Hassle-free strategy for move of household goods to US?

[Idlewild 26]

We're still going through the very first steps, awaiting I-130 approval, but thinking ahead, I'm trying to gauge any challenges in cross-border movement for the actual physical move from Canada to the US.

 

My questions are along the lines of a somewhat old post here, and not sure if things have changed since then:

 

Married 10+ years, we accumulated a home full of things, and a US-origin car that we plan to move down to the US.  Haven't figured out yet if we'll use a moving company or rent a truck. Assume that we've sold our home in Canada for the below questions.

 

Assuming none of the above details are an issue, I'm most concerned about my Green-card (GC) spouse traveling between both countries as part of the physical move.

1. Should I as the US Citizen "move" everything down ahead of my spouse's official landing day, to make things easier?
2. Would a GC get hassled on the day of landing for not arriving with a truck/car full of goods?
3. Is it easier to fly or drive for immigration processing?  For us in the Toronto area, driving I assume would mean the Lewiston/Queenston entry.  For flying, would this be processed at YYZ/Pearson, since they do pre-clearance, or would we have to fly JFK or Newark for NYC area airports?
4. Or....
5. Is it easier to travel together down to the US, officially land, then come back to Canada to pick up all our stuff?

Edited January 22, 2022 by Idlewild

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Once she gets the IR-1 visa she can cross the border just to "activate" it. 

She can immediately go back to pack stuff and enter the US again on her own or with you. 

 

[Ontarkie 14,218]

Being that you have been living in Canada these household things are also yours. You can legally move them down before your spouse. You would just tell them that you are moving back to the US. I used a Uhaul they were my only option and Upack and such where no where near me to use. Moving companies wanted more then 7k to move my stuff. Between the Uhaul's largest trailer, my now husbands truck and his moms car we fit in most of the stuff we wanted to take down. 

[mam521 2,062]

I don't think it really makes a difference for POE.  If you fly, you have to go to secondary.  If you drive, you park and go inside (secondary), but without an impending flight.  Either way, it's reasonably painless.  

 

Hubs brought our US plated/insured truck up, we rented a Uhaul trailer, showed up at the border with kids, dog, passports, list of Uhaul contents and passports.  CBP agent was handed the passports and told we needed to activate the visas.  He asked to see the rental agreement for the Uhaul, the dog's rabies vaccination (and he asked us to roll the window down so he could see her), quickly scanned the list of goods in the Uhaul and asked us to come into secondary.  Waited about 10 minutes inside and that was only because the CBP agent we encountered had never activated I-551's before so her superior was assisting her with how to do it and there were 3 of us to do.  Boom.  Finished.  We were on our way.  

[Idlewild 26]

1 hour ago, mam521 said:

I don't think it really makes a difference for POE.  If you fly, you have to go to secondary.  If you drive, you park and go inside (secondary), but without an impending flight.  Either way, it's reasonably painless.  

 

Hubs brought our US plated/insured truck up, we rented a Uhaul trailer, showed up at the border with kids, dog, passports, list of Uhaul contents and passports.  CBP agent was handed the passports and told we needed to activate the visas.  He asked to see the rental agreement for the Uhaul, the dog's rabies vaccination (and he asked us to roll the window down so he could see her), quickly scanned the list of goods in the Uhaul and asked us to come into secondary.  Waited about 10 minutes inside and that was only because the CBP agent we encountered had never activated I-551's before so her superior was assisting her with how to do it and there were 3 of us to do.  Boom.  Finished.  We were on our way.  

Good to hear.  How detailed of an items list did you make for all your stuff?  It's a bit overwhelming to think about that for a house full of things!

[mam521 2,062]

Just now, Idlewild said:

Good to hear.  How detailed of an items list did you make for all your stuff?  It's a bit overwhelming to think about that for a house full of things!

 It can be.  But it can also be a nice time to "curate" your collection of home goods, toss a bunch of stuff on Kijiji and make way for some new purchases Stateside.  You might surprise yourself on how little you're actually tied to.  Depending where you're moving to, you might need larger items (my furniture looked like doll furniture when I moved to TX!).  If you're moving it yourself, it also makes some stuff easier.  I was able to bring things like my spices and baking goods (flour, sugar) across where as when movers do it, they chuck anything that's open or could spoil.  Those small items cost a bloody fortune the first time you go grocery shopping if you don't already have them! 

 

The list was reasonable but not over the top. 

