Spouse moved from USA to Canada mid-2024; worked in US prior to move but has not worked in Canada yet; how do we file?

[mbilbo]

So as mentioned in the title, my spouse completed the Canadian permanent residency process last year (so has an SIN now and all that) and moved up here in August 2024 from the US. The thing is, he worked in the US up until the beginning of August 2024, and has not found a job up here yet so he has not worked in Canada since the move. I know he will have to file taxes in the US,  but I am unsure how we need to file up here. I'm a Canadian citizen and have been supporting the two of us with my income. So I have a couple questions:
1) Should we file jointly even though he has had no Canadian income, or should I continue to file separately until he starts earning an income here?
2) If I file separately, will he still need to file up here (in addition to filing in the US) even though he has had no Canadian income?

[TurboTaxSusan]

Unlike in the US, there is no joint filing for married couples. TurboTax allows you to prepare your returns together with your spouse, but every taxpayer submits their own return.

Generally, if a person has no Canadian income, they don't need to file a tax return to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). But if your spouse is a permanent resident, then they may want to file a return as they may be eligible for credits or benefits.
 

This Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) explains who is required to file a tax return: Who should file a tax return

[mbilbo]

@TurboTaxSusan 

Thank you for the response! So we can prepare out returns together on one account, but it will still file them separately, correct?

Also, I'm wondering if I should be choosing Canadian resident or factual resident for my spouse. Since he officially moved up here in the middle of last year (August 11th), he technically wasn't here for the whole tax year. But when reading about factual residents, it seems to mostly apply to those that are snowbirds or leave Canada regularly for work and such. Since he permanently moved up here in August, should I still put him as a Canadian resident or?

[TurboTaxSusan]

Yes, you can create both returns in one account, and regardless if you prepare them together or separately, both returns will be filed individually.

If your spouse has permanent residence status in Canada, they would likely just be a regular Canadian resident. However, if you are unsure of their residency status, you will need to contact the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and confirm it with them. 

If you are in Canada or the United States, you can call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281. If you are elsewhere, you can call 613-940-8495. This page has more ways to contact the CRA: Contact the Canada Revenue Agency