Pinnacle should be no problem

Can someone here confirm that one can only stay in canada for 6 months in one year?


Someone i spoke to who moved to canada said someone told him all you have to do is leave canada after 6 months and then just reenter and you get another 6 months. I'm pretty sure this isn't true right?

I know this thread is about Canada... but for people considering other countries, I'll just say that Argentina is very do-able, and a number of us down here can help make it relatively easy (if a tad annoying) and we have it figured out relatively well. I'm happy to help via PM, or others in the BA thread in EDF can do the same.

?

You can only stay 6 months out of a 12 month period. Staying for 6 months and going back a day doesn't work. You have to wait another 6 months before crossing again.

Ok, but when does the 12 month period start? I came up for the first week in May, I will be up here for 3 months ending in December, Say I come up for 3 months (minus a week) at the beginning of next year. Does my time spent up here get reset in May? Is there any link, verifying how they count the time?

Regarding MoneyBookers VIP-

Since Ive more than surpassed their requirements for getting VIP, will they automatically upgrade my account at the start of the new month (their email support said they consider accounts for VIP at the beginning of each month), or do I have to email them again and specifically request it?

Also what are the outgoing limits for VIP?

No outgoing limits, just a per transaction limit (~13k). I'd email them again

I currently live in Ohio, about an hr away from where im gonna get set up in Canada, and was wondering if there will be a problem since i plan on crossing the border often. Also, what do i tell them each time i cross?

Also, if im in Canada all of January, US all of February, Canada all of March that just counts as 2 of my allowed 6 months right?

I just drove 8.5 hrs and got denied at the algonac, michigan/wapole border. I think I'm not gonna chance it happening again since I was planning on coming home for the holidays. It'd suck to have stuff moved in just to get denied by a power tripping *******.

i got through border ok and got canada bank account at TD very easily

Is it at all possible to open a Canadian account before arriving in Canada?

Unfortunately, cards with this BIN are not able to request cashouts since they were blocked by our processor. Please note that most cards with this BIN are not CFT eligible; therefore, we had to block the cards for cashouts. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please feel free to use any of the alternative cashout options.



how to cashout? which cards are good?

I go back and forth about twice a month and spend half of each month in Canada. I tell them I am there to play poker when they ask the purpose for the trip. You will lower your chance of extensive questioning if you always tell them that you LIVE in the US (saying I live half of the time in Canada half of the time in the US is bad). Also don't use the words "I work in Canada", refer to it as PLAYING poker (if they ask you what your job is you can of course tell them that you are a professional poker player).

You are allowed in Canada for 180 days out of any 365 day consecutive period.

-Carlos

What should i say when they ask where im going to play (which i assume they will)? Do i just say that im going to play online, and need to come to canada bc its illegal in the US?

It's not a huge deal, but I wouldn't phrase it that way. Just say that the primary site you play on, no longer services US customers which is more accurate than saying poker's illegal in the US.

I know someone that was denied entry last weekend. It was only his 4th time going through since the beginning of summer. All for periods of only 1-3 weeks

After crossing 8-10 times during the same period, another friend of mine was told he will likely not get through again without a visa. So I'd be careful moving to Canada and then crossing frequently. Would be horrible to have your stuff stranded up there.

I have an unique situation that I hope people here can help me with:

- I'm a US citizen living in the US.
- Starting 10/2012 I will go on a 3-year backpacking trip around the world. During this trip, I would like to stop for a few weeks from time to time and play some poker from different countries (will, of course, check for online poker legality in each country).
- I don't intend/need to play poker until I leave for this trip on 10/2012.
- I will be going to Canada on a business trip in January 2012 for 3 weeks. I do consulting work for a Canadian company. I travel there about twice a year.
- I won't need to withdraw my poker winnings often (trip funding won't come from poker played during the trip, unless I want to continue traveling at the end of 3 years, in which case I'd fund it through poker).

