Moving Furniture Question

[Flames9_RN 358]

As a Cdn citizen---you have NO legal right to enter the USA. When you enter the USA at the border or airport--the POE officer makes his decision to allow you to enter right on the spot.......It is not like that for others. For example, Nicaraguans make an appt here at the USA embassy in Managua, pay a fee to do so and they may or may not get a visitors visa. If denied, they are still out that fee which is around $160 usd or so.

As a Visitor to the USA, which you would be, can not bring all your belongings down and store it in the USA. Could you show up at the border with ur uhaul truck and gain entry?? Very slim chance, but probably not. I guess your brother if he is an american citizen could try and say it is his, but he would by lying and may have to pay duty on it!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Why the animosity and hatred? Sorry if you didn't like my question. I was just trying to get advice

No hatred, just very poor forum etiquette to keep posting the same question in multiple posts when you have already started your very own thread. If you want a better answer----phone the POE that you will be traveling through and ask them. It really does not matter what we say.

[samyacle 0]

No hatred, just very poor forum etiquette to keep posting the same question in multiple posts when you have already started your very own thread. If you want a better answer----phone the POE that you will be traveling through and ask them. It really does not matter what we say.

What is POE? and where can I get the number?

[NikLR 13,227]

You can't just store your furniture at your brother's house. If he lived in Canada, sure you could. But he lives in another country! You may as well say "I want to store my furniture in Spain while I go visit the UK." It only seems like a good idea because the USA is just a drive away, but it's about as feasible to do it as it would be to store it in Spain.

Again, rent a storage facility or find a friend to store it for you. Either that or call up the CBP as Flames has suggested and find out what they say.

[Flames9_RN 358]

What is POE? and where can I get the number?

Port of Entry-----Google is your friend

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Many Canadians 'forget' that the US and Canada are two completely separate and individual countries because we are so close and we have such an 'open' border, especially compared to other countries around the world. Canadians enjoy a special relationship with the US that allows us to cross the border as visitors without going through the steps of obtaining an actual visa. We require our passport and a valid reason to enter the US, valid meaning one that is acceptable to the US customs and immigration authorities. The border, however, is not porous. There are laws enacted by each country that determine who and what are allowed to cross the borders. We most often encounter the 'personal' rules and regulations but there are also custom and import rules and regulations.

Personal rules say that one is not able to just pick up and move to either country. You need permission from that country first and you need to satisfy certain criteria before you get that permission. If and when these are satisfied an appropriate visa is issued to allow the individual to enter the country for that purpose (work, study, visit, immigrate, invest, etc.).

Commercial and customs rules protect the country from perceived dangers to physical and economic health. Visitors are not allowed to bring in their personal property unless they are willing to pay a 'duty' to compensate any potential perceived risk or loss to the other country by their belongings being there. These extremely complicated duties and fees often require a broker to determine the best rates if you are doing large scale import/export or commercial ventures. Individuals who wish to bring their belongings into each country must have permission themselves to enter the country for that specified purpose. They are not allowed to 'leave' their belongings there without paying the US the appropriate customs fees unless they themselves are entering on a visa that allows the free import of their belongings.

You are asking about a temporary, duty-free import of your personal belongings into the US while you are somewhere else, and keep hoping someone is going to tell you how to do this. No one is able to tell you how to do this because it cannot legally be done. Even someone who has a visa is not allowed to bring their belongings in duty free until they themselves have 'activated' that visa at the border. Moving companies are required to show the necessary paperwork which includes copies of the dated and activated visa and other documents before they are even allowed to cross the border. If they do not have that paperwork, they are turned back at the border.

You are going to the UK for 6 months. I appreciate that your brother is willing to look after your belongings for you but unfortunately, the US border regulations prevent you from accomplishing this duty free. You are 'importing' personal property. You 'say' it is only for 6 months but the US authorities have no guarantee or proof of that. You will not be with your belongings. From their perspective, you and your brother may be 'fencing' stolen goods where he then sells them; you may be gifting your brother with belongings and he is avoiding paying the gift tax or duty that is due on a gift; you may be trying to enter the US illegally and are trying to get your own personal belongings into the US as well, etc. I am not saying you are doing any of these things - but that is how the US authorities will look at it.

You basically have two options: you can import your belongings to the US for your brother to store and you can pay the customs and duty fees (contact a broker to find out what they will be), or you can store your belongings for 6 months in Canada until your return. Storage units are not that expensive - probably cheaper than the cost of transporting them to the US (which are not cheap) and then transporting them back again on your return.

The US and Canada are separate 'foreign' countries to each other. Please don't make the mistake that because of our special relationship we can treat the US like a neighbouring Province. It is a foreign country and you have to obey their laws.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Kathryn41

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Posts related to this topic posted in someone else's thread have also been moved from that thread and merged with this one. Further duplicate posts asked in the pinned 'Moving' thread have been removed as duplicates.

Please do not keep asking your question in other threads just because you don't agree with the information. You have received the correct answer. The answer isn't going to change just because you disagree with it and keep asking the question over again.

[samyacle 0]

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

Just another quick question: if a US citizen is moving back to the US from Canada with his furniture and he has recently signed a lease for a new house in the US and has the copy of the lease, what kind of documentation is required to move the furniture as well as his personal car from Canada to the US? What kind of documents does he need to provide in addition to the copy of the lease?

