IN CONTRAST to what has been widely, almost universally reported, the CBSA information linked and referenced above, by
@zardoz, suggests that
IN SOME CASES the landing immigrant is NOT eligible to import goods as a settler at the time of landing, and thus NEITHER list/form for goods to be imported is to be processed at that time, but to be processed WHEN the immigrant arrives to actually stay, to settle in Canada for at least a year.
IN CONTRAST, so far as I have seen,
IRCC information suggests that the Goods to Follow list/form should be presented ONLY at the time of LANDING. And it does so specifically, explicitly, and with NO hint of exceptions.
Moreover, virtually every law firm and organizational website with information for new immigrants to Canada is the same. Goods to Follow are to be declared at the time of "LANDING," with virtually no hint otherwise.
But again, IN CONTRAST, the CBSA information linked and referenced above, suggests that IN SOME CASES the landing immigrant is NOT eligible to import goods as a settler at the time of landing, and thus NEITHER list/form for goods to be imported is to be processed at that time, but to be processed WHEN the immigrant arrives to actually stay, to settle in Canada for at least a year.
How this works in practice is NOT clear. Perhaps there is more in-depth discussion in the group of topics specifically about settling.
This was the subject of a recent discussion in another topic. My impression is that the CBSA guide information may be, or even probably is
NEWS to many who are otherwise well acquainted with "soft landing" procedures. Until that recent discussion (just days ago), I recall NO other observations here, let alone discussions or cautions, about this in reference to doing a "soft landing."
This is NOT a subject I follow. I became involved in that other discussion for a separate reason. That said, given how pervasive the information is about presenting and processing the Goods to Follow list AT the TIME of LANDING, this seems to be something that is rife with RISKS of things going awry.
That is, even though this is not a subject I am much acquainted with, I readily recognize the potential for confusion and the RISK of problems looming here. (I imported household items, personal items, including many declared as Goods to Follow, and a vehicle, attendant my immigration well over a decade ago, and only researched what was peculiar to me, mostly meaning the details about importing a vehicle. And I have not followed those issues much since.)
ESPECIALLY since the available information, until now, has so thoroughly reinforced doing the goods importation process AT THE TIME of LANDING.
And even now, other than the CBSA guide itself (which is actually ambiguous), information posted at a wiki site, and the forum participant referencing both, and now the reference here by
@zardoz, I have NOT seen anecdotal reports of experience with this . . . the other forum participant is the only one I have seen claim to do the process for importing goods LATER than the date of landing (that forum participant references others doing this as well, but without any specificity).
Indeed, in over a hundred posts in this specific topic about doing a "soft landing," before today there was
NO mention of importing goods as a settler at a date AFTER the date of landing, except pursuant to declaring Goods to Follow AT the TIME of LANDING.
Actually there are very few references to declaring goods being imported for those doing a "soft landing," but the following is typical among those few:
What to make of this? For those potentially affected, I'd suggest exercising some caution and doing some homework.
Among the RISKS is whether CBSA could rule that a PR who did not declare Goods to Follow at the time of landing can import goods later without paying duty. This can be more complicated than it seems on the surface given there are also rules governing which goods a settler can import duty free, such as the rules related to ownership, possession, and use, AND the RELEVANT DATE for determining the goods meet these rules. This is BEYOND the scope of what I ordinarily discuss.
For example, noting again it has been a long while, but my understanding was that a new PR is not entitled to the exemption from duty for any goods purchased or obtained AFTER the date the PR becomes a PR (or perhaps the date the PR visa was issued? and for sure, for Inland applicants, it is the date the individual actually made the PR application which is the cutoff). If the goods being declared for importation under the exemption for a new settler are not declared until some date well after the date of landing, what is the relevant cutoff date? and if it is an earlier date, to what extent might it be necessary to document ownership, possession, and use PRIOR to that cutoff date, when the date of declaring the goods is much later?
This does not scratch the surface of what questions can arise or how they will be determined relative to the landing immigrant's "intentions." After all, a landing immigrant can intend that trip to be the first step in settling PERMANENTLY (let alone for at least a year) even though that specific entry is just a first step in that process. It is NOT as if the landing PR must intend to STAY in Canada, without leaving, for at least a year to qualify for the household and personal goods duty exemption.
THERE MUST BE SOME REASON why so many sources, including IRCC, make NO MENTION of declaring goods to import at any time LATER than the date of landing.
Would be good to see some anecdotal reporting from immigrants who have actually dealt with this issue . . . those who processed their goods importation lists attendant a "soft" landing, and especially any who did the declaration of goods at a LATER date, who did not process a Goods to Follow list at the time of landing.
