Korean Job Discussion Forums

Murph · Joined: 31 Dec 2006

Have any Canadians on here lived abroad as non residents, and then moved back to Canada to become residents again? I am currently a non resident. I am curious as to what is involved in returning home, and becoming a resident again, ie being back under the Canadian income tax system, getting your health care back, etc, are these things difficult, or do you simply contact the approriate offices and inform them that you are back?

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

peppermint · Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:03 am Post subject:

depending on province you may have to be there for a certain amount of time before you're covered by the health insurance ( I think it's 6 months for Ontario residents, nothing at all for Newfoundlanders) and when you file taxes the year after you come back it will take ages to get your return back, as they have o be processed by the international tax office for that first year.

fancypants · Joined: 22 May 2005

I believe the non-residency of which you speak is non-residency for tax purposes. As long as you hold a Canadian passport you are and forever will be considered a resident of Canada.

As for the taxes, just file a return next April and you will be fine as long as you don't have a lot of strong ties to Canada: spouse, children, house, investements.

If you do have ties such as these, be prepared for a hefty tax payment.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 2:54 pm Post subject:

contrarian · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Location: Nearly in NK

I have been in Korea for over seven years. I never sought a declaration that I was a non resident. My ties to Canada, before last year, were a storage locker and 3 adult kids. Last year I bought a house and rented it out (its then an investment and revenue property and not a "tie to Canada".

I picked up a renewal of my Canadian Driver's license (BC) as the deadline of deadlines for getting one without retesting was about to run out. That might cause me problems. I even picked up some Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan applications (I'm an old fart). I am told that I can collect the CPP even if I'm in Korea (I paid for it over many years).

When I go back to BC there is a 3 month waiting period for medicare.

The question of residency is one of degree of connection. Some of the other posters did a good job of listing things that count.