So About Sending Stuff/Post-Arrival and Marriage

[LuckyCanard 9]

The Journey So Far...

Last episode, I finally got my K1 after a ton of admin processing and delays requiring a second medical. I had some worries over these new registration requirements but was ultimately assured and learned that because I'm going via plane to the USA, I'll automatically just get an i94 (thanks, media, for overhyping the difficulty of going across the border).

 

The Questions of Now

So I have three boxes I want to ship -- either via FedEx or UPS. It's the last of my stuff and includes a menagerie of gaming consoles. Some of which have internal batteries. It also may include one laptop (haven't decided yet if I want to just throw it in my carry-on). How do I go about sending it over the border? Do I have to fill CBP 3299? Do I have to wait until the i485 has been processed or approved? For the manifest, do I need to itemize every single item? For gaming consoles, certain cables are of course considered a part of the bundle (AC adapters, TV connectors) but do I need to list those separately, and if I have a RWY converter to HDMI is that counted separately? Like, how itemized are we talking?

 

On the note of i485, I want to make sure, do we get married and then fill that out as soon as we've gotten married? What happens after that?

 

I appreciate the responses in advance. I just hate that my mind is so... literal. @^@

[JeanneAdil 7,050]

any have lithium batteries?

 

comply with shipping company if they do

 

Shipping lithium batteries requires adherence to specific regulations to ensure safety and compliance. These regulations apply regardless of whether the batteries are shipped alone, with equipment, or as part of a larger device. Shipping companies like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL all have their own guidelines, often based on international regulations like IATA and UN standards. 

[smilingstone 534]

3 minutes ago, LuckyCanard said:

thanks, media, for overhyping the difficulty of going across the border

 

Yes, there's really nothing to worry about unless you have a criminal history. All reported accounts of people being detained at POE have convictions which is what raised the flag in the first place. 99.9% of people making the move shouldn't have any concerns.

 

5 minutes ago, LuckyCanard said:

 

On the note of i485, I want to make sure, do we get married and then fill that out as soon as we've gotten married? What happens after that?

 

It's best practice to file ASAP after marriage, and that was our intention, but I think in reality life just gets in the way. Maybe your partner is at work, and it's reasonable to not want to spend all your time together doing paperwork and admin. We married 16th Feb but didn't get round to filing until 7th April (10 days before my authorised stay was up).

 

Unsure about your state, but in AL we got our marriage cert notarized and took it to the local probate court same-day. We asked the probate for an additional certified copy, knowing we'd need one for the AOS, so for a small fee we received the extra copy there and then, rather than submitting a request later and waiting potentially weeks. I see a lot on here of people being held back by waiting for marriage cert in mail, but I think in some states or bigger cities it's unavoidable.

 

After that, you'll need to change your name on your SSN (if you already got one before marriage) and that will make it easier for you to get on bank account(s), driving license, etc. I've had difficulty with that with my SSN having my maiden name so we're only just starting those processes now. 

 

As for your question on shipping belongings, I can't advise as I didn't do that.

[Crazy Cat 44,298]

22 minutes ago, LuckyCanard said:

do we get married and then fill that out as soon as we've gotten married? What happens after that?

 

This K-1 flowchart might be helpful

 

 

[TBoneTX 47,414]

Thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the "Moving to the US" forum -- questions pertain to after-arrival.

55 minutes ago, smilingstone said:

we got our marriage cert notarized and took it to the local probate court same-day. We asked the probate for an additional certified copy, knowing we'd need one for the AOS, so for a small fee we received the extra copy there and then, rather than submitting a request later and waiting potentially weeks.

We hand-carried our signed marriage license to the court, too.  We asked for 7 certified copies.  After giving 2 to the respective mothers, we ended up using all 5 others (for AOS and banks, et al.).

[LuckyCanard 9]

8 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the "Moving to the US" forum -- questions pertain to after-arrival.

Ah, my bad, thank you!

 

To all responses, this has helped tremendously -- especially with regards to after I arrive. Had no idea I could apply for an SSN right away.

 

I think I'll just end up going with the plan to move any items with batteries to my carry-on. I should be able to work with that. This said, does anyone have further info on moving stuff after I arrive?

[smilingstone 534]

7 hours ago, LuckyCanard said:

Had no idea I could apply for an SSN right away.

 

It's good practice to familiarize yourself with the flowchart posted by @Crazy Cat as it's incredibly helpful to know what's coming up well in advance. Although, it's a little outdated so some steps (such as medical forms) may not be relevant to you, so always a good idea to check with users here if you're unsure.

[yuna628 9,861]

 

On 5/18/2025 at 1:09 AM, LuckyCanard said:

Ah, my bad, thank you!

 

To all responses, this has helped tremendously -- especially with regards to after I arrive. Had no idea I could apply for an SSN right away.

