U haul border experiences

[canuck88 0]

Hi everyone,

Im new to this site and I am an approved green card holder but I do have a question about past experiences crossing canadian/usa borders with a u haul. There is very little information out there as to how it works, which lanes to cross in ex. commercial lane, bus lane or car lane? Im going back to Canada this weekend to bring personal belongings to the usa and need some experiences and guidance. Thank you so much ! Cheers

[lynamon 0]

Hi everyone,

Im new to this site and I am an approved green card holder but I do have a question about past experiences crossing canadian/usa borders with a u haul. There is very little information out there as to how it works, which lanes to cross in ex. commercial lane, bus lane or car lane? Im going back to Canada this weekend to bring personal belongings to the usa and need some experiences and guidance. Thank you so much ! Cheers

As far as I know you can transport your personal belonging within one year of activation of your visa (for duty not to apply)... I orginally came over with a Uhaul when I activated my visa ... I crossed at the Peace Bridge and used the Car/Bus lane ... I had a complete listing of what I was bringing over ... quite frankly they didn't even open the back of the truck.

[CdnMN 0]

Hi everyone,

Im new to this site and I am an approved green card holder but I do have a question about past experiences crossing canadian/usa borders with a u haul. There is very little information out there as to how it works, which lanes to cross in ex. commercial lane, bus lane or car lane? Im going back to Canada this weekend to bring personal belongings to the usa and need some experiences and guidance. Thank you so much ! Cheers

I crossed several years ago at Windsor. Make sure you have a complete listing of everything you have packed in the truck.

They took my paperwork, had me sit around for about 1.5 hours then came back and said I was good to go. They never even looked in the truck.

Just make sure you have all documentation in a nice neat package to give them. If you are missing stuff or your contents list isn't more than just "household stuff" they get to be a bit more demanding.

Ka

[Rustbelt 0]

I crossed a couple of years ago from Canada to the US with a UHaul at the Peace Bridge. Went through the bus/car lane (it's on the right before the commercial truck lanes). I didn't even have a list (returning US citizen); they flipped open the back, glanced at what was in there, asked my wife a couple of questions about her intentions as to immigration and where she was going to live, and we were on our way.

This time my wife is making lists of what's in each box as she packs. Each box is numbered and each list is handwritten, with items and their value. Each list attached to its respective box in a plastic sheet protector: some items might come over separately by car rather than in the truck, so she has to know what exactly is in each box.

Larger items will simply be listed on one/two sheets (bookcases, bed and stuff like that) as those will all be coming over in the truck.

Best guess is that the lists and contents of the truck/car will get a cursory glance, if that. Depending on when we cross we'll be there for 15 minutes or 3 hours.

[Wis-Can 0]

Hi everyone,

Im new to this site and I am an approved green card holder but I do have a question about past experiences crossing canadian/usa borders with a u haul. There is very little information out there as to how it works, which lanes to cross in ex. commercial lane, bus lane or car lane? Im going back to Canada this weekend to bring personal belongings to the usa and need some experiences and guidance. Thank you so much ! Cheers

As far as I know you can transport your personal belonging within one year of activation of your visa (for duty not to apply)... I orginally came over with a Uhaul when I activated my visa ... I crossed at the Peace Bridge and used the Car/Bus lane ... I had a complete listing of what I was bringing over ... quite frankly they didn't even open the back of the truck.

You actually have 10 years from your initial crossing with your visa to bring your personal belongs across. I haven't brought stuff yet, we are going back to get it. I asked the Border Patrol Officer so I would know for next time and he said to use the car/bus lane and they will redirect you from there if necessary. Here is a great reference guide to look at.

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/newsro...cations/travel/ moving_goods.ctt/moving.doc

[tbaygrrl 2]

I crossed this past August with a UHaul. It is so easy. Just go in to the normal car lane, and hand the border gaurd your green card and your inventory of items in the UHaul. The gaurd that helped me, just looked at my inventory sheet, did a 2 second look in the UHaul and my vehicle and I was on my way. No stress or hassel.

For your inventory, the best way to do it, is label the actual boxes as 1, 2 ,3 etc... and on your inventory sheet, put, Box 1 next to it list the contents, and do this for all boxes, and larger unboxed items put Other, and list them next to this.

Just remember that it must be personal belongings that have been used and not new. IF the gaurd feels that the items are too impecable to be used household and personal items they may charge a duty, but most the time they never check the contents of the Uhaul, they just look over your list.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Don't remember the lane we were in, but we had our list and labelled boxes and we were ready - they could have cared less, never even opened the truck at all. I had receipts to prove that my TV, stereo, computer etc had been oweed for a while, I was prepared.

The time you don't have the info is when they'll tear the truck apart, murphy's law.

[Malrothien 6]

When I came north I came across with a Uhaul. Had everything listed/labeled. They didn't even ask about it.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Did it back in 2004, too easy. Went thru Maine. had a list of al my stuff, dont have to get crazy on the list, you can group things together. I didnt pick any particular lane. drove up to the POE, stated i was here to activate my CR-1, he said ok, pull on in over in a parking spot and go inside. Went inside, gave the mysterious do not open brown enevelope to a POE official, they took my pic, I answered some basic questions, gave my inventory list to a customs dude, he barely even looked at it and i was on my way. Didnt even look inside the truck!

[wowswift 3]

Did it back in 2004, too easy. Went thru Maine. had a list of al my stuff, dont have to get crazy on the list, you can group things together. I didnt pick any particular lane. drove up to the POE, stated i was here to activate my CR-1, he said ok, pull on in over in a parking spot and go inside. Went inside, gave the mysterious do not open brown enevelope to a POE official, they took my pic, I answered some basic questions, gave my inventory list to a customs dude, he barely even looked at it and i was on my way. Didnt even look inside the truck!

We went through the maine border too (think it was the same, houlton maine, not the weird calais one). Went to the regular lane, made us pull over go inside too. He took the list of what was in the trailor, and of course didn't look. (might have been a good thing since it was -34 when we crossed, i don't think the lock would've opened lol).

[Flames9_RN 358]

I can't recall which maine poe it was (coming from Halifax area) and yes it was in Dec and storming,lol But if ya read many of the POE posts, majority dont get inspected, but ya never know!