Many Canadian families already know South Florida as winter residents. A full move is a different project. Status, tax residence, provincial health cover, schooling and the home itself all change at once, and each one has its own clock. This guide sets out the Canada-specific questions in the order they usually need answers, across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Le Strand brings those answers into one written Le Strand Landing Plan, working alongside your Canadian and U.S. advisers.
What changes when a Canadian snowbird becomes a Florida resident?
The change is a shift from visitor rules to resident rules, and it touches immigration, tax and health cover together. A winter stay relies on visitor admission. A move relies on a status that permits living, working or studying in the United States, plus an adviser-led assessment of where each family member becomes tax-resident.
Canadian citizens generally do not need a visa to visit the United States, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commonly admits Canadian visitors for up to six months. The officer at the port of entry sets the actual period, so each entry's I-94 record is the document to check. Visitor status does not permit employment.
Canadians planning a U.S. stay of 30 days or longer should confirm whether they already have qualifying registration evidence. This can include an I-94 or qualifying Trusted Traveler documentation when their latest admission used that programme's facilitated processing. Some Canadian land arrivals without qualifying evidence must register using Form G-325R. Check each family member's position, including the rules for children turning 14, with independent immigration counsel.
Le Strand records each family member's entry pattern in the Landing Plan, so the status conversation with independent immigration counsel starts from accurate dates.
Which U.S. visa routes do Canadian families usually discuss?
Canadian families can discuss these routes: TN, E-2, L-1, EB-5 and the employment-based green card categories. Which one fits depends on the principal's profession, business and timeline. Independent immigration counsel advises on the route, and Le Strand builds the move around their answer.
- TN (USMCA professional). USCIS states that Canadian citizens can apply for TN classification at certain CBP ports of entry or pre-clearance stations, with an employer letter and proof of qualifications, without first applying at a consulate. The initial period of stay is up to three years. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify for TD status. TD spouses may not work, and TD children may study.
- E-2 treaty investor. The State Department lists Canada as an E-1 and E-2 treaty country, in force since 1 January 1994. E-2 suits owners investing in and directing a U.S. business. See E-2 visa intelligence.
- L-1 intracompany transfer. This route fits executives, managers and specialised staff moving within a business that has a Canadian and a U.S. presence. See L-1 intelligence and corporate relocation planning.
- EB-5 investor green card. For petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, the USCIS Policy Manual sets the standard minimum at $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project. The amounts are scheduled to adjust on 1 January 2027. See EB-5 intelligence. The USCIS-approved EB-5 regional centers in Florida are listed by name and USCIS ID.
- EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3. These suit some professionals and executives. The U.S. immigration pathways overview compares the categories.
How does the 183-day question work for Canadians?
The United States counts days with the IRS substantial presence test, not a simple 183-day rule. Ask your adviser to apply the test: it generally requires presence of at least 31 days in the current year and 183 days across a three-year weighted total: all current-year days, one third of last year's days, and one sixth of the year before.
A snowbird spending about four months a year in Florida can reach the threshold without noticing. The IRS example shows 120 days in each of three years reaching 180 weighted days, which falls just short. Ask your adviser to check countable days and the IRS exceptions, including qualifying commuting, transit and exempt-individual days.
Visitors who intend to remain Canadian tax residents may qualify for the closer connection exception if they were present fewer than 183 days in the year and keep a closer connection and tax home in Canada. The claim is made on Form 8840. The IRS states that the exception is unavailable to anyone who has applied for, or taken steps toward, a green card. That point matters for families moving from wintering to an EB-5 or employment-based petition.
Questions to take to your advisers: Does our day count already meet the substantial presence test? Should we file Form 8840 for prior years? How do the tie-breaker rules in the Canada–U.S. income tax treaty apply to us in the year we move? When does our U.S. tax residency start?
What should Canadians confirm with the CRA before leaving?
