My wife is planning on landing (fulfilling her COPR) moving from the US, but because we must return back to the states for a number of months after she lands we are concerned about declaring our cars on the BSF186 form because we want to keep the US plates until we fully settle. If we declare the cars on landing under the "unaccompanied goods" status, will we have to import them at landing, or can we fulfill the import when we return at a later date and keep our US plates? Or should we just omit them from the BSF186 and just pay duty/taxes later? We may still need to cross back and forth a couples times before we fully settle. Any advice would be appreciated.
COPR and importing cars into Canada.
- Thread starter tmpcan
- Start date
-Honestly I would ask CBSA directly.
-If she is doing the COPR/landing formalities and then returning to USA (what is informally called a 'soft landing' here), then there is no need to do ANY formalities about goods you are bringing later.
-The reason is that CBSA understands that arriving to do formalities is NOT the same as actually arriving to 'settle' (the test they use for purposes of the 'bring your personal goods' exemptions).
-Hence can arrive with the docs (and other 'goods to follow' per the forms) when she actually arrives to land in Canada. (Side note: make sure which date she chooses to arrive permanently and document that well - it will have some impact for reporting and other taxes paid when she does annual taxes later).
-You can ask CBSA direclty about this to confirm, of course. My understanding is that they actually do basically answer questions like this over phone.
-That said, there are no duties on cars manufactured in USA/Canada/Mexico (you must check the actual place of manufacture and treatment, it is not as simple as manufacturer; I think they will usually go by the place of manufacture on the door plate/docs - there's info out there on how to find out/confirm this is true for your vehicle).
-That leaves GST/HST/PST - I think those need to be paid on all cars imported anyway, but not sure about case for those arriving as new PRs i.e. 'settling.' (My googling skills are weak this morning)
-There are some other special taxes (excise), I don't know about those.
My point being, you may end up finding out that you have to pay GST/PST anyway, and that there are no/minimal taxes you have to pay as a resident.
Note, this is my best understanding, please check carefully.
New residents do not pay HST if they list the car in the personal effects
You won't lose your US license plate if you import your car. You can drive under your US license plate for a few months until you applied for the Canadian license plate in ServiceXXXPROVINCE.
However, as far as I can remember, to import your car into Canada, you will have to export it from the US. And the US boarder will mark something on your US title. I don't remember whether CBSA or ServiceOntario took my US title. I don't know if you can use your US license plate back in US if the car is exported from the US.
However, as far as I can remember, to import your car into Canada, you will have to export it from the US. And the US boarder will mark something on your US title. I don't remember whether CBSA or ServiceOntario took my US title. I don't know if you can use your US license plate back in US if the car is exported from the US.
Thank you for the reply. I contacted CBSA and, unfortunately I received several variations of what to do with no concrete answer on any iteration. I will contact them again to see if another agent can be more direct.
Are you saying that in a soft landing we don't need to present a BSF186 that documents "unaccompanied goods"? Or I should present a BSF186 and put my automobiles as "unaccompanied goods?" At which time they would import them when I settle.
How do I indicate to the agent at the boarder that we are doing a "soft landing" and what forms do I need to present?
I apologize if I repeat my questions, I just don't want to take chances on this.
Appreciate your help.
Thank you for the reply. Yes, I will have to export my cars from the US. I'm just trying to delay the entire process until my wife fully settles.
Yes.
I think it's best to keep clear and specific/different at which point you are settling.
You'll see here it says "entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for the first time, a residence for one year or more (in the Customs Tariff, such a person is referred to as a "settler")". You just say you're not settling yet, stuff to do.
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/mrc-drc-eng.html
Note, the meaning of 'resident' is not the same as permanent resident/residency, it depends on context (basically factual residency here).
Yes, just tell them you are doing the landing formalities but not moving yet. (Perhaps avoid saying 'soft landing' as slang). You can ask questions then, too - i.e. mention you want to import the car when you settle and check the details.
About the only thing I'm aware of as a (minor) complication on this is that they will not send PR cards to an address outside Canada, so you need a Canadian address. Once in a while someone gets a CBSA officer who doesn't want to send it to a non-permanent address; less likely if it's Canadian spouse's address.
Worst case, if that happens, you apply for the PR card after settling. (For US citizens it's not a big deal because unlike other PRs, they can fly to Canada without a PR card).