simistar

On April 7, 2017 at 1:39 PM, HollywoodNorth said:

 

As for specific references, I've used personally:

 

LA area:

 

http://www.circlemoving.com/

http://beverlyhillstransfer.com/

 

If you got crazy budget you can use the movers the movie stars use [actually they should be somewhat affordable, I believe they are a Atlas or United agent]:

http://www.renesvanandstorage.com/

 

Bay area:

 

http://www.nor-calmoving.com/

 

East Coast USA to West Coast or back:

 

http://www.bayshoreallied.com/

 

Canada side of things:

 

http://www.amjcampbell.com/

 

United/Mayflower are good also. Just read the fine print and go over everything with the agent rep so there's no surprises. Keep in mind what owners risk means if you want a big discount.

 

Keep in mind that all the major vanlines are pretty much owned by 2 big multinational companies

 

 

thank you thank you thank you!!

This is ALL very helpful information.

Quick question, since you seem to know what you're talking about:-)
Can I pack the majority of items and just leave the big stuff, like dining table, couches , dressers, etc to them? And also maybe glasses and plates etc that are breakable...? Or is it an all or nothing thing...i.e. they either pack ALL of it, or none of it?

On our move down here to Cali from Canada, I think it was Allied who moved us. My husband's company paid for them to come and pack and move us. They were TERRIBLE. They put stuff into storage that I told them like five times was not meant for storage and also broke a number of things. I'd like to pack the majority of things myself, since I'm more organized than most movers and I like to know where things are:-)
But I also know if I pack it, I'm responsible for it. So breakable things and the TV and big things like couches etc I'd like them to take care of...

Thanks for your help!

3 hours ago, 13roots said:

I'm glad this was helpful! Some more data that could help -

 

I think with the two companies, it's not so much that no one else is licensed (or could get licensed), but that it was that it is so cost prohibitive to go through all the certifications between US CBP and the moving industry certifications, and still be competitive with quotes vs the big companies that can more easily absorb the licensing costs. I'm not sure if the same barriers exist going into Canada. I tried to research it, but it wasn't clear.

 

If you accompany the goods (e.g. meet the moving truck at the border), it generally broadens the options to almost any company and could be cheaper (but may also be higher if it's a smaller mover). You'll definitely get your stuff faster since it's a direct door-to-door service . Our stuff disappeared for almost 3 weeks when we shipped it as unaccompanied, because we shared the container with 3-4 other shippers. The goods were loaded and dropped off in the order of the US destination.

 

About 15 years ago my family moved from Boston to Toronto, and we used a local mover... there wasn't any special about them except they took care of tagging and filling out the paperwork for customs. The two guys doing the move basically showed up that morning with their passports for the border crossing. It was very expensive because we were basically paying for a round trip (truck would be empty coming back) and didn't know better so we didn't have multiple quotes, but we got all our stuff packed and delivered to the new house the same day, so the convenience factor was priceless.

 

If your husband's company is covering some of the costs, I'd honestly go with the one that is most convenient while maximizing the reimbursement. My husband's company had a max reimbursement amount, but also caps for different categories. E.g. they did not cover cost to ship our car, so we knew for sure one of us would have to make the drive (low reimbursement), so we could spend more on the moving company. They also had a limit of one round trip flight per family member, so we took cheap one way flights and used our flight points to take extra luggage for free or low $ with stuff we could use for the 3 weeks before our stuff arrived. 

