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Can Canadians retire full time in Puerto Rico

Last activity 26 September 2016 by ReyP

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Rod L

Hi we have been to Puerto Rico twice and loved it , we are now trying to decide where to retire we don,t need to work , and have financial independence can we legally live in Puerto Rico, please only answer if you know factually many thanks

We're moving WHERE?

Anyone can retire in Puerto Rico,  still be  under US protection and you will actually be a real expat since Americans are not!  They are just moving to a different path of the USA!  You'llove it.  We used to have a bunch of Canadians in my building working on the Tren urban.

ReyP

We have several non-US citizens living in the island, the requirements are exactly the same as moving to any of the 50 states. Soon some of them will pitch in and give you more info, but there is no difference requirements wise to moving to PR as to Florida or New York or Alabama. PR goes by Federal Laws of the continental US, so immigration is EXACTLY the same.

People from Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, UK, and yes Canadian have all made their home in PR over the years.

Gary for example is Dutch

Anolis

The same immigration laws apply to Puerto Rico as do the United States. This means that as a Canadian citizen without a visa (that is, entering under the tourist visa waiver program) you can only live in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or other U.S. territories for a maximum of 6 months per year. You can buy property in the U.S. and its territories without restriction; however you may have difficulty getting a mortgage, if one is necessary.

As a retiree you might consider the E-2 visa program, which requires an investment in a U.S. business. I don't know the details, except that it does exist and the size of the investment is not enormous. I believe this visa needs to be renewed every 5 years, but it would be best to consult an immigration attorney.

Finally, many Canadians enter under the visa waiver program and do not leave after 6 months. If you are not planning to earn income in the U.S. this is certainly possible to get away with; however if you plan to stay in the U.S. or territories for more than 6 mo. per year I would recommend first investigating how to do so legally.

Good luck!

WarnerW

Oops, my post was much the same as the one above.  In short, it is doable, but you should talk to an immigration lawyer, and perhaps an accountant.

Rod L

Thanks guys , we owned a home in Florida for the last 4 yrs we just sold it . We were hoping we could live in Puerto Rico year round ,no we don,t want to work and no we don,t need a mortgage but we don,t want to be kicked out after 6 months , that,s why we sold the Florida home, We thought because its not a state ,it,s kind of sad we work all our lives and safe up and all these other people from other countries seem to get in and we are financially secure and are told no

ReyP

While Puerto Rico is not a state, the rules for emigration are US wide which includes territories like Puerto Rico. Your experience will be similar as your Florida Residence.
You probably dont want to become a US citizen, so that complicates things. I assume you did check with inmigration and those were the ones that told you no.

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