I am a US citizen working on Canada on a temporary work permit. I frequently travel between the US and Canada and usually have no problems. However, I was recently given a thorough dressing-down by a Canadian border official when returning from a trip to the US regarding my residency status in Canada. As was quite caustically explained to me by this official, I am a visitor to Canada and my work permit only allows me to stay in Canada for an extended period of time and work. And although I reside in Canada (I have a home, a Canadian drivers license, S.I.N, etc) he insisted I was just visiting Canada and needed to provide him with the duration of my visit (e.g., tell him when I would be returning to the US) before he would grant me entry.

As this is the first time I have heard of this and because of the confrontational demeanor of the border official I am trying to find out whether this is true and what legal documents describe this policy (I do not accept the "because I said so" attitude and explanation of border officials as this has caused me undue problems in the past).

Your work permit allows you to remain in Canada until its expiration, unless you seek extension or otherwise obtain status that allows you to remain longer. If you intended to depart prior to that expiration, then that would also be an appropriate response.

The officer was technically right in his position, but the manner in which he expressed it seems unreasonable.