 

Moving is not fun, but at least you can get some of the cost reimbursed!

wow - thank you AGAIN!!
Yeah, we haven't figured out the cars yet - uuugh.
When we moved here, our cars weren't allowed into California (for super dumb reasons:-)) so we had to sell and buy cars here...
We're hoping our cars allowed into Canada! But we don't know for sure... we may truck/ship them to Seattle and drive them over the border ourselves...
Thanks for the tips on maximizing reimbursement :-) Sounds like you know what you're doing:-)

On March 31, 2017 at 9:32 PM, 13roots said:

 

 

In doing the research for our own cross border move from Toronto to Austin a year and a half ago, we quickly found that there was a huge difference in pricing between different companies. We also learned that there were really only two companies licensed to transport unaccompanied goods into the US (Atlas and one other one I can't remember), so almost any company we got a quote from would eventually relay those goods to Atlas (or the other company). This made it easy to base our decision not on transportation part, which would be largely the same (i.e. same insurance coverage, same delivery time frame, same "transportation quality" etc), but on the before and after service (how easy are they to deal with, how much paperwork and hassle do they handle, how quickly can they schedule pickup of goods, do they provide boxes, do they provide packing service, etc) versus cost. 

 

We got about 4 quotes over a two week period and went with the company that was the most responsive and had the best customer service. The quotes are by weight and distance, so each rep came by the house and did their estimate based on the number of rooms, how many books, number of heavy equipment like gym machines, etc. but the final bill is based on the actual weight because the trucks are weighed. We used Kings Transfer - they're based out of Montreal but we dealt with their Toronto branch, which is not much help to you as you'll be needing a company based in California , but for anyone else in that region I highly recommend them. It was the most pleasant moving experience ever.

 

So best advice I can give is to call a lot of places and get lots of quotes, and stick to the ones that actually do cross-border moves, because even if their reputation is good they may be still be overpriced if their expertise is in local moves, and they may be unfamiliar with the paperwork involved and prove to be more of a headache in the end.

 

Best of luck!

 

THANK YOU!!!
This is helpful even if we can't use the same company:-)
That's interesting about how only two can bring stuff across the border... I wonder if that's the same going back INTO Canada... Hmmm...
Thank you so much for your helpful response:-)

Hi helpful people of visa journey! 

I haven't been on here here for awhile, as we have been living in California with all our residency / citizenship stuff sorted. Except now, we are moving back ( husbands work)...?

Anyone have recommendations for a moving company they used for a cross border move ? You know... where the company didn't try to rip you off and were professional ?;)

My husbands company is paying the lions share , but we need to find the movers ...

recommendations appreciated

Thank you Nevyna!

Depending on the age of the child, and mode of transportation, proof of citizenship might be sufficient.

Entry into the United States via land and sea

U.S. and Canadian citizen children under the age of 16 (or under 19, if traveling with a school, religious group, or other youth group) need only present a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. The birth certificate can be original, photocopy, or certified copy.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

Thank you Lemonslice:-)

We were planning on flying, given the last-minuteness of the trip... but if MAYBE we will fly into the US close to the border and then drive across if we must... uuugh. Thank you!

Yes, as a us citizen he is required to use a us passport to enter the country

Thank you!

Hi there,

I so apologize if this has been covered - my quick search did not turn up what I'm looking for (and I'm in a rush )

And you guys are always so helpful:-)

We live in the United States (now, used to live in Canada). My son is a Canadian citizen and has a Canadian passport. He JUST (about a month and a half ago) got his US citizenship. Last minute, we now need to travel to Canada next week. My question is...

Can he travel with JUST his Canadian passport (and his Certificate of US Citizenship) - or does he NEED a US passport to get back into the US...?

(he will be traveling with myself, a Canadian citizen and US Permanent Resident and my husband/his dad, an American citizen)

Just wondering since I don't think we have time to get a US passport for him before we'd need to go

Thank you in advance!

The stuff we used is called Zylkene (wrong spelling before) and is quite benign. I was too worried our cat would have an adverse reaction to any doping meds in the air. Zylkene is essentially just tryptophan - the same amino acid found in turkey that makes us sleepy after Christmas
dinner:-) The spray we used is a pheromone.

I had read somewhere from someone that a vet checks out the pets to make sure they look healthy and if they don't the pet can be quarantined. But I guess not! yay:-)

PHEW!

BIG sigh of relief - our big fat cat made it through!:-)

No rabies shot and no certificate of health...

