Car Insurance When Landing?

[Cheeseburger]

I live in Pennsylvania and I will be moving with my wife to her home in Vancouver. I don't have an enormous amount of belongings but I do have some. It might be a tight fit but I think most of my important things will fit in my car. I had debated selling my car before I move, but the other option is to pack the car and take a cross country trip with my wife. We think that might be a fun option so we are definitely considering it. My question is, how does all this affect my car insurance? If I was still paying for my Pennsylvania car insurance would it be legal to cross the border in my car? Does becoming a Canadian PR immediately void my car insurance making driving illegal? Must I first purchase Canadian car insurance before I cross the border? Please tell me CanadaVisa community, what doooo I do?

PS you guys have been awesome in answering all my many questions. I hope when I get through this process I can help some people as much as you all have helped me. I am beginning to feel like I should change professions to an immigration lawyer with all the knowledge I learn here!

 

[Ponga]

It's typically not a problem to drive your car across the border to `visit' Canada. The fact that you will be moving to Canada, when you cross the border, makes this more complicated.

If you enter Canada and no longer have the U.S. address where your car insurance is registered, that could potentially be a form of insurance fraud, since your insurance rate is determined, in part, by your geographic location in the U.S. However...until you officially land and can import your vehicle into Canada (legally), you can't very well purchase insurance in Canada.

My suggestion would be to contact your insurance company and see what they suggest.

 

[Rob_TO]

I live in Pennsylvania and I will be moving with my wife to her home in Vancouver. I don't have an enormous amount of belongings but I do have some. It might be a tight fit but I think most of my important things will fit in my car. I had debated selling my car before I move, but the other option is to pack the car and take a cross country trip with my wife. We think that might be a fun option so we are definitely considering it. My question is, how does all this affect my car insurance? If I was still paying for my Pennsylvania car insurance would it be legal to cross the border in my car? Does becoming a Canadian PR immediately void my car insurance making driving illegal? Must I first purchase Canadian car insurance before I cross the border? Please tell me CanadaVisa community, what doooo I do?

PS you guys have been awesome in answering all my many questions. I hope when I get through this process I can help some people as much as you all have helped me. I am beginning to feel like I should change professions to an immigration lawyer with all the knowledge I learn here!

I assume you mean you'll be packing up and moving AFTER you get PR. Since moving before you got PR would be a big no-no.

For insurance, you can't even apply for insurance in Canada until you officially import your US car, get all the necessary safety upgrades done (like running headlights), pass safety inspection, and get it registered in BC. Only then can you get insurance on it. Until then, you'll need to use your existing insurance as long as it's still registered in the US.

 

[misterz100]

My husband is moving in with me from the USA to Canada and start a internal application for sponsorship, he will be bringing his car but he is living with his parents right now, will I not be able to change him onto my insurance or get new plates? Do I have to wait till he gets his PR card?

 

[Rob_TO]

My husband is moving in with me from the USA to Canada and start a internal application for sponsorship, he will be bringing his car but he is living with his parents right now, will I not be able to change him onto my insurance or get new plates? Do I have to wait till he gets his PR card?

You can only get new plates once you officially import the car into Canada and do all the safety checks/upgrades. A Canadian insurance company will not insure a US car.

He can try to import the car before he gets PR, but in this case he will need to pay all necessary duties/taxes to import the car. It's only after getting PR that you get to import things tax/duty-free.
Also a CBSA agent may wonder as to why exactly a visitor is exporting his own car into Canada for personal use. That implies he intends to stay permanently in Canada and is not just a visitor, so to me would be a high chance to be refused at the border.

 

[misterz100]

Reading the section about it in the border service agency site the process doesn't seem very complex, I think his car was originally manufactured in Canada so it might not even need some of this process.
We will see, worst case we might have to spend a like 1000-1500$ or maybe they will let it go who knows.

 

[Rob_TO]

Reading the section about it in the border service agency site the process doesn't seem very complex, I think his car was originally manufactured in Canada so it might not even need some of this process.
We will see, worst case we might have to spend a like 1000-1500$ or maybe they will let it go who knows.

I don't think you understand my point. He is a VISITOR to Canada so needs to act like a VISITOR when crossing the border. Visitors do not generally import their cars into Canada.
You might as well be showing up at the border with a uhaul full of his belongings. If CBSA thinks he is "moving" to Canada permanently instead of just visiting, that is a good way to get rejected at the border and not even allowed in to Canada.

 

[misterz100]

Sorry yes I understand what you're saying, you're right, it's something we must consider, we might simply tough it out until he can move here.

 

[Awesomeg]

I live in Pennsylvania and I will be moving with my wife to her home in Vancouver. I don't have an enormous amount of belongings but I do have some. It might be a tight fit but I think most of my important things will fit in my car. I had debated selling my car before I move, but the other option is to pack the car and take a cross country trip with my wife. We think that might be a fun option so we are definitely considering it. My question is, how does all this affect my car insurance? If I was still paying for my Pennsylvania car insurance would it be legal to cross the border in my car? Does becoming a Canadian PR immediately void my car insurance making driving illegal? Must I first purchase Canadian car insurance before I cross the border? Please tell me CanadaVisa community, what doooo I do?

PS you guys have been awesome in answering all my many questions. I hope when I get through this process I can help some people as much as you all have helped me. I am beginning to feel like I should change professions to an immigration lawyer with all the knowledge I learn here!

You can bring your Car to Canada,
it will need to pay taxes and related import duties,
but definitely that its a good idea,
on top of import fees you will be charged import for goods that you plan to bring,
you may get some exception, like the amount that your wife is allowed... (if she travels with you)
you may consider that also, and bring enough money when you cross the border...
About your insurance you have some time between you move from USA to Canada,
without being considered as fraud... as you can not just change insurance overnight...
but you should consult with your current insurance provider....
There are different specifications between Canadian cars and USA cars,
therefore, upgrades may be required, like running lights, etc.
There are many qualified garages that do that kind of work,
but you need to find an authorized one, Canadian Tire garages are
in the list, so it wont be difficult to upgrade....
you need to make sure that all recalls are done also...
then check for recalls...

Good luck

 

[commonlawsponsor]

You can bring your Car to Canada,
it will need to pay taxes and related import duties,
but definitely that its a good idea,
on top of import fees you will be charged import for goods that you plan to bring,
you may get some exception, like the amount that your wife is allowed... (if she travels with you)
you may consider that also, and bring enough money when you cross the border...
Good luck

Ummm I thought when you were immigrating to Canada, you are allowed to bring (used) personal goods, including a vehicle with you without paying import duties and taxes. (Although the vehicle stuff gets complicated, depending on how old the car is, where it was made, etc)

Who is a confused here - myself or Awesomeg?