 

I think I'll just end up going with the plan to move any items with batteries to my carry-on. I should be able to work with that. This said, does anyone have further info on moving stuff after I arrive?

My husband put all his consoles and laptop in his carry-on luggage. They were at the time required to be treated as a laptop and removed to a separate bin for screening, but it was doable. The other electronics and cables that weren't too important that he couldn't fit he put in his checked baggage and got special travel insurance to cover any losses. We recently returned home from the UK and his parents insisted he take one very old console he left behind. We were pressed for time so we just packed it in our checked luggage and it was fine.. but if anything has a lithium battery it will need to fit in your carry-on. 

[Fr8dog 351]

On 5/18/2025 at 1:09 AM, LuckyCanard said:

I think I'll just end up going with the plan to move any items with batteries to my carry-on. I should be able to work with that. This said, does anyone have further info on moving stuff after I arrive?

 

Do not ship anything with Lithium batteries unless you have to. Also never pack them in your carry-on luggage. (unless instructed by the airline).

 

Lipo's are hazmat and hazmat is expensive to ship. Most of the time if has to go CAO (cargo aircraft only). And a lot of airlines flat out refuse them making the few that do even more expensive. 

I know Temu stuff gets shipped with them all the time, but they use the Chinese postal service. Air-mail is a whole different animal and it takes to long to explain how they get away with it when you won't.

 

On the rest of your stuff.

Pack it up and make sure the boxes are solid. If your box is the first in the bin it will get about 90 inches of stuff piled on top. Marking fragile will get ignored (check the fine print, they can). Ship it around the time you leave yourself. 

search for non couriers that ship packages to, usually cheaper then FED-ex/UPS. (also check DHL). 

 

Most couriers/shippers require you to fill out a detail list of the content of the boxes. (as US customs requires them to do it)

For the  general description of the shipment you can use "used personal items" or "used household goods" (something like that) do not use "unaccompanied baggage" 

On the list you don't have to go crazy. for example "clothing" will be too general but "4x pants, 2x shoes" is usually detailed enough.

 

 

[LuckyCanard 9]

Okay, so, update to put a bow on the actual move. It's been about two weeks since my arrival and it's the wee hours of the morning before my wedding. This is my experience as a Canadian using both UPS and Canada Post.

For sending things, I went with Canada Post primarily in terms of smaller shipments for five months leading up to the flight. I booked the flight early, got a really awesome deal, and called in my favors so I only had to pay about $60 to fill a tank to bring me to Calgary. Of course, I ensured nothing had hazardous goods (effectively, no batteries or the usual stuff you find on their site and that they state you can't bring before you even try to ship). At roughly 20 - 40 kg boxes they came out to about $150 CAD each. These made it as standard since nothing was truly "high value" and made it without a hitch. Maybe I was just lucky, but I'm taking the win.

 

Finally got to my expensive electronics. This time I went with UPS. I still ensured nothing was considered hazardous per requirements. For the sake of clarity and because I was cross-referencing multiple sources, I photocopied my K1 visa and main passport. For the manifest, I filled out CBP 3299 and provided this at the time of shipping. Per advice above, I went with general itemization but not being too general. Finally, I included my flight itinerary showing my date of arrival.

 

The only note, UPS charged me incorrectly, so I had to pay an extra $42.25 for delivery on top of the $300 for four boxes. Honestly not bad considering these were also in the same weight range. For those who prefer imperial, these were boxes weighing anywhere from 44 - 88 lbs. so by no means were they "light" by shipping standards. I was also very thorough with the padding to make sure everything remained well-packaged against breakage or the like.

 

Finally come flight time, I used precisely zero brain cells and filled up the carry on with all the battery-containing electronics and ultra-high-value electronics -- three laptops, my 3DS, my DSi, a wrist watch, my PS5, the stupid Wii U gamepad, just about everything but the kitchen sink -- and I ended up through security without a hitch. Didn't get stopped for additional looks at my electronics or additional questioning. In fact, customs was super nice. Was it worth the four days of muscle pain afterwards from bringing two weight-maxed carry-ons? Absolutely. Would I do this all again? Heck no. XD

 

In all, I spent about $1600 CAD on shipping my entire one-man household, $300 on my plane ticket, and $60 actually getting my ride to Calgary.

[TBoneTX 47,414]

12 hours ago, LuckyCanard said:

update to put a bow on the actual move

This is very helpful to many.  Thanks.

12 hours ago, LuckyCanard said:

I spent about $1600 CAD on shipping my entire one-man household, $300 on my plane ticket, and $60 actually getting my ride to Calgary.

Moving so thriftily isn't easy!  Good job.

12 hours ago, LuckyCanard said:

it's the wee hours of the morning before my wedding

All going to pay off!  Give us details.   

Welcome to the U.S.!