I haven't been able to talk too much with my husband (the one who took the flight with the cat) - but I don't even think a vet looked at the cat? I will double check this and post again.

He did say they made him take the cat out to put the bag through the xray machine thingy...this is NOT a friendly cat and super high strung, so he suggested he be allowed to take the cat out in a room, so they let him do that so the cat wouldn't run away.

He had to be there 1/2 hour before usual for catching his flight.

We gave our cat some zilcene (basically the same thing that's in turkey that makes us sleepy) that the vet recommended...she said sometimes it MIGHT make a cat a bit calmer like after a human drinks a glass of milk at night:-) OR it may not work at all... I think it did calm him a BIT...also used something called ThunderSpray (from petsmart) that I just sprayed in the carrier right before putting the cat in...it's like aromatherapy to calm cats:-) NOt sure if that did anything:-)

And just to clarify, for anyone wondering, this was a cat being brought from Canada (Vancouver) to California.

Now we just have one more cat to go! Yikes.

Thanks for all the info everyone! My husband will be flying (attempting to:-)) with one of our cats Monday... I shall let everyone know how it goes:-)

The regulation is the same for the lower 48.

Check out the link to the USDA: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/importexport?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_import_export%2Fsa_animals%2Fsa_pet_travel%2Fct_animal_imports_pets

Good luck!

Thank you so much! Admittedly only gave it a quick read but it seems like every other document I've read...specifies dogs but doesn't really say anything cats.... i could be wrong and will give it a more thorough read as soon as I can:-)

Just get the shot.

Though I'll add that though yes mine was a dog and yes we drove down...nobody asked to see proof of vaccination. They did, however, ask me if she was up to date on her shots.

Though you're flying a cat down to Cali in the winter...make sure you have a good water dish for in kitty's crate - and perhaps see if you can get kitty to drink from one of those bottles like you get for hamsters. It is going to be very hot on the Tarmac and you'll want to keep the cat hydrated. Not only can flying be stressful but...

In this weather not in winter. Seriously auto correct how did you even do that???

(Or perhaps heat is also frying MY brain)

Thank you too!:-)

Yeah...I've been able to find lots on dogs (definitely need a rabies shot!) but cats ...harder to find the info!

Actually one of the reasons we're in this last-minute mess is that cats can't be flown under carriage right now... most airlines won't allow it b/c of extreme heat, so we have to take our cats (we have two) in the cabin. Thankfully, it's only a 2 1/2 hour flight.

I brought my cat with me from Canada to Florida on the plane but in the Cabin. For flying in the cabin I needed to have her health certificate from the vet that says she had a check up within 30 days. She also needed her up to date shots. FVRCP and rabies. At POE at Pearson in Toronto, they just asked for her paperwork and that's it.

I didn't want to be held up for anything because it was a stressful situation as is. You should get it done either way.

There's also this,

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/56/~/pets---cats

Aaaaand, thank you to you too, lol:-)

It's kind of ridiculous how there's not just an easy reference guide for this stuff, lol:-)

The country says one thing, each state says another and even the individual airlines can have their own rules...GAH.

After being on hold forever with the airline (two hours!) we've sorted out they don't require anything... and it seems neither does California for cats...

BUT, we are in a rush since our moving company just changed our move dates to a WEEK early, so we are scrambling to get the cats down before us since travelling with two cats and a toddler just doesn't seem like fun:-) So, we are going to chance it without the rabies shot or even a letter since vet can't fit us in this weekend...Sigh.

I shall post again on Monday if the first of our cats makes it through!:-)

HI everyone!

So sorry, I have done a quick search and couldn't find what I'm looking for (apologies if is is out there)...

I urgently need to know if the state of California (apparently all states have different requirements) requires that a cat being brought from Canada into the US (and into California) have a rabies vaccine..??

I can't find anything saying they do? only dogs. But can't find anything "official" just anecdotal postings in chat rooms ...

