importing cars from Canada to USA

[zenaxe 22]

Hi, I'm been searching but can't find an answer to the following question I have:

who completes the EPA and HS forms, we the immigrants or the border officials once you cross and import the cars? I've got one compliance letter ready to go as the one car is a Canadian version Nissan, the second is a US version Nissan that was imported from the USA to Candada where I bought it in Canada from a dealership and now I'm importing back. I couldn't get a compliance letter for that because Nissan said it was already US specs so I ended up with a 'no recalls on this car' letter. Also I've read that one also needs to show proof that the US car was registered in the USA prior to import. I have a copy of the last guy's title to the car etc.

So the question really is, and I've now forgotten the names of the two forms, who completes the Emissions EPA and the HS 7 form? I want to make sure I've got it all covered as I leave for the border on Friday the 13th...

[decocker 7,198]

i don't know the answer to your question - but i thought all you needed was the compliance letter and the forms are filled out when you poe.... :wacko:

Edited August 10, 2010 by valerie78

[HeatDeath 430]

That's all I needed. I showed up at a land PoE with my compliance letters and provincial registration/proof of ownership. After I finished all my K-1 stuff (1.5 hours of the CBP officer flipping through papers and cross checking reference binders - grumblegrumblegrumble), I told them I wanted to import my car. They read the compliance letters, asked for it's value (check the bluebook value of the car before you leave or slightly lowball it if you have to guess - some states' DMVs use it as the basis for a 1-2% import tax), filled out and stamped a form, and that was that.

Later I took the stamped form and Canadian proof of ownership to the local DMV, paid a bunch of money (~$150, as I recall) and they gave me a registration form, plates, stickers, and mailed me a title deed.

[zenaxe 22]

That's all I needed. I showed up at a land PoE with my compliance letters and provincial registration/proof of ownership. After I finished all my K-1 stuff (1.5 hours of the CBP officer flipping through papers and cross checking reference binders - grumblegrumblegrumble), I told them I wanted to import my car. They read the compliance letters, asked for it's value (check the bluebook value of the car before you leave or slightly lowball it if you have to guess - some states' DMVs use it as the basis for a 1-2% import tax), filled out and stamped a form, and that was that.

Later I took the stamped form and Canadian proof of ownership to the local DMV, paid a bunch of money (~$150, as I recall) and they gave me a registration form, plates, stickers, and mailed me a title deed.

Thanks, ya we did the lowball thing too. Interestingly, the POE didn't want to look at compliance letters or any of the EPA and HS 7 forms. They did stamp with the seal these other forms for me to take to DMV. I'm not sure if I need my SSN to register them or not. I may go to DMV this week to find out about all that. But I thought it curious that they didn't look at any of this stuff at the border.

We did quite the lowball of the cars, hopefully that won't prove to be an issue at all....we knew there wasn't duty soooooo but we'll see how this plays out.

[VandJ 0]

Just wondering, do i need to OWN the car to import it?

(the car is under my name and everything, but my dad had to co-sign my loan and technically, the bank owns the car because i still havent paid off the entire loan?)

Will I have trouble importing the car to the US? (were driving it cross country when i get approved)

[HeatDeath 430]

If the car is "under your name" as far as the registration is concerned, you own it. The bank, if the car was used as collateral for the loan [as is standard practice] almost certainly has a "lien" on it, but if your name is the only name on the registration then you are the owner of record, and can legally import the car.

If your Dad were part owner of the car, his name would be on the registration, ditto the bank. As a cosigner, the bank can nail your Dad to the wall if you stop making payments, but if his name is not on the registration, he isn't a part owner. Similarly the bank may have a lien on the car (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lien) but having a lien is not the same as being part owner.

Edited August 23, 2010 by HeatDeath

[VandJ 0]

thanks alot!

[payxibka 10,045]

not a K-1 visa topic... moving thread