fwiw i'm pretty sure you need to be a full-time student to qualify...
(i've researched a dozen countries' banking, immigration and visa requirements for the last 2mos. )
headin' south of the border in <2weeks...

Which country you heading to?

right, i think i'll be a full time student and finishing my degree in canada. i don't want to pay for the ~40k ubc tuition though, maybe i'll settle for a small community college in vancouver, wonder if i can get a student visa for that.

playa del carmen, MX


at least for the first 6mos. ... then idk

Hmm how safe is it? and how easy is it to get a mexican bank account?

PS. 2k posts!!!!!!! WOOO

safety - i heard it takes 20min.

so... the plans for current US players in canada is to just stay there 180 days, and what happens afterwards is pretty much unplanned?

i assume stuff like canada visa runs don't exist, right?

If you're on a student visa, presumably you get more that the 180 days. for Canada no there are not "visa runs" - the 180 days is a maximum for a rolling year IIRC

Just arrived in Vancouver. In a hotel for a few days while my wife and I find a place to stay. Anyone happen to have a place for rent?

Yeah, I haven't read anything that would allow me to stay in Canada longer than 180 days either. I'm leaning toward moving to Mexico or Panama for 6 months after my Canadian lease ends. The life of a nomad.

Just out of curiosity, does the 180 day requirement reset on jan 1 or is it only based on when you first enter the country?

i would assume it is based on your entry...
or else you could go there mid July and stay for a year

It's rolling, so you have 180 days out of any 365 day period.

It snows half the year. 180 days seems enough!

This whole 180 days thing isn't set in stone it's just a guideline. If you go in and have to talk to the customs agent they can give u more or less at their disgression, but he told me as a poker player like we are, we would be leaning toward less not more.

I've been going back and forth on short trips for around 2 weeks each time and haven't gotten any stamps or paper work for hearings like some have so far, so I'm not sure if this way keeps you off the radar of their 180 days count or not.

I've been back and forth a few times myself and I just tell them I'm visiting a freind in Toronto for about a week. When they ask me what I do for work, I just tell them I'm a computer programmer. I was only stopped at the border for further questioning the first time when I said I was going to be there for 3 months(I learned my lesson).

Anyone heading to the Windsor area?

Might give up the SNE grind for the year and focus on getting good again on the tables. F*c* me.

Is there any word yet on whether I'm going to need to open another bank account in my new location after leaving Canada?

so do they keep records on how many days u spend across the borders?

like for example, if i drive from nyc to niagara falls, do i just show them my driver license + passport and they let me go? or they have to make me fill out documentations, tell me how many days i can to stay, etc etc.

basically the question is, if goin to canada by car, what info are they taking when u go across borders, what do they do with u?

Yeah, I probably would have said something similar, but I'm pretty sure they won't buy it after seeing how much **** is packed in my car (I'm not planning on making trips back and forth). So I might as well come clean and take my chances.

Doh! Sorry to hear it Hodge, let me know if I can help.

Good point. When I came back to canada the 2nd and 3rd time, all I had was my luggage. Everything else I had left at my apartment in Canada when going back home.

They will basically fear monger you. My border agent was kinda an ass and had an unpleasant attitude with me (seems to be standard though). He eventually did let me in but said "if you don't leave the country within 2 months you will be arrested and deported." I did some research and it turns out he was basically just putting the fear in me. From the official CIC website:

If there is no stamp, a handwritten date or document in your passport, your temporary resident status will expire six months from the day you arrived in Canada. If you were given a visitor record, student or work permit, the expiry date is marked on the document.

I was given absolutely no documentation so I do legally have 6 months. You obv need your license and passport, but you should definitely bring documention that you have funds to support yourself (bank statements) and ties back to the US (mortgage/lease/job). The ties to the US was definitely harder to prove as I have no lease or mortgage and I'm a pro poker player which means I'm unemployed to him (He even referred to me later as having no job after I told him I was a pro poker player). Either way just be honest.

but if theres no stamp, a handwritten date or document in your passport...

can they know?