AboutDavid Chanter Expertise I have a MA in Political Science and have worked or visited every province and territory in Canada. I work for the federal government as a Media Monitoring Officer where I scan everyday all the major newspapers in Canada. I would be pleased to answer questions on: Canadian politics (federal and provincial); Canadian geography; and, life in Canada.
Expert: David Chanter Date: 5/9/2007 Subject: Foreign ownership/occupation Canadian property
Question Hello David,
I'm not sure whether the four questions below fall within your specialised subject areas. Anyway, here goes:
I am a retired UK citizen living in Luxembourg. My Russian-born wife and I are interested in purchasing a residential property in British Columbia. We understand that, as foreigners, we could occupy such property for no more than six months in any one year. However, the Canadian government's website mentions the possibility of obtaining tourist visa extensions before your six months is up.
Four points I have been unable to clarify through e-mail correspondence with Canadian realtors or from browsing the official Canadian gov. website and its FAQs are:
1) Where do you apply to for such extensions while living in Canada?
2) What are the chances of being granted an extension?
3) For how long might this be granted?
4) How many successive extensions is it possible to apply for?
Thank you in advance for any assistance or pointers you might be able to offer. I should add that, presumably for fear of being inundated with queries, your central government is averse to giving its e-mail contact address. People with questions are expected to seek out answers on their official website. I tried but failed.
If you are unable to help, it would be much appreciated if you could bounce the above text back to me, if possible, so that I don't have to reinvent it for another expert.
Best Regards,
Martin
Answer Unfortunately, these questions are too technical for me to answer. Since an incorrect or misleading response on my part might create a "disastrous" situation for you in the future, I am hesitant to even offer an informed opinion. The ONE thing I can suggest is that you visit in person the nearest Canadian embassy (Brussels) and speak to an immigration official there. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Hello David,
I'm not sure whether the four questions below fall within your specialised subject areas. Anyway, here goes:
I am a retired UK citizen living in Luxembourg. My Russian-born wife and I are interested in purchasing a residential property in British Columbia. We understand that, as foreigners, we could occupy such property for no more than six months in any one year. However, the Canadian government's website mentions the possibility of obtaining tourist visa extensions before your six months is up.
Four points I have been unable to clarify through e-mail correspondence with Canadian realtors or from browsing the official Canadian gov. website and its FAQs are:
1) Where do you apply to for such extensions while living in Canada?
2) What are the chances of being granted an extension?
3) For how long might this be granted?
4) How many successive extensions is it possible to apply for?
Thank you in advance for any assistance or pointers you might be able to offer. I should add that, presumably for fear of being inundated with queries, your central government is averse to giving its e-mail contact address. People with questions are expected to seek out answers on their official website. I tried but failed.
If you are unable to help, it would be much appreciated if you could bounce the above text back to me, if possible, so that I don't have to reinvent it for another expert.