The airline we are flying also has its own requirements, as does the federal US government. Federally, cats are not required to be vaccinated against rabies. On hold with airline (for the past hour) now to find out its requirements...

Need info on California ASAP as I need to know whether to book vet appointment before cat flies on Monday!

Thank you all so much in advance!

You file the CR/IR1 ... You can file for the K3 at no cost after the I-130 is filed, but the k3 is a nearly obsolete visa. You may visit the USA and your husband according to current laws (6 months I believe) but you need to be prepared to show why you will return to Canada and not stay and AOs as they could deny you.. Good luck.

Thank you!

CR1 it will be:-)

Husband (who is the USC and will be in the States) can file that from in the U.S.....yes?

Or is it better for him to file outside U.S. in terms of processing times...? Anyone know?;-)

I do know I can visit...I guess I'm not sure for how long (everywhere seems to have conflicting times...some say 6 months, some 3 months?) - I guess I'm wondering if I can just go and stay there with him while all the paperwork is done... and not ahve to come back...but I guess thats' wishful thinking? (assuming I would have at the very least, to come back for interview?)

Thank you for all your help!

WOOT!

Indeed!:-)

Just wanted to give a quick update - and say thank you all for your help!

I did finally call USCIS yesterday from my computer... My first call I was told they couldn't help and they directed me to a US Customs Enforcement...who then directed me to Freedom of Information Act offices as well as contacting the office directly where i turned in my GC.

(*GAAAAHHHHH)

I did contact the office where I handed in my GC, they looked up my file and said everything was tickety boo.

Ooooh-kaaaaay.

Other places I called said they couldn't help.

I called USCIS AGAIN and this time got someone super helpful!

She took some info and then said she'd transfer me to an immigration officer.

I had to hold for 45 Minutes! BUT it was worth it b/c the officer looked at my file and basically said, yeah, nothing's wrong, there's no deportation list, the letters are being sent to you by mistake.

PHEW!!!

Called husband, told him lawyers at is company are dorks and don't know anything.

So now, even though we HAVE to use them, I have decided to take a more active role whether they like it or not.

You'll probably be seeing more questions/posts from me as I sort out what the heck we're doing, lol:-)

But again, thank you all for your help!

Hi VJers,

I am confused. Sigh. And hoping you can be of help:-)

After exhaustive searches on here and elsewhere my brain is mush and I haven't found the answers I need:-)

A few years ago I went through the process of getting a green card, CRI via DCF (with LOTS of help from you guys!). At the time, both my husband (the USC) and myself were living in Canada. We moved to the States, then moved back and I handed over my GC etc etc etc.

NOW, my husband is being transferred to the States for work (last time it was our decision, now it's a work thing).

This time round I'm thinking what visa we file for and/or how we file for it will be different.

First of all, my husband will be moving to the States ahead of me. He has to be there pronto for work, I will need to stay and deal with packing and selling house etc. We also have a two-year-old son now. (Not sure how/what/if this impacts anything?)

Soooo... is a K3 or CR1 better...?

Does one of them allow for me to be in the States while the paperwork is being processed?

That is, since he is the USC and will be IN the States when we file, does it make a difference which visa we apply for?

What I've read is confusing...sounds like MAYBE I can go to States sooner with a K3 and wait out paperwork while there?

Thank you in advance for any help!

very cool - thank you for the help! I'm assuming since I have an iPhone that google hangout app would work...?

May give that a try - so much more convenient than using my computer if it works!

Google voice is a voice call program available through gmail. It's completely free for Canadians to use to call the USA. It even shows up as a US number. I use it to call Canada from home.

thank you:-)

I shall install it and give it a whirl hopefully on Monday!:-)

Use google voice from your computer.

USCIS isn't actually open today so you wouldn't be able to speak to an ISO if you wanted to.

Sorry for sounding ancient, but is Google Voice the same as Skype...? (that is, could I just use a voice call via Skype...?)

Thanks so much for all your info - very helpful!

