HELP NEEDED in moving stuff from montreal to new york at POE

[Salnik 0]

Hi Everyone ,

I have few questions regarding moving stuff ( clothes , kitchen stuff ) while doing our POE . We are very confused and dont know what is the best way on doing this ?

1) When we do our POE , can I take along all the stuff we have. Can we rent a SUV and can I take things like clothes ( 4 suitcases ) Kitchen stuff ( 2 Boxes ) and few paintings and books.

2) I will make a detailed inventory on what we are taking along . Though it will be mostly clothes , shoes, kitchen stuff , paintings and books.

eg : KITCHEN

1 Asst Dry Goods (100.00 approx)

2 Old plastic containers, spice jars

3 Coffeemaker, asst empty containers, oil pump

2 frying pans

5 blender, asst plastics, measuring cups

asst kitchen utensils

3) Is it advisable to do this moving at the time of your POE

4) Will they charge us at the border

5) Is it possible for me to send stuff with my husband before , when he visits me next ( in 2 weeks ) nad our POE will be somewhere in April 20th. Will he have to declare at the customs and will he be charged for it ?

6) What is the maximum value that can be taken along. Though mine would not be even more than $1500 to $2000

We are very confused and don't know what to do. Any help will be appreciated.

Please help us with any inputs you would have,

Sal

[Hugglebuggles 60]

You can import all your personal items duty free of charge when you're moving. This can be done the day you move to the US, or you can go back and get them personally after you settle in, or have them shipped down to you at a later date by a friend, family member, moving company, etc. I don't believe there is a maximum value.

I don't believe your husband can't bring your items to the US before you go- they can follow you in later, but they can't come before you do. It may be different for CR-1's, so don't quote me there!

Making a list of what you have is a good idea- sometimes the CBP wants to know what you have, other times they don't even care. When we crossed they didn't even ask!

Good luck!

[Salnik 0]

You can import all your personal items duty free of charge when you're moving. This can be done the day you move to the US, or you can go back and get them personally after you settle in, or have them shipped down to you at a later date by a friend, family member, moving company, etc. I don't believe there is a maximum value.

I don't believe your husband can't bring your items to the US before you go- they can follow you in later, but they can't come before you do. It may be different for CR-1's, so don't quote me there!

Making a list of what you have is a good idea- sometimes the CBP wants to know what you have, other times they don't even care. When we crossed they didn't even ask!

Good luck!

Do you know any good moving company that do this kind of moving ?

Is it better to move stuff our self at the time of POE ? I think it will be much cheaper to rent a SUV and move stuff.

Sal

[trailmix 77]

1) When we do our POE , can I take along all the stuff we have. Can we rent a SUV and can I take things like clothes ( 4 suitcases ) Kitchen stuff ( 2 Boxes ) and few paintings and books.

You sure can.

2) I will make a detailed inventory on what we are taking along . Though it will be mostly clothes , shoes, kitchen stuff , paintings and books.

Doesn't have to be that detailed (unless it is more for you than them ) For instance, number 5 can just be - assorted kitchen items.

5 blender, asst plastics, measuring cups

asst kitchen utensils

3) Is it advisable to do this moving at the time of your POE

4) Will they charge us at the border

Not necessarily, you won't be charged at the border, you have 10 years to bring your personal items to the U.S.

5) Is it possible for me to send stuff with my husband before , when he visits me next ( in 2 weeks ) nad our POE will be somewhere in April 20th. Will he have to declare at the customs and will he be charged for it ?

Maybe. Some people have done this with no problem. Technically you aren't supposed to import it until you cross the border and use your visa.

[Salnik 0]

Is it advisable to do this moving our self , by renting a SUV or

Can we get it done through a moving company. Do you know trailmix any moving companies that do this kind of moving ?

Sal

[trailmix 77]

Hi Sal,

You can move it yourself or use a moving company, either is just fine.

We used Upack - which is not a moving company per se, as you have to load it and unload it yourself.

[BriCar 0]

Remember to get letters of compliance for any cars your moving or importing.

Also if your bringing any firearms they need special permits.

[Pauley 2]

5) Is it possible for me to send stuff with my husband before , when he visits me next ( in 2 weeks ) nad our POE will be somewhere in April 20th. Will he have to declare at the customs and will he be charged for it ?

Maybe. Some people have done this with no problem. Technically you aren't supposed to import it until you cross the border and use your visa.

Thanks to technicality and gray area, I have been able to bring some of our new bought-off-the-registry dinnerware to the US, as it's not so much just hers as it is ours, and thus by extension mine. By doing so over multiple trips (from Toronto to Rochester, NY), keeping each load under the $800 48-hour duty exemption, I haven't had problems. I just declare it as "dinnerware for my kitchen," and they don't dig too deep into it.

Bringing her clothes, CDs, books, etc. wouldn't be as kosher, and you risk either having the items seized or being forced to take them back home until it's time to activate the visa.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

We did both. We rented a minivan, loaded in the 6 cats, the pytosanitary inspected houseplants, personal belongings for the week it would take the moving van to arrive, all of the cats' stuff, personally significant papers and jewellry that I didn't want to trust to movers, anything I had owned for less than a year and was technically dutiable, and filled the van. I had an inventory list of what I had but no one wanted to see it - ever.