Box 1: pots and pans (8)

Box 2: silverware setting for 8, kitchen tools (spatulas, wooden spoons)

Box 3: bed sheets (4 sets)

Box 4: boys clothing (20 items)

Box 5: 6 pillows

Upright deepfreeze

Office chair

2 wood side tables, 3 metal side tables

Bedframe

 

That kind of thing.  We just made a hand written list as we packed and numbered the boxes.  My husband deserves a PhD in Uhaul Tetris because that poor trailer was full to the hilt and I feel bad for any CBP officer that actually wanted to check the whole trailer.  Luckily, the guy took a look at the list, barely skimmed it and handed it back.  If you make an effort, they aren't likely to say much.  If you make no effort, yes, they will rip your trailer or truck apart.  

[acidrain 325]

Long story short is I have some experience in this area. It's ultimately up to the border agent as to whether they will allow goods to cross the border without both spouses being present. I looked into a moving company and thought about sending our stuff down before I got my IR-1. The moving company said don't do it. A lot of times they will just impound your stuff until the person gets the visa. The way it was explained was they don't want to help facilitate a possible illegal immigration situation (if the visa gets denied) and the goods may not be duty free for the non PR. 

However, on our first attempt driving down a U-haul to the border the agent said my spouse, son and stuff could go but not me. So it might depend on who you get. I've met quite a few Canadians in Vegas who showed up at the border with a truck full of stuff and no visa, told the border what they were doing and had no problem getting through. I honestly think it just depends on what border agent you get.

Once I got my IR-1 we drove down a U-haul. I labeled every single box  with a white sheet and short description (dishes, fan, bedding, etc). I gave the dossier when I checked in. They said they really appreciated it and it makes things go a lot smoother. The agent took a look at the list and asked about my spouses large tools to make sure we weren't trying to sell them. It felt like so much went wrong through our immigration process. However, we drove across and I kid you not the whole process less than 20 minutes. 

I don't think border agents are concerned with whether your stuff is accompanying you the first time the PR enters. The main thing is the PR does get around to moving. I've heard of people delaying their move for 6 months and then have PR stripped due to lack of domicile.

Edited January 27, 2022 by acidrain

[Idlewild 26]

8 hours ago, acidrain said:

Long story short is I have some experience in this area. It's ultimately up to the border agent as to whether they will allow goods to cross the border without both spouses being present. I looked into a moving company and thought about sending our stuff down before I got my IR-1. The moving company said don't do it. A lot of times they will just impound your stuff until the person gets the visa. The way it was explained was they don't want to help facilitate a possible illegal immigration situation (if the visa gets denied) and the goods may not be duty free for the non PR. 

However, on our first attempt driving down a U-haul to the border the agent said my spouse, son and stuff could go but not me. So it might depend on who you get. I've met quite a few Canadians in Vegas who showed up at the border with a truck full of stuff and no visa, told the border what they were doing and had no problem getting through. I honestly think it just depends on what border agent you get.

Once I got my IR-1 we drove down a U-haul. I labeled every single box  with a white sheet and short description (dishes, fan, bedding, etc). I gave the dossier when I checked in. They said they really appreciated it and it makes things go a lot smoother. The agent took a look at the list and asked about my spouses large tools to make sure we weren't trying to sell them. It felt like so much went wrong through our immigration process. However, we drove across and I kid you not the whole process less than 20 minutes. 

I don't think border agents are concerned with whether your stuff is accompanying you the first time the PR enters. The main thing is the PR does get around to moving. I've heard of people delaying their move for 6 months and then have PR stripped due to lack of domicile.

This is excellent content, thank you @acidrain.  It seems like a lot of people on here go the UHaul route, although I'm really thinking about using a moving company as we have a lot of things.  What you're saying about having the Green Card in-hand before moving makes sense.  Did you put any dollar value on the "manifest" you created? 

[acidrain 325]

46 minutes ago, Idlewild said:

This is excellent content, thank you @acidrain.  It seems like a lot of people on here go the UHaul route, although I'm really thinking about using a moving company as we have a lot of things.  What you're saying about having the Green Card in-hand before moving makes sense.  Did you put any dollar value on the "manifest" you created? 

It really depends on where you live as to what your options are. I looked into "pods" where you load up a container and they deliver it to your house. Unfortunately that option was only available for those living in big cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, etc. That may have changed but that is one way to save money. 

I looked into hiring movers but it was double the cost of renting a U-haul. Even with my spouse taking 3 days off without pay still saved us a couple thousand dollars. My biggest suggestion is to purge as much as you can before you move. If you hire a mover it's probably going to cost close to $2 a pound. The further the distance the more it will cost regardless of how you move your goods.

