Mving... where to begin!?!?!

[Yellowhead 12]

I am a Canadian engaged to an American who has just recently filed the I129f for a K-1 Visa. I live in British Columbia and my fiance and I are trying to navigate the moving process to the USA prior to the K-1 Approval to save some stress last minute. I have not yet found a general thread for moving from Canada to the USA, but if someone knows of one, please direct me! Otherwise, let's get one started to help Canadians moving to the US navigate the process.

Some general questions to start:

-Bringing a used vehicle to the USA.. are there duties on used vehicles? What documentation is needed? If co-owned with someone else (but paid off fully) is it necessary to take that person off the vehicle ownership?

-Moving belongings across the border: Duties for these? Any tips or suggestions for things to avoid bringing or methods of moving? Uhaul seems to be the only company I could find that rents one way trucks..

-What are the procedures and timeframes for changing over a drivers license, car insurance, etc?

Any tips, suggestions and comments welcome! I am looking for any information I can get at this point so I am fully prepared for the border check and the 6 months I will be stuck in the USA before travel is permitted on K-1!

Thanks all

[JlovesA 109]

I don't have the answers on hand but all of this has been discussed tons in this Canadian forum...you need to search through the previous pages to find them.

There was recently a good post called "Process for Importing Vehicles" or something like that.

Also, there are no duties for bringing your personal items in, but you do need to do it at the time of your move or have someone else (or a company) bring the stuff in. You cannot bring your items before you move. A company or other person bringing your stuff in would need a copy of your visa so you will not be charged duty.

Driver's license, insurance and all that are totally dependant on the state you're moving to.

But again, please make use of the older posts on this forum and find the answers.

Edited September 29, 2010 by JlovesA

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Congratulations on your filing. The bad news is that there is a lengthy wait to get the K-1; the good news is that it gives you time to take care of finding out matters like the ones you are asking about here:-).

There have been a number of moving to the US from Canada threads in the past and there are a number of different ways to accomplish it.

First - I do want to clarify that you know you can't move to the US before you get the K-1, that you are "asking about how to do it" prior to getting the K-1, and not planning the actual move?

When you move to the US on a K-1 you are allowed to import your personal belongings free of duty. Items that have been in your possession for at least 1 year are considered your personal belongings and items you have owned less than that amount of time are considered dutiable - but I have not yet heard of anyone who has had to pay duty on those items. I even separated them out when I entered, but the border authorities could not have cared less about my personal belongings You actually are allowed to import your personal belongings for up to 10 years after you cross the border, as long as they meet the criteria of being your personal belongings. This helps if you inherit things from your parents that were in your childhood home - they are still considered part of your personal belongings and do not require duty to be paid.

There are a variety of means to import your belongings. U-haul is one option - and yes, I believe they are the only one who does allow one way trips into the US. You may also want to look at U-Pack, which is another option where they drop off a container at your place in Canada, you pack it, then they pick it up and deliver it to your address in the US (or a holding area, whichever you prefer). It is reasonably priced and saves a lot on the personal wear and tear. If you have a lot of things you want to move, then you might want to look at one of the professional moving services like Allied Van Lines, etc. They charge by the weight and by the distance and you should be able to get free quotes.

You are not allowed to bring in any of your items before you cross the border on your K-1 (although people have brought smaller items in). If they accompany you when you cross the border, you just need to have an itemized list of contents by box, eg. box of dishes, box of summer clothes, box of toiletries, etc. If someone else is bringing your items across the border after you have crossed, they need to have a copy of your approved K-1 along with the I-94 document that is placed in your passport when you cross the border. There is also an official inventory form that needs to be completed and presented at the border. (You have time to look into that, so don't worry about it yet). It is basically an official form listing things the same way you do for your own entry with your belongings. The moving companies have copies of this form.

Cars may or may not be a problem. All vehicles need to have a letter of compliance from their manufacturer stating that they need US Emissions and Safety standards. Some manufacturers provide this free of charge; some charge for it. If your vehicle isn't compliant then you are required to make it compliant within a specified period of time after entry, but you may find it easier just to sell it in Canada and buy something to replace it when you get to the US. Making a car compliant may cost more than the value of the car, depending on what needs to be done.

