Can I ship belongings to spouse before entry?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I should correct that it was me to me when I was there. She sent a few when I wasn't and therefore it was from her to me....and actually the first one I sent was from me to my mom because I didn't have a US address any longer.

Edited January 28, 2010 by Sousuke

[Armenia 18]

We didn't have a problem. We lived together for a little over a year so all of our stuff was mixed together...ie there was no longer a divide in who owned what any longer so the items were all addressed from me to me. We shipped our books, electronics etc. Her clothes were not shipped as they are obviously not mine.

And yes you can write personal effects. Also books and paperwork can never be charged a duty so for those you can just write "printed materials" or similar.

My problem with sending from "USC husband" to "USC husband" is there's a signature line in the Customs form. He has to sign it if he's the sender.

Although, if all the Canada Post postage/labels are purchased online (online EST, electronic shipping tool), can he/we just paste his signature (jpeg image) on the label/customs form? Or does signing the label/customs form means he has to be physically present in Canada?

[SunDrop 59]

That's a good question.

I was thinking of that too because my USC husband does have a lot of stuff here with me too. He keeps clothes and shoes/etc here for when he comes over to visit.

If I mail them to him, they're not gifts, right? So do I declare them as "personal effects of recipient"?

Exactly. Not gifts.

[SunDrop 59]

My problem with sending from "USC husband" to "USC husband" is there's a signature line in the Customs form. He has to sign it if he's the sender.

Although, if all the Canada Post postage/labels are purchased online (online EST, electronic shipping tool), can he/we just paste his signature (jpeg image) on the label/customs form? Or does signing the label/customs form means he has to be physically present in Canada?

I think you're making more out of this than needed. Just mail it from you to him, you sign, he receives and you mark it 'personal effects'. You're not talking about shipping dozens of boxes, just a couple. Even if you were, they're still his personal effects.

[TimandJoyce 1]

Something else too. I asked the gal that worked at the Post office what to put. I explained to her the situation, and she said, " People do this all the time" Ask at the PO what they suggest as well. Sometimes, you can say it's gift sent back to sender. So maybe some of your things could be gifts he sent you. I had a variety of things in the two boxes I sent, so I labeled them as "pictures, books, frames" etc, but also had a few clothes and other things mingled in there.

The boxes were under 2 feet long ( 20 inches), a foot high, and 1.5 feet wide. It's amazing the things I fit in there!