Aloha,

Happy Monday! Great News for our Canadian neighbors! Below is an article from Keats Connelly (Bob Keats) regarding the retirement visa bill. We will definitely keep a close watch on this bill becoming law this year!

Finally, great news, the latest version of the Retirement Visa for Canadians we have been lobbying for since the fourth edition of The Border Guide in the mid-1990s, has returned.  Over 15 years, Bob Keats personally had countless meetings with US Senators and other political figures, immigration attorneys and Chambers of Commerce.  Many readers of The Border Guide have written letters to their local politicians and Chambers of Commerce to try to get this Visa.  The Retirement Visa will allow Canadians age 50+ to spend as much as 240 days annually in the US Sunbelt without worrying about immigration issues, plus they will be able to save a great deal of income tax to boot.  Incredibly, we are getting some action in the US Congress and we believe since it is bipartisan, being pushed by some senior Senators, and with our having a Republican House, it has a very good chance of passing this time around.

The bill, S. 1746, also proposes a homeownership visa that would allow Canadians of any age to live in the US year-round and save a bundle in income taxes too.  To qualify, a Canadian would need to spend at least $500,000 in acquiring a US home and other US residential property.

Bob Keats believes this will be a superior job creating bill than the current Jobs Bill being pushed by President Obama, at a cost to the American taxpayers of over $500 billion. This visa bill will cost virtually nothing, yet it will be an incredible jobs creator while simultaneously helping Canadians reduce their taxes and enjoy a lower cost-of-living lifestyle in a warm climate, without snow!  Although Canadians will not be able to work on the retirement or homeownership visas, these visas provide a bridge to a work visa with proper immigration planning.

We are very optimistic and excited about the Retirement Visa as it has been such a long time coming.  We will keep you informed as the bill works its way through the US political process to become law.  We do expect it to become law within the first quarter of 2012, unless a major obstacle is thrown at it and it is delayed until after the 2012 US elections in November.

From: Keats Connelly (Bob Keats)

If you are looking to buy or sell something here on Maui, need more info.  Please do not hesitate to contact me at 808-276-2004. I would love to help get you into this Maui Lifestyle!

Aloha for now!