Niche Question Regarding Moving USC Items Back

[The Mean Lady 604]

Hi Guys,

I have sort of a niche question to ask anyone that traveled a lot to canada doing the immigration process.

I've been going back and forth for 3+ years so I have accumulated quite a bit of stuff up here that all came from the US.

I was thinking, it would be easier on us for the move, if, when I go back to the states in march, I start bringing back some of my stuff.

I have LOTS of clothes and art supplies up here, for instance.

Was just curious if anyone else did something like this and had issues.

I guess I'm just worried the CBP officers won't believe that all this ####### came from the US, but i've been accumulating for so long! lol

Edited January 9, 2013 by KDH

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Hi Guys,

I have sort of a niche question to ask anyone that traveled a lot to canada doing the immigration process.

I've been going back and forth for 3+ years so I have accumulated quite a bit of stuff up here that all came from the US.

I was thinking, it would be easier on us for the move, if, when I go back to the states in march, I start bringing back some of my stuff.

I have LOTS of clothes and art supplies up here, for instance.

Was just curious if anyone else did something like this and had issues.

I guess I'm just worried the CBP officers won't believe that all this ####### came from the US, but i've been accumulating for so long! lol

I would take lots of stuff back with me every time I visited. When hubby would come down here he'd stuff a huge suit case with things he knew he wouldn't need until after the move. We did it for over two years and never had an issue. With that being said, be prepared to explain why you have so much stuff, especially if you were only there for a short amount of time. If you have proof you bought the items in the U.S. like receipts, bank statements or credit card statements make copies and have them with you. Even though passing back and forth from the U.S. to Canada is pretty easy for us, there are times when you need to be prepared!

[The Mean Lady 604]

I would take lots of stuff back with me every time I visited. When hubby would come down here he'd stuff a huge suit case with things he knew he wouldn't need until after the move. We did it for over two years and never had an issue. With that being said, be prepared to explain why you have so much stuff, especially if you were only there for a short amount of time. If you have proof you bought the items in the U.S. like receipts, bank statements or credit card statements make copies and have them with you. Even though passing back and forth from the U.S. to Canada is pretty easy for us, there are times when you need to be prepared!

Oh hell no, no receipts.

Many of these clothes have got to be 5-10 years old lmao.

But I will have been here for (3) months when I cross again.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Since you're the US citizen and you're moving back home, I don't see why it would be a problem at all?

[Flames9_RN 358]

Since you're the US citizen and you're moving back home, I don't see why it would be a problem at all?

Because she is only a tourist in Canada and as a USA citizen one can only bring back so much value of goods at a time. Probably have no problems doping it, but probably depends on your POE officer, might find one with some common sense

[The Mean Lady 604]

Since you're the US citizen and you're moving back home, I don't see why it would be a problem at all?

I'm not moving back home.

I live at home.

This is just stuff that I've accumulated over 3 years up here traveling back and forth.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Being gone for three months, one would think a POE officer would have some sense and figure you have a bunch of stuff. Especially when you have to tell the whole story about visiting back and forth for years.

Most of the time I drove across the border and never had any issues. A few times my suit case was over 50lbs, I paid my over weight fee with the airline, never had any problems.

I've heard horror stories from some people crossing the border. It always made me nervous! Hubby had a theory that we crossed so much that they could see our history and figured we weren't hiding anything. Our absolute worse border crossing was the one he was activating his Visa.

[The Mean Lady 604]

Being gone for three months, one would think a POE officer would have some sense and figure you have a bunch of stuff. Especially when you have to tell the whole story about visiting back and forth for years.

Most of the time I drove across the border and never had any issues. A few times my suit case was over 50lbs, I paid my over weight fee with the airline, never had any problems.

I've heard horror stories from some people crossing the border. It always made me nervous! Hubby had a theory that we crossed so much that they could see our history and figured we weren't hiding anything. Our absolute worse border crossing was the one he was activating his Visa.

Your husband's theory is indeed correct.

I've been crossing with my husband for 3.5 years now.

I have MANY horror stories with him from his very first crossing.

Lots of tears and denials and wasted gas (live 2 hours from border and had to bring him back home and go back again >=[).

Lots of a-hole officers.

Lots of frustration.

Now, having been back and forth for 3.5 years and never staying more than allowed, we can usually get through secondary in 20-30 minutes because they see our history.

He's pegged for secondary with a red flag, though, and ALWAYS has to go in for a min of 5 years they said.

For me, Canada stopped caring.

