Bringing wifes belonging's into Canada under dual intent?

[chs2yyc]

Hi all,

I am a Canadian citizen, and I just got married to an American woman. When we cross the border, we are not bringing much of her stuff for the obvious reasons. Later on though, we are having her stuff shipped to Calgary in a moving truck.

I know that she will be a visitor, and are not supposed to show by bringing a lot of her stuff that she is coming basically permanently, but I also know about the application of dual intent.

How would this apply to us in shipping her goods via moving truck to Canada?

Has anyone else had their spouses (sponsoree) stuff shipped to Canada, and can you please share your experience?

What should we do or not do, and should we even do it?

Thanks

 

[Sweden]

I don't think that dual intent works that way. You can bring things into the country, but if your wife doesn't have her PR yet, then you will have to pay taxes on it. The only time where you are exempted from taxes is ONE time when she gets her PR.

I don't think you should ship stuff to Canada (unless you are willing to pay taxes of course!) before she has her PR. She can probably travel with a few stuff every time she crosses, if she does, and if you have been living outside of the country, you can also bring things in as a "returning canadian" ( and if it's a reasonable amount of stuff, they won't check that it's all yours or not). see here from CBSA website http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5087-eng.html

that's what we did - my partner and I were living outside of Canada, and we moved to Canada before I got my PR. We shipped a few boxes (6 medium sized cardboard boxes, with UPS), and when they got into the country, we had to clear customs. We had a list of content ( books, clothes and a few personal items), but it was all declared under his name as a returning canadian, and it was fine.

If you're sending a whole truck, you should make sure that it fits into your own allowance ( if you are a returning canadian), or wait until your wife gets her PR to send it.

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[scylla]

I don't think that dual intent works that way. You can bring things into the country, but if your wife doesn't have her PR yet, then you will have to pay taxes on it. The only time where you are exempted from taxes is ONE time when she gets her PR.

I don't think you should ship stuff to Canada (unless you are willing to pay taxes of course!) before she has her PR. She can probably travel with a few stuff every time she crosses, if she does, and if you have been living outside of the country, you can also bring things in as a "returning canadian" ( and if it's a reasonable amount of stuff, they won't check that it's all yours or not). see here from CBSA website http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5087-eng.html

that's what we did - my partner and I were living outside of Canada, and we moved to Canada before I got my PR. We shipped a few boxes (6 medium sized cardboard boxes, with UPS), and when they got into the country, we had to clear customs. We had a list of content ( books, clothes and a few personal items), but it was all declared under his name as a returning canadian, and it was fine.

If you're sending a whole truck, you should make sure that it fits into your own allowance ( if you are a returning canadian), or wait until your wife gets her PR to send it.

Good luck,
Sweden

Agreed. Dual intent doesn't apply when you are shipping stuff before your wife has PR. If you ship it before you wife has PR - expect to pay tax. Can you put these items in storage somewhere and wait until she has PR before you ship? That would be the ideal solution.