I also arranged for a moving van (Atlas) to move the rest of my belongings from Chatham, Ontario to Stockbridge, GA. It filled a third of a van and that van was shared with two other people who were also moving to Georgia (the company arranges all of this). You need a specific custom form with all of the boxes listed and a general listing of contents to have unaccompanied goods move across the border. Any moving company that does cross-border moving will have the necessary forms. You will be charged on the weight and volume of the goods you are moving, times a mileage rate to cover distance. I had a lot of weight - many boxes of books, paints, art supplies, fabric and craft items in addition to regular household stuff. I sold the majority of what I owned before I moved - and in retrospect could have sold more as well .

You need to cross the border and activate your visa before your unaccompanied belongings will be allowed into the US. Once you get the I-551 stamp in your passport you need to fax a copy of it to the moving company so they can show it at the border and prove that you are authorized to have your personal belongings enter the US.

Your belongings are allowed in duty free, although you are technically supposed to pay duty on anything you have owned for less than a year. Vehicles and cars have additional special requirements (compliance letter to verify they meet US safety and emission requirements, etc.).

Your personal belongings must either accompany you (yes, in a rental SUV is fine) or follow you in another source of moving - either brought by friends or family or through the services of a professional moving company. You are allowed to bring personal property into the US for up to 10 years after your entry. You may wish to go through the yellow pages in your area and look up movers. You can request quotes before hand to find out how much you can expect to pay.

[AandB 3]

Wow this is all very good information!

I have one question: Can i bring my dog with me when i'll move? Do i need any letter/paper/form for her? She's a chihuahua so she's really small, and i'm gonna be moving with my car.

Thanks in advance!

[trailmix 77]

Hi,

You will need proof of his or her rabies vaccination - at least 30 days prior to entry. That's about it if you are crossing by land. Some airlines might have other requirements, you should check with the airline if you are flying.

More info here:

http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/dogs.html

Edited March 2, 2010 by trailmix

[Salnik 0]

Thanks a lot for all the information everyone :-) . I really appreciate it. Made things a lot more clearer now.

I have one more question :-)

If my husband rents a SUV / mini Van from New York and drive down to Montreal , he will definitely be questioned at the Canadina border ?

What would he say , " that he is going to pick up his wife and we are moving to to US permanently". What would be the additional document he might need ?

Thanks everyone for all your replies in advance .

Edited March 2, 2010 by Salnik

[lgg 2]

Hmmm.... Kat... you said that one has to cross the border and activate the visa and THEN move the stuff? I'm curious, as i sent my stuff ahead of me, hadn't activated the visa yet. I did the upack thing, used a POD and gave them a copy of my visa page in my passport...

anywhoo.... just wondering about that.

[antda 13]

Hi Salnik,

Not sure if this is of any help...But I'll state this here anyways....

I had no choice but to move my stuff after my POE....

Lol..I only brought 2 weeks worth of stuff (and a Christmas tree in April..lol...)...

Was interrogated at the border.....

When I crossed over for a visit only....

I didn't know that I was going to get married and file for the AOS and then stay here....instead...lol...

So I was stuck in the USA....

With no AP, Green Card, or legal status here....

So my husband alone had to pick up my stuff, including all of my important paperwork needed to file for the AOS...

Sure was a shock to the rest of my family in Canada that I had gotten married....lol....

Anyways, he travelled alone for several trips in our car...picking up my stuff..

From Toronto, ON to Buffalo, NY...

Declared it was "his personal belongings"...

Had no problems at the border....

When I finally got my green card, several months later....

I picked up the rest of my stuff...

Declared it was "our personal belongings"...

Had no problems at the border.....

Did this for several (5-10 trips approximately....)

Did this over a few months timespan......

The cars and minivans were fully stuffed!

No problems....No further questions.....

For the stuff that I did not bring...I either gave away, donated, or threw out....Sure saved a lot of moving that way!

So the bottom line: No problems in bringing personal belongings over the border....And yes, take as long as you like to bring your stuff over...

(actually, I'm still bringing personal stuff over from time to time too..lol..that's another story...)

Hope this helps. Good luck with the rest of your journey. Welcome to NYS! Happy moving!

Ant

Edited March 2, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thanks a lot for all the information everyone :-) . I really appreciate it. Made things a lot more clearer now.

I have one more question :-)

If my husband rents a SUV / mini Van from New York and drive down to Montreal , he will definitely be questioned at the Canadina border ?

What would he say , " that he is going to pick up his wife and we are moving to to US permanently". What would be the additional document he might need ?

Thanks everyone for all your replies in advance .

We did this. My husband flew into Detroit, rented a minivan at the Airport, drove to the border and when asked by the border guard the purpose for his visit, he responded he was picking up his fiancee in Chatham, then driving her back to Georgia where we were going to get married. The border guard leaned over, thumped the side of the van and said "Drive on, brother! Drive on! Far be it from me to stand in the way of another man's misery!" (true story!) Joe and the Border Guard were both laughing as he did indeed drive on.

The only thing you need to be concerned with is that the rental agency knows he will be driving into Canada and that the insurance will cover it. His credit cards may actually provide insurance for this purpose but he should also check with his own vehicle coverage to ensure he is covered while in Canada. We did a one way rental and dropped the van off here in Stockbridge, but if he is renting from the same place to which he is returning it, there shouldn't be any problems.