Many Canadians 'forget' that the US and Canada are two completely separate and individual countries because we are so close and we have such an 'open' border, especially compared to other countries around the world. Canadians enjoy a special relationship with the US that allows us to cross the border as visitors without going through the steps of obtaining an actual visa. We require our passport and a valid reason to enter the US, valid meaning one that is acceptable to the US customs and immigration authorities. The border, however, is not porous. There are laws enacted by each country that determine who and what are allowed to cross the borders. We most often encounter the 'personal' rules and regulations but there are also custom and import rules and regulations.

Personal rules say that one is not able to just pick up and move to either country. You need permission from that country first and you need to satisfy certain criteria before you get that permission. If and when these are satisfied an appropriate visa is issued to allow the individual to enter the country for that purpose (work, study, visit, immigrate, invest, etc.).

Commercial and customs rules protect the country from perceived dangers to physical and economic health. Visitors are not allowed to bring in their personal property unless they are willing to pay a 'duty' to compensate any potential perceived risk or loss to the other country by their belongings being there. These extremely complicated duties and fees often require a broker to determine the best rates if you are doing large scale import/export or commercial ventures. Individuals who wish to bring their belongings into each country must have permission themselves to enter the country for that specified purpose. They are not allowed to 'leave' their belongings there without paying the US the appropriate customs fees unless they themselves are entering on a visa that allows the free import of their belongings.

You are asking about a temporary, duty-free import of your personal belongings into the US while you are somewhere else, and keep hoping someone is going to tell you how to do this. No one is able to tell you how to do this because it cannot legally be done. Even someone who has a visa is not allowed to bring their belongings in duty free until they themselves have 'activated' that visa at the border. Moving companies are required to show the necessary paperwork which includes copies of the dated and activated visa and other documents before they are even allowed to cross the border. If they do not have that paperwork, they are turned back at the border.

You are going to the UK for 6 months. I appreciate that your brother is willing to look after your belongings for you but unfortunately, the US border regulations prevent you from accomplishing this duty free. You are 'importing' personal property. You 'say' it is only for 6 months but the US authorities have no guarantee or proof of that. You will not be with your belongings. From their perspective, you and your brother may be 'fencing' stolen goods where he then sells them; you may be gifting your brother with belongings and he is avoiding paying the gift tax or duty that is due on a gift; you may be trying to enter the US illegally and are trying to get your own personal belongings into the US as well, etc. I am not saying you are doing any of these things - but that is how the US authorities will look at it.

You basically have two options: you can import your belongings to the US for your brother to store and you can pay the customs and duty fees (contact a broker to find out what they will be), or you can store your belongings for 6 months in Canada until your return. Storage units are not that expensive - probably cheaper than the cost of transporting them to the US (which are not cheap) and then transporting them back again on your return.

The US and Canada are separate 'foreign' countries to each other. Please don't make the mistake that because of our special relationship we can treat the US like a neighbouring Province. It is a foreign country and you have to obey their laws.

[samyacle 0]

You are going to the UK for 6 months. I appreciate that your brother is willing to look after your belongings for you but unfortunately, the US border regulations prevent you from accomplishing this duty free. You are 'importing' personal property. You 'say' it is only for 6 months but the US authorities have no guarantee or proof of that. You will not be with your belongings. From their perspective, you and your brother may be 'fencing' stolen goods where he then sells them; you may be gifting your brother with belongings and he is avoiding paying the gift tax or duty that is due on a gift; you may be trying to enter the US illegally and are trying to get your own personal belongings into the US as well, etc. I am not saying you are doing any of these things - but that is how the US authorities will look at it.

I am not fencing stolen goods since I can provide the receipts of all the things that I bought several years ago; Also, I am not trying to entre the US illegally since I have a Canadian passport and have visited the US multiple times in the past 10 years of my life.

I know you are not saying this applies to me, but that is how the authorities will look at it.

Thank you for your advice.

[NikLR 13,227]

Your brother would have to show that he was living in Canada and is moving to the USA. To import personal property duty free, you need to have owned said property for a year beforehand. Generally in the sake of Canadian's immigrating to the USA, they don't particularily care, but evidence of ownership may have to be provided if a US citizen is simply bringing items from Canada.

CBP has a list of FAQ and answers

http://www.cbp.gov/

[samyacle 0]

Your brother would have to show that he was living in Canada and is moving to the USA. To import personal property duty free, you need to have owned said property for a year beforehand. Generally in the sake of Canadian's immigrating to the USA, they don't particularily care, but evidence of ownership may have to be provided if a US citizen is simply bringing items from Canada.

CBP has a list of FAQ and answers

http://www.cbp.gov/

Thank you for your advice? What kind of ownership evidence? Can they provide the receipts of the things? Would those be sufficient?

If a Canadian is immigrating to the USA to take care of his mother that lives with his brother, can he move his furniture there?

Thank you for the website. It has some great answers

[NikLR 13,227]

i don't know. I'm sorry.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Love how the story just keeps changing and changing!!

[NikLR 13,227]

Love how the story just keeps changing and changing!!

Me too. But people will find a way to do what they want, legal or not.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Just one of the trolls with nothing better to do.