Registration, getting a DL, etc. all vary by State so the best advice is for you to look up the Department of Driver's Services ( or whatever it is called in the State to which you are moving because that also varies state by state) and see what they say. Most States now require a SSN and dated proof of your immigration status before they will issue a license - and even then the license is only issued for the same length of time as the immigration document (90 days for the I-94). Most people need to wait until after they are married and have received their employment authorization document (EAD) before they can get a DL. You may be allowed to drive on your Canadian License for a certain amount of time - it can vary from 30 days to 1 year depending on the state.

It is very unlikely you will be 'stranded' in the US for 6 months before you can travel. After you marry along with applying for your green card (AOS), you will also apply for the EAD and a travel document known as an Advance Parole (AP). The EAD and AP are currently taking about 60 days to be processed although they were taking 90 days until recently. The AP allows you to leave the US and return without 'abandoning' the green card application so basically allow 2 months after you apply for AOS to be able to travel. If an emergency comes up before the AP is approved you can also request an emergency AP which you can often get in a day or two, as long as you have filed for the AOS and as long as you have proof of the emergency.

Anyway, there is a wealth of information available on all of these topics here on VJ and in the Canada forum, so don't hesitate to jump right in and ask whatever questions you have - there will be someone who will have the information you need.

Good luck.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Krikit 1,165]

If you check the pinned topic at the top of the Canada Forum you will find the Canada Immigration Guide

[Inky 1,111]

We used UHAUL and got a truck and a trailer thing to tow my car with so it didnt rack up on miles because we had a really far drive. Price was pretty reasonable.

[FireKari 4]

If you have a car with a company that is no longer around, like Saturn, you have to call any dealership and ask them where you can get the compliance letter, they should point you to a place that does like vintage car registrations.

[Yellowhead 12]

Congratulations on your filing. The bad news is that there is a lengthy wait to get the K-1; the good news is that it gives you time to take care of finding out matters like the ones you are asking about here:-).

There have been a number of moving to the US from Canada threads in the past and there are a number of different ways to accomplish it.

First - I do want to clarify that you know you can't move to the US before you get the K-1, that you are "asking about how to do it" prior to getting the K-1, and not planning the actual move?

When you move to the US on a K-1 you are allowed to import your personal belongings free of duty. Items that have been in your possession for at least 1 year are considered your personal belongings and items you have owned less than that amount of time are considered dutiable - but I have not yet heard of anyone who has had to pay duty on those items. I even separated them out when I entered, but the border authorities could not have cared less about my personal belongings You actually are allowed to import your personal belongings for up to 10 years after you cross the border, as long as they meet the criteria of being your personal belongings. This helps if you inherit things from your parents that were in your childhood home - they are still considered part of your personal belongings and do not require duty to be paid.

There are a variety of means to import your belongings. U-haul is one option - and yes, I believe they are the only one who does allow one way trips into the US. You may also want to look at U-Pack, which is another option where they drop off a container at your place in Canada, you pack it, then they pick it up and deliver it to your address in the US (or a holding area, whichever you prefer). It is reasonably priced and saves a lot on the personal wear and tear. If you have a lot of things you want to move, then you might want to look at one of the professional moving services like Allied Van Lines, etc. They charge by the weight and by the distance and you should be able to get free quotes.

You are not allowed to bring in any of your items before you cross the border on your K-1 (although people have brought smaller items in). If they accompany you when you cross the border, you just need to have an itemized list of contents by box, eg. box of dishes, box of summer clothes, box of toiletries, etc. If someone else is bringing your items across the border after you have crossed, they need to have a copy of your approved K-1 along with the I-94 document that is placed in your passport when you cross the border. There is also an official inventory form that needs to be completed and presented at the border. (You have time to look into that, so don't worry about it yet). It is basically an official form listing things the same way you do for your own entry with your belongings. The moving companies have copies of this form.

Cars may or may not be a problem. All vehicles need to have a letter of compliance from their manufacturer stating that they need US Emissions and Safety standards. Some manufacturers provide this free of charge; some charge for it. If your vehicle isn't compliant then you are required to make it compliant within a specified period of time after entry, but you may find it easier just to sell it in Canada and buy something to replace it when you get to the US. Making a car compliant may cost more than the value of the car, depending on what needs to be done.

