was suggested before - change your mind then change it again. Get the visa to go check a boat that is for sale in California, then when you get there decide to go sailing.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Nemo, you will not be able to register the boat in Canada because you are not a citizen.
I really hope they will issue you a Visa for this purpose because you are on disability. I would do as was suggested before - change your mind then change it again. Get the visa to go check a boat that is for sale in California, then when you get there decide to go sailing.

SVtatia is paritally correct about citizenship.

Here is the exact quote from the guide on registering the boat in Canada:

Who may register a vessel on the Canadian Register
Every owner must be a "qualified person". You are a qualified person if you are:

• a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection
• 2(1) of the Immigration Act, or

• a corporation incorporated under federal or provincial law

.

So, as you are not a Canadian citizen, you could incorporate in your province of choice, have the title of the boat be in that corporation's name, and then register it in Canada.

Corporations often give you more flexibilities than you have as an individual.

[NorthPacific]

Not that it helps much now but is there a reason why you don't have dual citizenship? You know that if you are absent from Canada for over 6 months your LI status is void!

[osirissail]

Ah, Life is never easy anymore. As can be seen from the variety of relevant posts in this thread, there are wrinkles and complications that must be dealt with before you can wander about the "seven seas."

It almost seems like a book of all the reg's and considerations would probably outweigh the boat. At least that is the feeling I get sometimes when dealing with various levels of bureaucracy.

But NorthPacific and another poster in this thread or another thread have brought up very important considerations that may impact your specific situation.

If you are a "legal resident" or whatever the name in a particular country is - and not a "citizen" - then you can lose or have your "legal resident" status removed or cancelled by prolonged absence from the country. This is also the case in the USA with "Legal Permanent Residents" (aka, "green card holders").

The other major consideration is maintaining qualification for access to the health system of the particular country. From what another poster said and what I have heard from Canadian friends, continuous physical absence from Canada of "X" months can result in you losing access to the Canadian Health care system. I have been told that "X' can be either 6 months or 2 years. Maybe a CF Canadian cruiser can be more specific on that detail.

These considerations maybe important enough that you will have to limit your "outside" Canada sailing trips.

Some of my Canadian friends avoid the problem by positioning their boat in a desired location and flying to it or from it utilizing the Visa Waiver Program if the boat is inside the USA. In other words living full time (or an extended time) on the boat outside Canada may be detrimental to your health care coverage.

The boat can be stored "on the hard" or on land when you need to be back in Canada. This normally "stops the clock" on how long the boat can be inside a particular country.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by avb3

SVtatia is paritally correct about citizenship.

Here is the exact quote from the guide on registering the boat in Canada:

Who may register a vessel on the Canadian Register
Every owner must be a "qualified person". You are a qualified person if you are:

• a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection
• 2(1) of the Immigration Act, or

• a corporation incorporated under federal or provincial law

.

So, as you are not a Canadian citizen, you could incorporate in your province of choice, have the title of the boat be in that corporation's name, and then register it in Canada.

Corporations often give you more flexibilities than you have as an individual.

Isn't a landed immigrant a "permanent resident" and therefore eligible to register the boat in Canada?

[NorthPacific]

Each Province in canada is different. BC is that you can apply for a 2 year absence and still retain your medical rights. But it would not cover the very high American Costs for example so you have to check to see what costs are regarging medical in the countries you intend to visit.

[NorthPacific]

"Isn't a landed immigrant a "permanent resident" and therefore eligible to register the boat in Canada?"

Yip as long as you pay the Taxes. If the boat is American (built in America) you do not have import duty. I could tell you the fun I had bringing my Dufour into Canada!!! but another time. Seems they where built in Eastern Canada.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Isn't a landed immigrant a "permanent resident" and therefore eligible to register the boat in Canada?

Once again, I am corrected.

You are correct. From the Immigration and Refugee Act interpetation section (2.1)

• permanent resident”
  “permanent resident” means a person who has acquired permanent resident status and has not subsequently lost that status under section 46.

[Celestialsailor]

Hi Nemo...I'll chime in here. I was a Canadian living in the US. I bought boat(s) here in the US. Both times, the boat stayed in US waters, I contacted Transport Canada and filed for a change from US documentation to Canuck docs. The only hassle was to have a T of C approved surveyor measure the vessel. There are some down here. I heard that they may have dropped that requirement. Hope it all works out

Bobconnie:- This forum has moderators. If they feel things are getting out of hand, they will say something. No need to moderate one another.