I-7501 form?

[sethmichael22 0]

I didn't know where else to post this topic so went in the off topic portion. My "fiance" is here in the US (New York) as a visitor from Canada, and we have submitted the I-129F to the consulate in Vermont, now just waiting. We submitted in August, so hopefully will be getting something back soon!

In the meantime, like I said, she is here as a visitor from Canada (she is a Canadian citizen). We are working on getting her car registered, inspected, and insured here in NY state and decided that the best way to do this would be to have her gift the car to me. I went to the NYS DMV to register the car in my name, she has signed it over to me....and I have the insurance set up for it....the woman was about to hand me plates and finish up, and then realized the car is from Ontario. She then told me I need to get this form from customs, called an I-7501 form.

I have the form in hand, but am hesitant about going to customs to get it filled out. Will they realize she is here visiting and try to send her back to wait in Canada?

Anyone know what I would be looking at having to fill out on this sheet/divulge to them as I take ownership?

If someone who has gone through this similarly in NY state could guide me a bit, I'd appreciate it.

btw, auto insurance is WAY cheaper in NYS than it is in Ontario

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Moderator, I suggest moving this to the CANADA forum.

[jodee 30]

Moved to canada forum. Hopefully someone from canada has had similar experience

[Inky 1,110]

wow you didnt import the car... you will likely have to pay duty fees on it now since its your car and not hers. If she kept the car in her name and came with it on the K-1 it would of been duty free... You have a pretty big mess.

edit to add - You also have to get a compliance letter from the cars model company. That could cause more issues if the car is not compliant!

Edited December 10, 2010 by Inky

[SonoranSongbird 3]

My husband imported his car when he moved and it was quite easy to do. He dealt with all that, so I will ask him for the specifics later and get back to you then. Meanwhile, you should NOT put the car in your name; instead, let her import it when she moves. She will have to get a certificate of compliance from the manufacturer (easier than it sounds) and turn in the form at the border when she immigrates. She can import a car for her personal use duty free.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I hope it's not a newer vehicle, because it looks like you will need to pay duty on it. That could come with a hefty price tag.

As far as the concerns you have about them sending her back to Canada, she's going to have to go back eventually. I'm sure you are aware of 180 day rule. Has she been in the US with you since you filled in August? If so, her time is up in a couple more months. When she returns to Canada, is she going to be taking the car (that you will register in NY) back to Canada with her? First, your insurance company may have a problem with that, since the car will be garaged out of state. That's a little bit of a tricky issue. The insurance carriers I write for absolutely do not allow this, except for rare exceptions (eg. College students). And then second, if she is living in Ontario and driving a car with NY plates, it may be a problem if she wants to come back on another visit to the US before the K-1 is in hand. The fact she is driving a car registered in the US will likely cause a serious red flag for the CBP. Not saying it's impossible, but something she is likely going to have to contend with. It will look like she has been living in the US, especially if her last trip was 6 months long.

Otherwise, it is now your car, not hers. If they question the origin of the car, it would be 100% truthful just to say your Canadian fiance gave it to you.

[Krikit 1,164]

Eee Yikes! Sure glad you couldn't get it registered! I hope she didn't sign off on the ownership or you've got yourself a mess. (As the others have pointed out. lol) Check the link in my signature for the Immigration guide. You will find links to the car import issue in the 2nd post. It's any easy process when you don't go mucking about with it like you have.

Edited December 13, 2010 by Krikit

[sethmichael22 0]

Appreciate all the tips. Now for the monkey wrench in the situation, and you can tell me what the cheapest route will be to go.

First off the car is a 2006 Mazda 6, with 184,000 KM, or about 114,000 miles.Value of the car is about somewhere around $5,000-6,000.

She has not yet been approved for the K-1 visa, but is here as a visitor. She crossed as a visitor towards the end of November, so has not even been here for 30 days yet.

Her car insurance is expiring, and her insurance provider wants to bump up her rates. She was already paying about $220/month in car insurance, and I am sure it will now be even more. Since we applied for the K1 middle of August, we are coming up on 4 months since we applied....logic and general timeline for the Vermont processing center would tell you that we SHOULD be getting something about an interview in the next month or so.

That being said, if she stays with her Canadian auto insurance, they are going to require first 2 months payment, and then if she is approved in the next couple of months, it seems to be such a waste to then have to pay the remainder of the premium, when we know the visa will be coming through so soon.

With her car on my policy, it is $75/month.

Now for the big question, is it going to be cheaper to import the car and pay duty on it now, or to bite the bullet and pay the much higher monthly rate and then have to pay the remainder of the premium in a couple of months?

Now you can see our dilemna and why we are struggling with which way to go.

[Inky 1,110]

Why are you getting an interview from Vermont? Is she not having an interview in canada where she is to get her visa? When vermont approves the petition it gets sent to NVC then it will be sent to montreal where she has to have her medical get her police papers and send in papers, after all that is done then she will get mail telling her to book her appointment.. you have quite a ways to go still before she will be moving.

[Krikit 1,164]

1) GEICO put me and my Ontario-registered vehicle on my husband's insurance with no problem whatsoever. They just told us to update the information once I had a US license and had registered the vehicle in the State.

2) What Inky said. You have only just begun the process. You're looking at at least another 6 or 7 months before you get an interview.

3) The duty is 2.5%, which is assessed based on the purchase price or blue book value. So say it's worth $6k. You will pay $1,500 duty, plus whatever your State or County taxes you at.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Like Krikit said, any insurance carrier should be able to add her and her car with a Canadian license and registration.

There should be no problem with canceling her Canadian insurance anytime, mid-term. They will issue a pro-rated premium refund if she cancels mid-term but has already paid the premium in full, or months ahead. If she pays monthly than she'll just pay for the months she needs and can cancel when the time is necessary. It would be smart to discuss the specifics with her insurance carrier.

I can't imagine it would be cheaper to bite the bullet and pay the duty on the car. Even if it is, it's definitely not the easiest route to take! And then you need to take into consideration all the things I mentioned above if she intends on taking the car back to Canada with her. If your insurance company found out she was keeping the car in Canada it could be grounds to, a. cancel you, or even b. deny a claim. Every company deals with this differently, but it can cause serious complications you may not be thinking about.

Unfortunately Vermont is only step 1- You have a long way to go after that. As Krikit said, you're probably looking at another 6 months or more to complete the process.