Registration, getting a DL, etc. all vary by State so the best advice is for you to look up the Department of Driver's Services ( or whatever it is called in the State to which you are moving because that also varies state by state) and see what they say. Most States now require a SSN and dated proof of your immigration status before they will issue a license - and even then the license is only issued for the same length of time as the immigration document (90 days for the I-94). Most people need to wait until after they are married and have received their employment authorization document (EAD) before they can get a DL. You may be allowed to drive on your Canadian License for a certain amount of time - it can vary from 30 days to 1 year depending on the state.

It is very unlikely you will be 'stranded' in the US for 6 months before you can travel. After you marry along with applying for your green card (AOS), you will also apply for the EAD and a travel document known as an Advance Parole (AP). The EAD and AP are currently taking about 60 days to be processed although they were taking 90 days until recently. The AP allows you to leave the US and return without 'abandoning' the green card application so basically allow 2 months after you apply for AOS to be able to travel. If an emergency comes up before the AP is approved you can also request an emergency AP which you can often get in a day or two, as long as you have filed for the AOS and as long as you have proof of the emergency.

Anyway, there is a wealth of information available on all of these topics here on VJ and in the Canada forum, so don't hesitate to jump right in and ask whatever questions you have - there will be someone who will have the information you need.

Good luck.

Thanks so much for all this info. It definitely gives me an idea of what I need to do! I can find more specifics when the time comes. I do plan to move once the K-1 is approved. I am just trying to get everything sorted prior to then so I am ready to go when given the ok. I don't mind the wait as I am finishing up my degree which I will complete in May, and we are hoping for acceptance around May or June (Giving us 8-9 months for processing). I will likely sell most of my belongings and just take what I want to hold onto, to avoid too much of a hassle. I will definitely look into Alied as well as UHaul. Great information. Thanks again!

[lgg 2]

word of advice? Start down-sizing now! 7 months or so before I actually moved I started down sizing -- packing, having garage sales going through all my stuff and getting rid of all the junk -- basically by the time we were waiting for the interview I was ready -- I even started packing up boxes and stuff. Way less stress when you do a little bit at a time and then, by the time you have to go, all you need to do is pack your U-haul.

I used a relo-cube, google it, very VERY handy. they drop off a cube at your home, you fill it at your leisure and then they pick it up and ship it to your American destination. It was around 800 bucks for a fairly large cube. I took none of my big furniture.

Seriously... start down-sizing now. I was one girl in a two bedroom apartment and i had a lot of stuff. A garage sale, many, many trips to Goodwill and places like that droppping stuff off and having a place that took furniture as donations come and pick up my stuff and even on the day of, I ahd a few things I had no idea what to do with.

Start now, make it easy. IMHO.

Good luck to you and hope it all goes well. OH, you need to have your visa before your stuff can cross the border -- your moving company will need a photo copy of it.

[Yellowhead 12]

word of advice? Start down-sizing now! 7 months or so before I actually moved I started down sizing -- packing, having garage sales going through all my stuff and getting rid of all the junk -- basically by the time we were waiting for the interview I was ready -- I even started packing up boxes and stuff. Way less stress when you do a little bit at a time and then, by the time you have to go, all you need to do is pack your U-haul.

I used a relo-cube, google it, very VERY handy. they drop off a cube at your home, you fill it at your leisure and then they pick it up and ship it to your American destination. It was around 800 bucks for a fairly large cube. I took none of my big furniture.

Seriously... start down-sizing now. I was one girl in a two bedroom apartment and i had a lot of stuff. A garage sale, many, many trips to Goodwill and places like that droppping stuff off and having a place that took furniture as donations come and pick up my stuff and even on the day of, I ahd a few things I had no idea what to do with.

Start now, make it easy. IMHO.

Good luck to you and hope it all goes well. OH, you need to have your visa before your stuff can cross the border -- your moving company will need a photo copy of it.

