Immigration by car from Canada to Georgia state

[DELETEMYACCOUNTx 3]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but in a few months we will be immigrating from canada to Georgia.

We will be traveling to the POE by car. We will only be carrying household items with us, no furniture or anything.

When we cross the border with our car & our visas, what papers or requirements will we need for the car itself? 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,811]

**Moved to the Canada regional forum***

[NorthByNorthwest 347]

20 minutes ago, LuvAmerika said:

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but in a few months we will be immigrating from canada to Georgia.

We will be traveling to the POE by car. We will only be carrying household items with us, no furniture or anything.

When we cross the border with our car & our visas, what papers or requirements will we need for the car itself? 

 

Easiest would be to tell CBP you're not importing the car and that you'll bring it back to Canada to sell it. You could try to get it registered in the US, but depending on model and value it may not be worth the effort,  selling it in Canada is the easiest option by far.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car

 

You'll have one year to get that done assuming you have Canadian insurance that covers you in the US, but be aware of the differences in coverage since most Canadian provinces use no-fault insurance where you have to file claims with your own insurance even if you're not at fault. If you don't plan to go back and forth I'd get a car in the US with local insurance ASAP and sell the old one in Canada.

[Vicnic 33]

On 7/24/2024 at 9:49 AM, NorthByNorthwest said:

 

Easiest would be to tell CBP you're not importing the car and that you'll bring it back to Canada to sell it. You could try to get it registered in the US, but depending on model and value it may not be worth the effort,  selling it in Canada is the easiest option by far.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car

 

You'll have one year to get that done assuming you have Canadian insurance that covers you in the US, but be aware of the differences in coverage since most Canadian provinces use no-fault insurance where you have to file claims with your own insurance even if you're not at fault. If you don't plan to go back and forth I'd get a car in the US with local insurance ASAP and sell the old one in Canada.

This is interesting - I will be moving ( but going back and forth frequently ) you would still be required to import if your addesss is in the USA correct ?

 

[Ontarkie 14,216]

4 hours ago, Vicnic said:

This is interesting - I will be moving ( but going back and forth frequently ) you would still be required to import if your addesss is in the USA correct ?

 

Yes and you will need US insurance. If your car is not paid off you also need permission from the bank to take it. 

[NorthByNorthwest 347]

17 hours ago, Vicnic said:

This is interesting - I will be moving ( but going back and forth frequently ) you would still be required to import if your addesss is in the USA correct ?

 

 

Note that you may not be able to import it without modifications, one example is that TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is mandatory in the US but not in Canada, so many Canadian car models come without the tire sensors as well as the receiver hardware needed to read the sensors - in that case you'd have to add an ugly aftermarket solution with a separate display to pass the requirement...

[Vicnic 33]

1 hour ago, NorthByNorthwest said:

 

Note that you may not be able to import it without modifications, one example is that TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is mandatory in the US but not in Canada, so many Canadian car models come without the tire sensors as well as the receiver hardware needed to read the sensors - in that case you'd have to add an ugly aftermarket solution with a separate display to pass the requirement...

My car has the tire pressure sensors - but I am still not sure about importing…. It’s so expensive!!!

[DELETEMYACCOUNTx 3]

On 7/24/2024 at 12:49 PM, NorthByNorthwest said:

 

Easiest would be to tell CBP you're not importing the car and that you'll bring it back to Canada to sell it. You could try to get it registered in the US, but depending on model and value it may not be worth the effort,  selling it in Canada is the easiest option by far.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car

 

You'll have one year to get that done assuming you have Canadian insurance that covers you in the US, but be aware of the differences in coverage since most Canadian provinces use no-fault insurance where you have to file claims with your own insurance even if you're not at fault. If you don't plan to go back and forth I'd get a car in the US with local insurance ASAP and sell the old one in Canada.

So if i go through land POE with my immigrant visa, tell them I'm not importing the car and that I will be returning to Canada to sell it, will I need any documents to give them of any sort? Or will they just skip the whole car examination process 

[Vicnic 33]

1 hour ago, LuvAmerika said:

So if i go through land POE with my immigrant visa, tell them I'm not importing the car and that I will be returning to Canada to sell it, will I need any documents to give them of any sort? Or will they just skip the whole car examination process 

This is probably specific on the agent … but I am curious too!!

[NorthByNorthwest 347]

54 minutes ago, LuvAmerika said:

So if i go through land POE with my immigrant visa, tell them I'm not importing the car and that I will be returning to Canada to sell it, will I need any documents to give them of any sort? Or will they just skip the whole car examination process 

 

I only have second-hand information from friends moving across from BC into WA where they brought the car back the next day + I'm not 100% sure if they brought the car on their very first entry on immigration visas. I'd suggest calling CBP at your planned POE if possible to get a more authoritative answer. 

 

If you're moving to GA which is obviously quite far from the border it is certainly possible that they will require the whole suite of paperwork and possibly a bond to ensure you actually do bring it back to Canada within the allowed year. 

 

Depending on how much things you're bringing I'd consider not traveling by car at all, or renting a one-way U-Haul from Canada to the US to save yourself a bit of trouble.

[mam521 2,058]

You need: 

- A letter of compliance from the manufacturer stating the vehicle is DOT compliant. This can be an issue for two reasons.  Reason 1: Some manufacturers like Toyota and Mercedes are refusing to provide a letter of compliance.  The vehicles sold in Canada were manufactured to meet CMFSS standards as mandated by Transport Canada.  

Reason 2: As mentioned previously, typically the issue is TPMS.  The US requires direct monitoring which uses a sensor mounted in the valve stem of the tire.  Canada requires indirect TPMS which uses the ABS system to approximate any issues.  Some higher spec'd Canadian vehicles do have direct TPMS.  Technically, it is supposed to be manufacturer installed TPMS, too, which can be expensive because the dash cluster and computer may need to be changed out to bring it into compliance.  We sold our VW Jetta before moving to the US because it was going to be far too expensive to change.  Additionally, our warranty wouldn't transfer, so it wasn't worth it.  Our truck was fully compliant, so we did import it but it did cause a bit of a headache when we traded it in for a newer truck due to the odometer reading in km.  

 

- Bill of Sale/Proof of Ownership - if a vehicle is not yet paid off or is leased, you need permission from the other lienholders to import it.  Some banks and finance companies will allow it; others will not. You don't technically own the vehicle outright until the loan is paid out, so they can prevent you from exporting something they technically own.  

 

- Forms HS-7 and there's an EPA form 

 

- Sufficient funds to pay taxes on the import

 

There was a story a couple of years back of a person who tried to move to the US and wasn't going to import their car but CBP turned them away and basically said if you're moving, I don't trust that you're bringing the car back.  They do have the right to do that, so the person had to turn around, rent a Uhaul, repack their goods and then make the trek.  Make sure you don't leave it until the day before your visa expires to move.  It's risky.  Always leave yourself a bit of a cushion.