Just read below, you are not first, you are not last. In Canada all is about regulations, you can find instructions on every situation.
Temporarily importing vehicles
https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/importing-vehicle/temporarily.html
Driving a U.S. Plated Car in Canada
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Temporarily importing vehicles
https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/importing-vehicle/temporarily.html
Thanks, but I don't think that would apply to me as I'm a PR of Canada as well right?
If you become a permanent resident
Your vehicle can't be considered a temporary entry if you become a permanent resident.
A quick question on this as our situation is similar. We have been in Canada for 7 years on a study and work permit. We have been approved for permanent residence . Most of our vehicles, motorcycles and a trailer have been registered in the states this whole time. Our main car has a BC license plate about a year after we moved here. We just recently got BC drivers license. My question is will we now have to pay an import fee for all our other vehicles when we cross the border to be landed with our COPR paperwork? Which we are hoping to do this weekend. Thanks for the help.
If you are just going to land you are to fill out the List of Goods ( maybe List of Goods to Follow) and enter there all your things including Vehicles, Motorcycles, Trailers, etc. You are not paying any duties when you land.
When we landed, we listed our two vehicles on the List of Goods.
They were older vehicles with a combined value of about C$20,000.
You have up to a year after you land to actually import the vehicles duty free as long as you list the vehicles on your customs document at landing. Why not? Vehicle registration and insurance is 1/3 of the price in the US.
At one point in time, I didn't have a US address I could register the vehicles. This became a potential problem since we couldn't renew our plates registered in the southern US from BC after a few years. So we had to register the vehicle either in BC or WA state.
Prior to applying for permanent residency in Canada, I learned that Canada allows a temporary import of a US vehicle for up to three years duty free so that it can be registered and plated in BC. Temporary imports also do not require Canadian safety modifications such as Daytime Running Lights and Kph speedometer. So I went to the trouble. So I went through the US vehicle export process, then drove it to the Canadian side of the border. I informed the CBSA border officer at the booth that I wanted to complete the temporary import process into Canada. He insisted that it wasn't necessary. I noted to the officer that BC requires registration within 30 days of moving to BC. Again, the CBSA officer insisted that many American residents come to Canada to work and use their US registrations in Canada indefinitely. He insisted that I did not need to import the vehicle. I asked if I could go into the arrivals hall to discuss it and he declined, directing me and my vehicle into Canada. So off I went into Canada with all my paperwork unused.
With only three days remaining in the vehicle registeration, we had to use the WA state address of a relative and move the vehicle registration from the southern US to WA state for a few years until we imported the vehicles into Canada.
I was at one point while driving in Burnaby BC stopped by a BC traffic officer on a city street. He asked where I lived. I answered that I lived in BC on a temporary work permit. The officer examined my US driver license, registration and insurance and was satisfied. He never mentioned the 30-day rule.
So we left everything as it was until about 11 months after we landed as PRs. Then moved our vehicles into BC.
The one rule we were given when we imported the vehicles is that we sold or otherwise disposed of for 12 months after import, we would be subject to the import duty.
One other point that may be of interest-- I worked in Vancouver with someone in a simliar situation. They had not yet made a PR application and undetermined if that is what he and his family wanted to do. He was driving a US plated car in BC and got in an accident. The registered address was in Bellingham. So as far as his insurance company was concerned, he lived in WA state and commuted daily to BC for work. His US insurance carrier didn't have any problem with it. It may prove to be an effective cover generally.
They were older vehicles with a combined value of about C$20,000.
You have up to a year after you land to actually import the vehicles duty free as long as you list the vehicles on your customs document at landing. Why not? Vehicle registration and insurance is 1/3 of the price in the US.
At one point in time, I didn't have a US address I could register the vehicles. This became a potential problem since we couldn't renew our plates registered in the southern US from BC after a few years. So we had to register the vehicle either in BC or WA state.
Prior to applying for permanent residency in Canada, I learned that Canada allows a temporary import of a US vehicle for up to three years duty free so that it can be registered and plated in BC. Temporary imports also do not require Canadian safety modifications such as Daytime Running Lights and Kph speedometer. So I went to the trouble. So I went through the US vehicle export process, then drove it to the Canadian side of the border. I informed the CBSA border officer at the booth that I wanted to complete the temporary import process into Canada. He insisted that it wasn't necessary. I noted to the officer that BC requires registration within 30 days of moving to BC. Again, the CBSA officer insisted that many American residents come to Canada to work and use their US registrations in Canada indefinitely. He insisted that I did not need to import the vehicle. I asked if I could go into the arrivals hall to discuss it and he declined, directing me and my vehicle into Canada. So off I went into Canada with all my paperwork unused.