Is my best course of action the following?
- Go to Canada in January, open checking account, deposit some money in there.
- Get a friend in Canada to let me use her address for a utility bill. Tell Pokerstars that I'm residing there and show proof (US Passport, Canadian utility bill and bank account statement)
- Open moneybookers account, fund it using Canadian bank.
- Not log into Pokerstars until I'm in Australia at the start of my trip on 10/2012. When in Australia, deposit into PS from moneybookers account.
- profit???

Also, what would be the best way to withdraw while traveling through different countries? I can't tell from the moneybookers website if they provide the ATM card anymore. Would it be best to just withdraw to Canadian bank and use their ATM card?

Also, how easy is it to open accounts on some other poker sites using a Canadian address and moneybookers while being in some other country around the world?

I have went back and forth through Niagara Falls 5 times in the last 2.5 months or so. It is always different each time. I have told the same honest story about what I was doing each time as well. 4 out of the 5 times going in I got searched and had to check in at immigration. Sometimes it goes quick and the people are friendly and sometimes they are a bit more intrusive. The time before last though there were 0 cars in line and I got asked about 3 questions and went through so you never know.

Kind of the same thing going back to US. The first time coming back I didn't get stopped at all and that was without my Enhanced drivers license that I somehow lost while I was there. The second time however I got searched and interrogated pretty bad and that was quite upsetting. I think they get your information on a computer though because the other times I got stopped they just searched my truck and didn't really ask many questions.

The more you do it and know what to expect the easier and more comfortable it becomes. The first couple times were stressful though since you really do not know what to expect and it is difficult to explain to someone who has no idea why you would get an apartment in Canada to play online poker.

i just got off the phone with the canadian border services agency. I explained to the guy that I am an american citizen and just visited Vancouver for 177 days ( may - november 2011). I asked him if I would be allowed back in February to visit for another 6 months. He replied saying that as long as I spent a week back in the u.s. that each time I return the slate gets wiped clean. I was under the impression that you could only visit 180 days out of a total 360. I'm not sure if I spoke with someone who is uninformed or if that is their policy. I'm pretty sure this is contrary to the general belief people have about canadian immigration.

Anyone else have any input on this matter? I know getting through the border is basically up to the discretion of the border agents but the laws regarding how long and often you can visit are pretty ambiguous.

This is very interesting to hear. This week I searched the internet for about 45 minutes looking for the official word on this. The only official thing I found was on the Canadian immigration site. It simply said that you can visit for 6 month if your passport is not stamped otherwise by a border patrol agent. In my searching I found several people who asked the same question. I found one person who confirmed that he actually visited for NINE months, left the country for a month, and came back for another 6 month stay with no problem.

As many people have pointed out, it doesn't seem like the border crossing guards really count the number of days you are in the country. I'm guessing that staying for 6 month and coming back after a week would work once or twice (you could also apply for and extended visitors visa for a year), or even indefinitely. But with each trip it would probably get harder and harder to prove that you are actually a US resident, so it would be harder to get back in the country. Not that most states require you to live in that state for over half a year in order to be considered a "resident," but if you maintain and apartment/house in the states, I doubt anyone is going to notice if you are only there for a few weeks a year.

-Carlos

I'll tell you from my experience that getting your stars/moneybookers acct opened will take up the most part of your three weeks in Canada that I wouldn't worry about it, and I got all of my information that they need withing 2-3 days of being in Canada. I honestly would wait until you were traveling to open your acct. But who knows I've talked to someone who said it took one day to reopen his acct.

Doesn't stars require a phone call? Can't answer phone if traveling

Finally used the Nexus Pass driving across the Border, 20 seconds and through the Peace Arch on my way. Sample size, etc., but that >>>> my first two experiences of an hour plus of getting searched/interrogated.

Do you have anything to declare, no, move along now...

Has anyone had any problems withdrawing from poker sites directly to their CAD bank accounts? I've been using MB to withdraw but seems unnecessary