Exporting Car from US if Car is already in Canada with Canadian Registration and License Plates

[aruns1494]

Hi all.
I am kind of in a pickle about what I need to do here. Here is my situation.
I moved to Vancouver from California early May 2021. I had filed for an ITN number and had submitted it to the Blaine Office well in advance of the 72 hour limit. However, when going through to the Blaine CBP, I think i made a wrong turn because of which I headed straight to the Canadian Immigration and there was no way I could turn back. I told the officer at the border that I need to export my vehicle but she said I need not do that as I am here on a Temporary Work Permit and that they just need to do a "temporary import". They got me a Form 1 and told me I had 60 days to register my vehicle in Canada. With that Form 1, I was able to register my vehicle here in BC, got BC plates, and BC license. I still have my California plates with me though.

I recently started working on my PR application and hope to get it soon (March - April of 2022). My question is that after I get my PR, I will need to do a full export from US and a permanent import in Canada. It seems like doing a permanent import is a cake walk but I am not sure how to do my export now. I am not a US citizen and I do not have a valid visa to enter the US at present meaning I cannot cross the border to be there for 72 hours. Moreover, I do not possess my California Vehicle Title with me as it was taken from me by ICBC when they registered my car with them.

Has anybody been in this situation before? How should I proceed with this? I do have the following documents with me:
- Insurance document from Canada-based Insurance Provider
- Canadian Vehicle registration
- Old California plates
- Original Bill of Sale (listing my name as the person)
- Letter from bank when I paid off my loan.
- Old registration copy.

 

[skye]

Oh that is so interesting. They do things much differently in Quebec. I never heard of a temporary import while on work permit and was told I would have to import the car to bring it over the border. We ended up buying a car in Canada and gave our US car to my Dad. I have often wondered what is the process for importing, just for buying a car in the US and bringing it over.

 

[aruns1494]

Oh that is so interesting. They do things much differently in Quebec. I never heard of a temporary import while on work permit and was told I would have to import the car to bring it over the border. We ended up buying a car in Canada and gave our US car to my Dad. I have often wondered what is the process for importing, just for buying a car in the US and bringing it over.

For that, the process generally is this:
- Buy the car
- Get the title of the car in your name
- Contact a broker and get an ITN number so that you can drive it across the border. (Several available. Just google )
- Submit the ITN, and some other documents (copy of your title, a form that US CBP gives) 72 hours in advance (this is important).
- On the day, go to the CBP Vehicle Export office at the border and show them your documents (ITN, Title and maybe the original bill of sale as well)
- They will put a stamp on your Title and you can then go to the Canadian customs at the border, ask for Form 1 to import you car, and pay the duties and take you car.
- You will then need to get your car inspected (In BC, I did it at Canadian Tire). They will do the inspection for around CAD 200 and give you a piece of paper which you will need for registering your car in Canada.

 

[smarties66]

For that, the process generally is this:
- Buy the car
- Get the title of the car in your name
- Contact a broker and get an ITN number so that you can drive it across the border. (Several available. Just google )
- Submit the ITN, and some other documents (copy of your title, a form that US CBP gives) 72 hours in advance (this is important).
- On the day, go to the CBP Vehicle Export office at the border and show them your documents (ITN, Title and maybe the original bill of sale as well)
- They will put a stamp on your Title and you can then go to the Canadian customs at the border, ask for Form 1 to import you car, and pay the duties and take you car.
- You will then need to get your car inspected (In BC, I did it at Canadian Tire). They will do the inspection for around CAD 200 and give you a piece of paper which you will need for registering your car in Canada.

I thought I read that the inspection is free...

 

[Kimbear]

if you want a full in depth guide to exporting and importing a US car to Canada this guy has a really great guide https://www.urtech.ca/2019/06/solved-how-to-import-a-vehicle-from-the-us-to-canada-in-4-steps/.

techincally if you drive your car to the USA without exporting it properly you can have it possibly seized and incur big fines if you get a ticket in the USA. Your situatioin sadly during the pandemic is not unique. many got caught off guard like this. In your case im not sure what you should do. maybe call the US CBP and ask them?

 

[MJSPARV]

I thought I read that the inspection is free...

You prepay for the inspection at the border, so it's "free" when you show up at Canadian Tire.

 

[smarties66]

You prepay for the inspection at the border, so it's "free" when you show up at Canadian Tire.

Actually as you said the federal inspection is ''free''. The provincial one is not. Paid 110$

 

[aruns1494]

You prepay for the inspection at the border, so it's "free" when you show up at Canadian Tire.

I did not prepay anything at the border. I was just given the Form 1 without any payments because it was a temporary import. I had to pay inspection fee at Canadian Tire.