Ask your Canadian adviser whether departure triggers a deemed disposition of reportable assets and a resulting capital gain. The CRA's departure guidance describes the rules and exclusions; the family-specific answer belongs in the move timetable.
The CRA publishes the reporting steps. Form T1161 lists properties when the total fair market value of reportable property exceeds CAD 25,000. Form T1243 reports the deemed dispositions. Form NR73 is an optional request for the CRA's view of residency status. The date residential ties are severed drives all of this. A home sale, a lease, a spouse's move and a provincial health card each affect that date.
Questions to take to your advisers: What is our intended departure date for Canadian tax purposes? Which assets fall inside or outside the deemed disposition? How are RRSPs, TFSAs and Canadian corporations treated after departure? Does the estate tax article of the Canada–U.S. treaty (Article XXIX B, per the IRS) apply to us? How should Canadian and U.S. pension coverage be coordinated under the Canada–U.S. Social Security agreement, in force since 1984?
Le Strand places these questions and their dates in the Landing Plan. Your Canadian accountant and U.S. tax adviser give the answers, and the property and school timetable is built around them.
How do provincial health rules affect the timing?
Confirm the provincial coverage end date and the U.S. policy start date together. Each province sets its own absence rules.
OHIP eligibility includes making Ontario your primary home. Its temporary-absence rules generally require 153 days of physical presence in a 12-month period and permit up to 212 days abroad. Ask ServiceOntario how a permanent move affects your coverage end date. Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta residents should confirm the rules of their own provincial plan.
Le Strand coordinates the overlap. U.S. health cover is arranged through licensed insurance professionals and is aligned to the date provincial cover ends.
Choosing an area in South Florida
Le Strand helps each family compare areas against its own priorities: the daily commute, the school journey, the setting it wants and the type of property. Every shortlist covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, and each option is compared at the address level, with the journeys that shape the family's ordinary week.
- For a short drive to Brickell offices: Brickell for apartment living, with Coconut Grove in the City of Miami and Coral Gables, including Gables Estates and Cocoplum, a few miles south-west of downtown Miami.
- Near established public and private school options: Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for established residential streets near schools in Miami-Dade County.
- For waterfront and island living: Key Biscayne, reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway from Brickell Avenue, and Miami Beach and the Venetian Islands across Biscayne Bay. Fisher Island, Star Island, Indian Creek, Bal Harbour and Surfside offer different coastal and island settings.
- For canal-front homes and boating: the Fort Lauderdale waterfront, including Las Olas Isles and Harbor Beach, in Broward County, with a central position between Miami and Palm Beach.
- For condominium living between Miami and Fort Lauderdale: Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach in Miami-Dade County.
- For more space and a quieter base: Palm Beach, Manalapan, Gulf Stream, Boca Raton and its waterfront enclaves in Palm Beach County.
See the Miami landing overview, the Fort Lauderdale landing overview and the Palm Beach landing overview.
The Landing Plan tests an existing winter property against the new year-round brief before any sale or purchase.
Which airports connect South Florida to Canada?
Miami's October schedule lists Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver nonstops; Porter also advertises seasonal Ottawa service. Compare Fort Lauderdale's Canadian options, including Porter's routes. West Palm Beach's President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT, formerly PBI) lists seasonal Montréal service with Air Canada and Toronto service with Air Canada and Porter.
Route examples checked 19 October 2026. Confirm operating dates, seasonal service and connections with the airline before booking. Compare total journey time, including the transfer to your South Florida destination.
How do Florida schools compare with Canadian school years?
Canadian and Florida school calendars overlap through much of the year, but Florida's August start can shorten the summer available for a move. For 2026–27, Broward County Public Schools and the School District of Palm Beach County began on 10 August 2026, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools began on 13 August 2026. Broward's last day is 28 May 2027, and Palm Beach's is 27 May 2027. A June move from Canada leaves a short summer, so records, immunisation forms and proof of address need to be ready earlier.
