Shipping my stuff from the UK - not until after GC granted???

[Carl&Ellie 10]

Hi All,

We are progressing along quite nicely in our Visa Journey towards a K-1, and I (the beneficiary) am starting to make plans for the move itself. I have a bunch of stuff I'd like to ship from the UK, and thanks to some searching on the forums I've narrowed down a short-list of a few companies to approach for quotes.

I just got off the phone to a chap at one company that looked quite reputable and competetive based on their rough-and-ready online shipping calculator, but he surprised me by saying that I wouldn't be able to import my stuff if entering on a K-1 visa, as a fiance. He said I would not be allowed to import or ship personal belongings (other than a couple of cases that I bring on my flight), until permanent resident status is granted (i.e. after getting married, filing adjustment of status and being granted a Green Card). He seemed fairly certain of this fact, and cited one customer who has had her effects in storage here in the UK for six months (and counting!) waiting on her green card.

This was a surprise to me, and I thought I was fairly well prepared thanks to reading up about all of the processes on the various VJ forums. Does anybody here have an insight into this process? Have any UK VJ'ers recently tried to ship their belongings and met similar hurdles? I really don't want to have to leave my belongings in storage until I get a green card and then have to wait another few months for the shipment to arrive! I really thought I could send everything to myself or 'care of' my fiancee, without any concerns about whether the green card would be granted or not!

Thanks in advance for any advice or comments!

[bigdog 376]

Personally I would not ship any personal effects until I was approved, but you are from the UK and I would assume their are very few denials. This is the same theory of not purchasing a plane ticket until you are approved. This whole process can be very unnerving and slow. Good Luck what ever you do, maybe some others in the UK forum have a cheerier view. Good Luck with everything.

[Owen_London 65]

I'm not actually a K-1, but that makes no sense to me. K-1 is a dual-purpose visa, so you would be allowed to ship goods with just the visa, even if there was a US legal restriction on shipping for non-immigrants, which there isn't.

There are many UK to US shipping threads here, but this is the big one: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/128548-yes-its-another-shipping-thread/

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

K1 here. We used 1st Move International and did not wait on a greencard. I've known a lot of K1s moving from the UK, but this is the first I've heard of that. I vaguely remember from when I was really studying the importation of unaccompanied household goods, you were supposed to arrive before your goods. Not positive of that. Also a copy of the visa was required with the paperwork. Maybe your shipper is thinking you want to send now before the visa. You wouldn't qualify for the unlimited customs free entry of an immigrant's household goods right now. With that said, I have known some who just sent boxes FedEx or DHL ahead of time, and somehow didn't get nabbed by Customs, but that isn't by the rules and could bite you.

Here's the customs form http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_3299.pdf

Notice in Part IV there is a place to fill out for residents and non-residents.

A greencard holder is a resident, but you on your K1 are a non-resident. Both are eligible but you need the visa.

[Carl&Ellie 10]

Thanks for all the input. I'm not planning to do anything until I have the K-1 visa in hand- I learned that mantra early on from studying the VJ guides. I thought too at first that was what the guy was concerned about, but he repeated his view was that because I was 'just a fiance' and not a permanent resident yet, I would not be allowed to send my stuff, due to 'customs regulations'. I thought it sounded odd, due to the number of K-1 stories I have read on here seemingly without this issue coming up.

I found the 3299 customs form on the CBP website, and Nich-Nick's advice confirms my interpretation - thanks! As a K-1 holder I am not yet a permanent resident, but I am eligible to ship and receive my personal effects and household goods free of import duty (so long as they are not less than a year old). I think you can arrive after your goods, but you have to show a vaild entry stamp and copy of the used visa for customs to release the goods for onward delivery. I'm planning to ship my stuff and fly to arrive before it does.

[Sal and Jay 2]

Hi there,

I was a k1 as well, and I shipped my goods when I left the uk, bear in mind it takes about 3 weeks for them to arrive.

I have never heard that you needed to be a lpr before doing that.

I didnt have any problems at all.

Good luck with your visa journey.

[Carl&Ellie 10]

Thanks Sal and Jay!

The chap called back late yesterday afternoon and confirmed that he had checked with US customs and that it is in fact fine, as per the CBP form 3299. According to him some customs areas of the US view shipments by fiances as 'iffy', but for Wisconsin it would be fine. Sounds like bluster from a salesman to be honest - I really don't see why the CBP's policy on shipping personal belongings would differ from one state to another.

Thanks again for the reassurance - his initial knock-back really confused me and took the wind out of my sails!

Good luck to everyone

[fcat 79]

I just got done shipping all my stuff out to the US, im a CR1, not case complete yet but should be soon. All i have left can fit into two suitcases!

I used UPS through these guys http://www.transglobalexpress.co.uk/%C2'>

Just filled out the customs forms, listed most things, cordless drills, clothes, CD's garage tools, even shipped one of my electric guitars. Everything went through fine, no customs inquiries or charges or anything, i put in the summary box of the customs forms "personal items due to house move"