During our last cross, they didn't even bother to ask when/if I was leaving.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

I was pulled into secondary twice. The first time I was put in a little room at the Emerson crossing and was drilled. It was like the Spanish Inquisition. I went a few years with out any hassle, then I was dumb enough to tell the Canadian CBP officer I was there to get married to a Canadian Citizen. I was pulled in and asked a few questions, had my passport stamped and a date written in it for when I was to return home, a day after my return flight. After that, no issues what so ever.

When hubby crossed and activated his Visa the officer was really snotty, mean and a-holeish. He asked more questions than the CO did for our interview. Luckily he wasn't the one processing the paperwork. Paperwork guy was awesome.

[The Mean Lady 604]

I was pulled into secondary twice. The first time I was put in a little room at the Emerson crossing and was drilled. It was like the Spanish Inquisition. I went a few years with out any hassle, then I was dumb enough to tell the Canadian CBP officer I was there to get married to a Canadian Citizen. I was pulled in and asked a few questions, had my passport stamped and a date written in it for when I was to return home, a day after my return flight. After that, no issues what so ever.

When hubby crossed and activated his Visa the officer was really snotty, mean and a-holeish. He asked more questions than the CO did for our interview. Luckily he wasn't the one processing the paperwork. Paperwork guy was awesome.

I have only been drilled once at like 630 am after driving all night while going into canada.

I too got a travel pass that had to be turned back in, but found it strange they actually did NOT stamp my passport at that time.

It was a ridiculous reason and the lady was like IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE MOVING HERE YOUR CAR IS SO FULL!

And I was like, no, there's not a lot of stuff, it's just a few BIG things.

I had a christmas tree, a desk chair, and this plastic set of drawers organizer thing.

And then she goes YOU HAVE A FAAAAAAAN!

I'm like WHAT?!

I forgot I had a small heater that I was going to return before we left but didn't have time to stop.

I was like THERES FRENCH ALL OVER IT! IT BELONGS HERE!

That was just crazy.

My husband was coming over to the US for the first time in July 2009 and didn't have a job in canada or his own place.

I told border patrol that I told him NOT to get a job because he was staying w/me for 2.5 months.

Not to mention, WHY would I tell them he was coming for 2.5 months if he was going to stay illegally

Obviously I would be smart and be like 'oh yeah he's comin for a week!'

Anyways, he was initially denied, but I cried to the supervisor and then they approved him with a pass.

Since then, he's been denied probably like 4 or 5 times.

Also threatened with deportation from an officer that was clearly on the rag since my husband did nothing.

Crazy CBP OFFICERS!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Easy to blame the POE officers----but the real people you should be pissed off at are the ones that are breaking the rules, because of them, they screw it for others!!! Their job is not an easy one, but yes some do get carried away

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I'm not moving back home.

I live at home.

This is just stuff that I've accumulated over 3 years up here traveling back and forth.

Gotcha - in light of some of your experiences above I can see why you're reluctant, I suppose you could leave it until your husband moves down and just apck it all in the UHaul too.

[The Mean Lady 604]

Gotcha - in light of some of your experiences above I can see why you're reluctant, I suppose you could leave it until your husband moves down and just apck it all in the UHaul too.

No Uhaul.

Just my car, my parent's car, and their trailer, so I don't want to get into the situation where there's not enough room.

Been there, done that, had to leave my couch on the side of the road lmao

I'm still going to take my chances, was just wondering if anyone else had been through the same.

I've already been interrogated on my own side before, so I wouldn't be surprised if they DID decide to do it again.

[Ms Hogan 295]

Can you mail some stuff back to friends? Family?

I would say most of it can fall under his items and he's allowed to bring all his stuff with him. Your clothing and personal items, I really don't think they'll care about. I have crossed back and forth with my husband many many times over the past 3 years and the officers on the US side are so UNinterested in anything he is bringing because they are always so busy asking ME questions and worrying about what I am bringing.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

No Uhaul.

Just my car, my parent's car, and their trailer, so I don't want to get into the situation where there's not enough room.

Been there, done that, had to leave my couch on the side of the road lmao

I'm sure he's going to have to purge some things. I spent two months getting rid of a lot of stuff on kijiji and friends before we left. (car, bed, kitchen table, couch etc)

We moved with a Ford Explorer and a 5x8 trailer. We managed to fit all his personal stuff, a 6'x4' Snap-on tool box full of tools, a motorcycle and a Christmas tree. We packed his clothes and other small things into plastic containers that stacked, and the rest kind of went where ever we found space. It worked out well.

When we hit the POE we were hoping and praying they didn't want us to open up the trailer so they could inspect everything or the motorcycle. THAT would have sucked, the bike was under a bunch of stuff, all you could see was part of the back tire lol. They never did. They did the paperwork to import the bike from the compliance letter from Triumph.