Florida law makes children eligible for public kindergarten if they turn five on or before 1 September. Grade placement for transfer students is based on records. French-immersion pupils should bring detailed records, since Florida districts run their own language programmes. Miami-Dade's International Studies programmes include French.
Le Strand coordinates the school timetable alongside the home search. Schools and districts decide admissions and placement. See Schools & family and the South Florida education corridor.
For a later intake, confirm the receiving school's published calendar, application deadline and available places. Private-school dates vary. Le Strand places those confirmed dates alongside the home and adviser timetable.
What practical steps are specific to Canadians?
Three practical points come up early for Canadians: the driver's licence, credit history and banking.
- Driver's licence. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. Canada is on Florida's list of jurisdictions whose holders can have the knowledge and skills tests waived. The Palm Beach County Tax Collector notes that the waiver requires surrendering the Canadian licence. Drivers who keep their Canadian licence take both tests. Since 6 February 2026, all Florida licence exams are given in English only.
- Credit history. Ask the receiving bank, lender or landlord which U.S. credit records and alternative financial evidence it accepts. Bring your existing records into that conversation before committing to a lease or vehicle finance. Le Strand coordinates the document timetable with the institutions you choose.
- Vehicles and insurance. FLHSMV requires Florida insurance before a vehicle is titled and registered, within 10 days of establishing residency.
Each of these steps appears in the Landing Plan with an owner and a date.
How does Le Strand coordinate a Canada-to-South Florida move?
Le Strand starts with a Landing Assessment. It records who is moving, when, how the Florida home will be used, and which decisions depend on immigration, tax or school answers. The result is the Le Strand Landing Plan: one written sequence with dependencies, dates and owners.
Le Strand introduces you to independent immigration counsel and cross-border tax professionals where you need them. It coordinates their requirements with the home search, school timetable and household set-up, and your existing Canadian advisers keep their roles. For the wider picture, see the Landing Plan, UK to Florida and Israel to Florida.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Canadian move to Florida without a visa?
Canadians can visit without a visa, but living or working in Florida needs a status that allows it, such as TN, E-2, L-1 or a green card. Independent immigration counsel confirms the right route, and Le Strand builds the move timetable around it.
Is the U.S. 183-day rule the same as Canada's?
No. The U.S. substantial presence test uses a weighted three-year formula. Canada looks at residential ties. Take both questions to your cross-border tax adviser before the move year starts.
Do Canadians need to register with U.S. immigration when wintering in Florida?
Some do. Counsel should check the length of stay and each person's existing evidence. An I-94 or qualifying Trusted Traveler evidence may establish registration; some land arrivals without qualifying evidence need Form G-325R.
Can I exchange my Canadian driver's licence in Florida?
Yes. Florida waives the knowledge and skills tests for Canadian licence holders who surrender their Canadian licence. Holders who keep it take both tests in English.
Which South Florida airports should I compare for Canada?
Compare MIA, FLL and West Palm Beach (DJT, formerly PBI) for your Canadian city and travel dates. Seasonal schedules can change which airport gives the most practical journey.
When does the Florida school year start?
For 2026–27, Broward and Palm Beach public schools began on 10 August 2026 and Miami-Dade on 13 August 2026. Confirm the receiving school's calendar for the intended intake.
Will my Canadian credit score help me rent in Florida?
Ask the landlord or lender which credit records and supporting financial documents it will accept. The Le Strand Landing Plan puts that document check ahead of the lease or finance application.
Relocation guides by country
Each guide sets out the country-specific sequence for a move to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Sources checked October 2026
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U.S. Department of State: Visa Waiver Program and visitor visas
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Palm Beach County Tax Collector: overseas licence test waivers
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Hillsborough County Tax Collector: English-language examination policy
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Florida Legislature: public-school entry age, section 1003.21
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DHS: June 2026 registration rule and Trusted Traveler evidence