Unfortunately, we don't really have a choice with regards to the lawyers...we just have to trust they know what they're doing (eeek)

However, I would really like to call USCIS to ask what's up... anyone know how I can do this from Canada???

The 1-800 number for them doesn't work from here... they only have an email for Canadians with "general inquiries"....

I did a search on here and someone suggested to another Canadian poster they contact the Department of State... just not sure what department to ask for when I call there or what of the hundreds of numbers they list on their site to call... Sigh.

Anyone...Bueller...?
;-)

Sounds like you did the right thing then. Do you still have a copy of your A# somewhere? (You'll need it regardless) You could call the USCIS and ask what is up and have your A# as your reference.

I agree with Harpa though, it sounds like the lawyer had fish for lunch.

This is a GRAND idea NLR! I do have a copy of my Alien number somewhere...wouldn't that be great if all it takes is a phone call and a fax/email of the signed paper... I can hope, right?:-) You never know...lawyers do tend to try to complicate things:-)

Alrriiiiighty then.

Husband spoke with company lawyer this afternoon who deals with employees moving to and fro United States and Canada.

NLR and Harpa - I would tend to agree with you on the lawyer fishing (aren't they ALL?:-)) - except these are lawyers employed by my husband's company as this company has moved a LOT of employees back and forth between the US and Canada. That's not to say they wouldn't pad the bill, it's just in everyone's best interest, including theirs, to get this thing sorted.

All that said, they obviously didn't do their homework in terms of the documentation my husband and I sent them. (I said they were employed by my husband's company, I didn't they were GOOD :-))
Turns out, they didn't know I had signed that document.

This is the problem with having to go through HR, who then talks to the lawyers on your behalf I guess. It's like playing telephone.
So I also don't know how they know I'm on a deportation list, but they insist I am and until they can sort out this piece, they can't get started on getting me back into the country legally.

They did offer some hope in that it looks like if I signed that paper and handed in my green card, that maybe someone in US Immigration made the SNAFU. Maybe didn't file the paperwork? Maybe it was overlooked when they added me to the deportation list? I don't know. But PRAYING it can be sorted before the end of the world comes. I at least don't feel quite as panicked as I did last night:-)

Thank you all so much for your help - and I will most definitely keep everyone posted as to how this turns out since who knows, maybe someone else will be faced with this weird problem:-)

My guess is that you had a conditional card and that you didn't remove conditions so you automatically get put on a removal list. But, I don't know if it matters really because you can show the embassy that you did indeed leave. Did you have a 2-year card?

I wonder if a lawyer actually checked this list, or even has access, or is s/he is just saying what happens if you fail to remove condiitons.

I did have a conditional card so did not remove conditions as I had moved back.

I'm not sure what lawyer has access to etc etc...My husband is meeting with one of his company's lawyers this afternoon so hopefully we'll know more by later today.

I checked and the paper I signed is almost identical to the one NLR posted...

I'm hoping this paperwork just got overlooked and the lawyer can show it to whomever and get the ball rolling ASAP on getting me off the deportation list!

I'll keep y'all posted on what the lawyers says... you know, in case anyone encounters this most bizarre problem:-)

That sounds really odd. You are supposed to go to a US consulate or embassy to relinquish your card, not the CBP. Did you fill out this form? http://photos.state.gov/libraries/164203/dhs/I-407.pdf

Thanks NLR,

I checked and the paper I signed is almost identical to the one you posted. It didn't say I-407 at the top BUT was titled Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Residence and asked all the same information.

Signed by agent/officer and myself. Hmmmmm.

Possible someone at YVR didn't file the paperwork? Or someone in immigration missed it??

Thanks so much!

Will get the form I filled out tomorrow morning and check. I honestly can't remember. (3-4 years ago... Sigh.)

I didn't know I had to hand it in at a consulate or embassy ... So yeah... Sounds like I screwed something up. Yikes. ( you'd think someone official would have said something...?)

Help much appreciated:)