Shipping my stuff to the US

[MissPearls 38]

Hey guys, me again!

I am starting to feel a little needy at this point. More so than usual.

Now that the most stressful part should be over for me, and I am on the countdown until I leave, I have another concern. Moving my belongings. I am flying. Me and my little monster cat. My plan was to Fedex or UPS my stuff from Vancouver Island to Pennsylvania. I thought I was being all sorts of clever by planning to ship everything the week before I leave so that the week it takes ($400 for 7 boxes rather than $2000 for 7 boxes) to get there, will work out perfectly for when I get there. Find out today that sure isn't happening.

Thank you, US Customs for just making this AGAIN, so much easier. Lol. Apparently I have to cross before my belongings.

So I have a few questions... I am planning on flying out on Sunday September 6th. The following day is a holiday. I will have to have UPS get my stuff on Friday, because they don't pick up on weekends. Am I going to arrive in the US first? How does this work? What if they beat me there? Lol. Second, what forms do I have to fill out? I should have realized there would be forms. Do I fill out customs forms and give them to UPS, do I for some reason need to bring them with me to the border? I think my POE will be Pearson airport, since I plan on flying Victoria to Toronto, Toronto to Philly.

I don't know what I am going to do once I get there are no longer have anything to stress about.

Thanks again everyone!

[Beachboundbabe 0]

This is what I was told by a moving company.

-Visas must be activated and stamped by US customs prior to your stuff being able to enter the USA

-The movers need photocopies of stamped passport with visa, don't know if a shipper will require the same

-Form 3299 needs to be filled out, it's a Declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles. Link:
http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CBP%20Form%203299.pdf

-US will not let most plant and food items in so don't bother

-Firearms need their own permits and forms

-High amounts of alcohol will be taxed

I think you can send your stuff before hand but you will be taxed on it all.

I don't know if shipping is the same as getting movers to do it since they might do other paper work, but maybe it gives you a starting point.

[MissPearls 38]

Am I the only one who thinks that is a bit backwards? I mean, if you are moving, you need your stuff. I am not bringing enough to spend thousands of dollars on a moving company, no furniture or anything. Just clothes and a few other random things I don't want to leave behind. How am I even supposed to ship it AFTER I get there? I can't even leave until after I receive my AP, which will probably be at least 4-5 months after I get there. How frustrating. Rant over now. Lol.

Guess I will contact UPS and Fedex and find out what I need to do. Thanks so much for that!

[Beachboundbabe 0]

Oh ya I think it's completely backwards since I am having to store stuff in a storage unit, instead of just being able to send it to my house in the states. Some companies may store it for you, till they can ship it but you'll pay extra. You will need a full itemized list of everything you are moving so make that as you pack, in the list include any value of the items as well. If you don't have a list rip everything apart and repack. I know some companies will repack everything to confirm the list and that you are not hiding anything in it since they do face fines if anything is found. You should have a list to make sure nothing is lost or stolen. I do know if you own property in the USA and you drive the stuff over the boarder, you can take things beforehand and leave it there, but this would have had to be done early on in the visa process. You'll once again need to show a itemized list, and it needs to be for personal use only, and you will need to show proof of property or rental. They allow this since Snowbirds do it all the time.

[MissPearls 38]

How can they tax me on clothes that I have owned long enough that they don't even sell them anymore? Lol. I mean, it's kind of ridiculous. I'm curious what the taxes/duty would be. This is frustrating. I don't have property there, and I didn't make a list. Guess my next 2 and a half weeks before I move, just got more stressful. I have a general idea of what is in the boxes, but not super itemized. I guess I will call today and find out.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

You don't pay duty on your belongings, where are you getting that from?

own

How can they tax me on clothes that I have owned long enough that they don't even sell them anymore? Lol. I mean, it's kind of ridiculous. I'm curious what the taxes/duty would be. This is frustrating. I don't have property there, and I didn't make a list. Guess my next 2 and a half weeks before I move, just got more stressful. I have a general idea of what is in the boxes, but not super itemized. I guess I will call today and find out.