 

No dollar value was necessary as you can transport as much as you want across the border as long as they are household goods. If you have a vehicle coming from Canada you will need to import it and I believe pay taxes. We sold our car to the dealership cause it was just too much of a hassle. 

[mam521 2,062]

13 hours ago, acidrain said:

I don't think border agents are concerned with whether your stuff is accompanying you the first time the PR enters. The main thing is the PR does get around to moving. I've heard of people delaying their move for 6 months and then have PR stripped due to lack of domicile.

The US petitioner should have established domicile prior to the DS-260 approval.  Montreal is pretty strict about it, too. You have a year to go back and get your stuff to move it, if need be.  

 

The current issue is people having their medical, but the lab work doesn't come back before their interview because the labs are so backed up with covid testing.  Because the medical hasn't been sent to the consulate, the beneficiary gets stuck in AP for an extended period of time, leaving a much smaller window to pack up and get outta dodge.  A person on the IR/CR forum waited 108 days I believe it was for their medical to be viewed and approved by the consulate and the visa issued.  

[acidrain 325]

6 hours ago, mam521 said:

The US petitioner should have established domicile prior to the DS-260 approval.  Montreal is pretty strict about it, too. You have a year to go back and get your stuff to move it, if need be.  

 

The current issue is people having their medical, but the lab work doesn't come back before their interview because the labs are so backed up with covid testing.  Because the medical hasn't been sent to the consulate, the beneficiary gets stuck in AP for an extended period of time, leaving a much smaller window to pack up and get outta dodge.  A person on the IR/CR forum waited 108 days I believe it was for their medical to be viewed and approved by the consulate and the visa issued.  

The permanent resident not the US petitioner needs to establish domicile upon receipt of the green card. It's true Montreal is strict on Domicile requirements but it still doesn't mean some green card holders drag out the process of permanently moving to the US. It's one thing to activate the green card with the intent on moving the rest of your stuff shortly after. Where it becomes a problem is if the green card holder hangs out in Canada for several months. They are risking losing their green card altogether.

 

This situation has been well documented through these forums and also on the tv show Border Security. One of the conditions of being a green card holder is you become a permanent resident of the US. The border keeps detailed records of your comings and goings. I've seen it where people think a green card is a glorified tourist visa where they can spend as much time in Canada as they want. The US for whatever reason takes residency requirements very seriously.

That's interesting about the medical exam as I was able to complete mine just before my interview. IMO they really need to come up with an adequate DCF option for Canada.

[mam521 2,062]

13 hours ago, acidrain said:

The permanent resident not the US petitioner needs to establish domicile upon receipt of the green card. It's true Montreal is strict on Domicile requirements but it still doesn't mean some green card holders drag out the process of permanently moving to the US. It's one thing to activate the green card with the intent on moving the rest of your stuff shortly after. Where it becomes a problem is if the green card holder hangs out in Canada for several months. They are risking losing their green card altogether.

 

This situation has been well documented through these forums and also on the tv show Border Security. One of the conditions of being a green card holder is you become a permanent resident of the US. The border keeps detailed records of your comings and goings. I've seen it where people think a green card is a glorified tourist visa where they can spend as much time in Canada as they want. The US for whatever reason takes residency requirements very seriously.

That's interesting about the medical exam as I was able to complete mine just before my interview. IMO they really need to come up with an adequate DCF option for Canada.

The petitioner does have to establish domicile to where their beneficiary (or beneficiaries) will be situated and, of course, the expectation is that's where they'll move.  More an issue if you plan to be out and don't file for a reentry permit.  Considering it leaves you with about 5 months typically after medical and interview, that should be plenty of time, regardless.  Lately, there are people stuck in AP who have significantly less than 5 months though, so that is a legitimate challenge.  The process has been so long and arduous for the last couple of years, most people just wanna get on with life.  It took over 630 days for me and I just hit the beginning of covid so Montreal had no excuses other than working at the pace of sloth in our case.  Others were stuck in covid limbo for even longer.  It's rather challenging to plan in those circumstances.  

 

Apparently with really exceptional circumstances, you can do DCF at most consulates, but it has to be beyond exceptional.  Montreal doesn't even give expedites unless circumstances are pretty exceptional, so an advertised DCF isn't going to change anything.  There are other low hanging fruit that could, if implemented, improve efficiencies in the system, which would have a dramatic trickle down effect.  There are other more urgent items that are in need of reformation such as the digitization of naturalization applications rather than giant paper files, but that's a whole other thread!