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Just wondering what would happen to a US Citizen that went to visit their Canadian family members and stayed beyond 6 months and then decided to come back home to US.

Would they be allowed to return to US without any hassle or problems? Would they get arrested?

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    There is no emigration check on travelers departing Canada so you would not have any trouble departing. However, Canadians would record the date of your departure based on information provided by your airline, ferry/cruise company or US immigration authorities depending on whether you left by air, land or sea. As a result, you may have a harder time trying to re-enter Canada in the future.
    – Jacob Horbulyk
    Commented Mar 30, 2017 at 20:11
  • @JacobHorbulyk My understanding is that the countries report to each other the land entry records only of citizens of countries other than the US and Canada.
    – phoog
    Commented Mar 30, 2017 at 20:18
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    @phoog Do you have evidence?
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Mar 30, 2017 at 20:21
  • @SheikPaul apparently my understanding relates to an earlier phase of the program, so it is incorrect as to its current state. See cbc.ca/news/politics/….
    – phoog
    Commented Mar 30, 2017 at 21:52

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Who would arrest you? The United States? You broke no law of the USA. Canada? There's not even an exit control so you will meet no one who could fine or arrest you. Police in Canada while being in Canada? No such silliness happens.

Overstays in Canada are less usual than the USA because it's really hard to get work without a SIN and you can't get a SIN if you are not here legally. If you are just visiting, there's not really a problem -- except, of course, that you need to pay for all health care out of your pocket.

And while there are no exit checks, Canada still knows when you left, either the US border guard shares the info or the airline manifest does.

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