My wife and I still have a few years to go before retirement but we've recently started thinking about what we might do. We've thought about full-time RVing in Australia (caravanning we call it, as I'm sure most of you know) and that's most likely what we'll do, but it occurred to me that we could probably do it for a while in North America too. I spent six months travelling in Canada and the US when I was in my 20s and it would be great to relive that, on a bigger scale.
Now, given that with the right visa we can spend six months in the USA, and with no visa at all we can spend six months in Canada, how feasible would it be to essentially alternate between these two for a number of years? We want to do everything above board so I'm trying to get a feel for how this might be looked on.
We wouldn't stay exclusively in those countries, there would be the occasional trip to the UK and Europe (being so much closer), plus trips (probably shortish) back home.
We of course wouldn't be working - I'll have a generous pension from 35 years of government service in Australia plus significant assets - and will maintain Australian bank accounts and drivers licenses, although we will sell our home. So I think we could easily justify our status as visitors. The RV we'll tow behind our truck, plus our photos and journals, will be able to testify to that. We'll also still be paying taxes and Medicare levy in Australia.
Eventually when we've had enough, or our health requires more doctors visits than our overseas medical insurance will cover, we'll go home and pick up the lifestyle again there if we can.
So how long do you think we could sustain this, from the point of view of not raising the ire of US and Canadian authorities? Five years? Ten? Indefinitely?
Cheers,
Tarabrae
Now, given that with the right visa we can spend six months in the USA, and with no visa at all we can spend six months in Canada, how feasible would it be to essentially alternate between these two for a number of years? We want to do everything above board so I'm trying to get a feel for how this might be looked on.
We wouldn't stay exclusively in those countries, there would be the occasional trip to the UK and Europe (being so much closer), plus trips (probably shortish) back home.
We of course wouldn't be working - I'll have a generous pension from 35 years of government service in Australia plus significant assets - and will maintain Australian bank accounts and drivers licenses, although we will sell our home. So I think we could easily justify our status as visitors. The RV we'll tow behind our truck, plus our photos and journals, will be able to testify to that. We'll also still be paying taxes and Medicare levy in Australia.
Eventually when we've had enough, or our health requires more doctors visits than our overseas medical insurance will cover, we'll go home and pick up the lifestyle again there if we can.
So how long do you think we could sustain this, from the point of view of not raising the ire of US and Canadian authorities? Five years? Ten? Indefinitely?
Cheers,
Tarabrae