Also - you could consider flying and checking a couple extra suitcases with must haves, Be relatively cheap to pay for a couple checked bags. You won't need any winter garb for a while, we're sweltering up the east coast

I'm not sure how you'd handle the shipping but yes, you should be filling out this US Border form to accompany your shipped goods which are NOT with you, I would assume a photo-copy of your VISA would also be needed to accompany them. I suspect the worst that would happen would be they would hold your shipment at the border until they could contact you and you could provide the appropriate documentation (form and copy of VISA

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/107/~/moving-to-u.s.---household-and-personal-effects%2C-packing-%2F-inventory-list

Edited August 20, 2015 by Udella&Wiz

[MissPearls 38]

I would pay taxes IF I shipped my belongings before I arrived, from what I understand. I mean, trying to time my belongings arriving at the border, with my flight arriving in the US sounds ridiculous. I would super happy if they just held it at the border until I crossed. I would like to assume this is what they would do. But if they pick up on a Friday, I don't know if they will automatically head to the closest border. I have no idea if they head to the US from Vancouver, or from Toronto. Sigh.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Until you VISA is activated you can't move your personal effects, like you said....then you're just sending stuff across the border to someone. Hopefully someone else here who used Fedex or UPS can tell you how they did it. No one back home who can hold the boxes for you to be picked up by UPS/FedEx after you've crossed and activated your VISA?

People coming from farther countries do this all the time so its got to be doable

I would pay taxes IF I shipped my belongings before I arrived, from what I understand. I mean, trying to time my belongings arriving at the border, with my flight arriving in the US sounds ridiculous. I would super happy if they just held it at the border until I crossed. I would like to assume this is what they would do. But if they pick up on a Friday, I don't know if they will automatically head to the closest border. I have no idea if they head to the US from Vancouver, or from Toronto. Sigh.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Udella&Wiz

[ricnally 258]

Take a look at ShipSmart for your move. They're good for small moves of just boxes (no furniture). Might be cheaper than UPS/fedex.

[Kyoungmin 1]

I sent my stuffs to US(fiancé) at Monday through ups(6boxes. whole my stuffs were holding in the ware house for some reason.

us custom required documents from shipper. so I asked ups what I have to give then they wanted me bring me and fiancé's driver license, passport, also I gave my I-129 paper(you have to prove that you and your fiancé's relationship and status). After I gave copy papers, ups told me everything gonna be okay without paying duty)

If you don't prove documents, you will pay for duty even though it is used stuff.

[Sarac 1]

on this same topic...."itemized" list....clothing...one pair of jeans, one sweater (green) that sort of thing? Or just box of clothing? For bathroom stuff....one bottle of shampoo, one package of tylenol....or just one box of bathroom items? How itemized is itemized??

[NikLR 13,220]

If you were moving yourself, itemized list is general, when shipping it's specific.

[dburnt 59]

I shipped all my goods UPS as well. I dropped the boxes at the UPS center on the morning I departed, then drove on to cross at Detroit. Coincidentally, I was also leaving just before Labour Day (last year).

I had provided copies of my passport and my K1 visa.

The next day, I received a call from UPS - the boxes were being held until I could scan and send in a copy of the passport stamp to show entry to the US. I scanned in my passport and emailed it to UPS and the boxes were released the same day - no taxes or any duty due.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Awesome first hand experience!

I shipped all my goods UPS as well. I dropped the boxes at the UPS center on the morning I departed, then drove on to cross at Detroit. Coincidentally, I was also leaving just before Labour Day (last year).

I had provided copies of my passport and my K1 visa.

The next day, I received a call from UPS - the boxes were being held until I could scan and send in a copy of the passport stamp to show entry to the US. I scanned in my passport and emailed it to UPS and the boxes were released the same day - no taxes or any duty due.