I just moved into a new place in May, so a lot of my things have already been downsized, and I have been weeding things out weekly pretty much. I don't know why we accumulate so much as humans. Hmmm. I plan to start selling my furniture about a month prior to my move, and by then I should have all of my things in boxes. I don't know when my K-1 will be approved, but I do know that my lease ends on April 30, so either way I will be moving on that day - to a storage unit or to California. Only time will tell

[Wishing 1]

I used Upack to move my stuff down and it was great! Booked over a month in advance, was able to change dates very easily if needed with no fee. Also you can try to move on a "non-peak" day like mid week and its a bit cheaper. Also we did a "terminal to terminal" move instead of a "residence to residence" where the truck is parked in front of your house. Bringing the items to their terminal meant we didn't have to figure out how to park a trailer truck outside our appartment building (not possible!) and cheaper for us! I recommend it highly...check out their site www.upack.com

[Danu 19]

I used Upack as well, which does the relocubes (they weren't available in my area though) and the price was amazing. I believe it came to like $1300 for 6ft of space going from Ontario to California, so from BC to CA it should be a little less I would imagine. I wish you all the bset on your journey and hope its a quick and smooth one.

Where are you moving to down here?

[Yellowhead 12]

Thanks a ton everyone. Upack or Uhaul sounds like the way to go. My fiance just informed me that his dad has a cargo van, so for what I need to bring, that could work as well. I guess we will see closer to the date if his van is available, otherwise these are excellent suggestions. I got a quote from upack today and they estimate about $1270 USD, but the downside is it has to be loaded at the terminal on the mainland in BC (van). I live in Victoria, so the difference in overall cost would make Uhaul the more practical option. A 10 ft van is about the same price, excluding gas of course, but my things would be with me and no nasty paperwork for movers at the border. Excellent suggestions everyone. It is nice to find so many friendly people on here

To answer your question 'Danu' I am moving to Sacramento. Not as nice as SoCal, but still better weather than Victoria!

To recent Visa holders who did the K-1 - what is the time-frame looking like right now for NOA1 to Visa? I know it is impossible to plan, but I would love to hear from people who filed this year about their experiences.

Also, does anyone have experience with the medical and interview in Vancouver? Any tips/comments? And for vaccines, are these included with MSP, or additional?

I am full of questions... sorry guys!

[Danu 19]

Sacramento is still nice. I completely understand about the upack thing, I was fortunate enough to have a terminal located in the city I moved from. The main reason I went that way over uhaul is cuz the price for the truck was the same, but upack included gas and all that, where the uhaul gas would have gotten rediculous. Oh, and paperwork wise, just so you know, it was super easy. Photocopy of my bio page and visa, that was all they needed, as well as a packing list which I had to make for taking my stuff across anyway.

I had mine medical in Toronto, but I would recommend getting the list of vaccines needed for your age, and getting them done at your GP before hand. The only thing I have heard is the medical ppl can be a bit picky on the Td/Tdap - requiring ppl to have the Tdap, so if you are due for your booster you might look into that. One of the people who has had their medical more recently might be able to say whether this is still the case, as my info is from someone who had their medical last fall. You might get more info on that if you make a seperate post as well, not sure how many ppl will see it buried in this topic. In general for the interview, my best advice is to just breathe. I know thats a lot easier said than done, but I promise the whole ordeal just seems scarier than it really is. Once its all over you will look back on it and laugh.

And don't feel bad for having questions, we all did at some point, thats what we're here for! (Not sure if its still the same, but VAN was scheduling interviews in about 2 months last year when I was going through MTL. Our NOA1-2 process took about 3.5 months last year. I would generally say anywhere from about 5-7 months was what people going through VAN were looking at when I went through, compaired to the 8-10 at MTL)

[Kimbear 53]

i chose the downsizing / spring cleaning method LOL.

and was left with a carful of stuff. and i bought new once i moved.

[Yellowhead 12]

i chose the downsizing / spring cleaning method LOL.

and was left with a carful of stuff. and i bought new once i moved.

I should consider that. I have a tiny car, but even if my fiance brought his own small truck we could probably manage. I fit it all into a bachelor suite last year, so I should be able to get rid of all the furniture and manage quite nicely. I hate to lose the value of furniture though, when selling used. Especially in May when the school season is ending for University here in BC. Good suggestion! Craigslist will be my best friend in all of this