With only three days remaining in the vehicle registeration, we had to use the WA state address of a relative and move the vehicle registration from the southern US to WA state for a few years until we imported the vehicles into Canada.
I was at one point while driving in Burnaby BC stopped by a BC traffic officer on a city street. He asked where I lived. I answered that I lived in BC on a temporary work permit. The officer examined my US driver license, registration and insurance and was satisfied. He never mentioned the 30-day rule.
So we left everything as it was until about 11 months after we landed as PRs. Then moved our vehicles into BC.
The one rule we were given when we imported the vehicles is that we sold or otherwise disposed of for 12 months after import, we would be subject to the import duty.
One other point that may be of interest-- I worked in Vancouver with someone in a simliar situation. They had not yet made a PR application and undetermined if that is what he and his family wanted to do. He was driving a US plated car in BC and got in an accident. The registered address was in Bellingham. So as far as his insurance company was concerned, he lived in WA state and commuted daily to BC for work. His US insurance carrier didn't have any problem with it. It may prove to be an effective cover generally.
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"You have up to a year after you land to actually import the vehicles duty free as long as you list the vehicles on your customs document at landing. " - Could you please point on link/document that states any time limit of importing a vehicle listed on List of Goods to Follow?
Again there is a document -"List of Goods to Follow". Where is the mention of timing to import my "furniture, clothes, boats, trailers, vehicles...." - the things listed on that List to Follow?
I can appreciate wanting to see the time limit from an official source. I still have my copy of the BSF186A that we filled out. There is no specific mention of a one year limit. I also searched cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, riv.ca, and related gc.ca sources but I couldn't find any mention of it.
The next way to find out this limit would be to just contact CBSA in advance and verify the one year limit. I landed in 2014. Hopefully the time allowance hasn't changed and contacting CBSA directly would verify that. Also I would probably think it best to make the inquriy at the intended road port of entry. Since the CBSA office at an airport, for example, would not handle vehicle importing and may not be fully up to speed with that regulation.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
I think (and hope) there is no time limit. The CBSA can ask why someone waited long to start import. In my case, for example, I imported my spouse's car one month after she landed in the summer 2018, but still drive back and forth (to my US workplace daily ) second "her" car, which is US plated/insured (with my US DL). I cannot import the vehicle yet, since there is an active Mercedes recall (Takata airbag) and there in no remedy as of now.
If there is a time limit - it will complicate things a bit, since I'll have to transfer the Title to my name first and after that import the vehicle as myself (returning Canadian) and save just $10K from duties.
Hi
2. Also, a Citizen or PR can only drive a US plated car from the Border to their place of resident and back to the border. I can't be used for transportation in Canada.
"
Terms and Conditions of Importation of Conveyances
3. A conveyance may be imported if,
1. There is no 1 year limit for importation on goods on your GTF list, note they have to have been owned and used prior to your "landing"
2. Also, a Citizen or PR can only drive a US plated car from the Border to their place of resident and back to the border. I can't be used for transportation in Canada.
"
Terms and Conditions of Importation of Conveyances
3. A conveyance may be imported if,
- (a) the conveyance, while in Canada is to be used solely for the transportation of a resident and accompanying persons from the point of arrival in Canada directly to a specified destination in Canada and from the specified destination to a destination outside Canada;
- (b) in the case of a commuter, the conveyance while in Canada is to be used for the personal transportation of the commuter and accompanying persons from the point of arrival in Canada to specified destinations in Canada and from a specified destination in Canada to a destination in the United States;
- (c) in the case of a resident other than a commuter, the conveyance is to be imported only for the purpose of transporting his household or personal effects into or out of Canada, or for personal transportation as a result of an emergency or unforeseen contingency;
- (d) in the case of a commuter, the conveyance is to be imported for the purpose of personal transportation of the commuter and accompanying persons between his place of residence in Canada and a point in the United States or for the purpose of visiting clients in Canada on behalf of his employer;
- (e) the conveyance is not to be used in Canada for the purpose of
- (i) touring or other leisure activity,
- (ii) carrying passengers or goods for hire or reward,
- (iii) transporting goods for sale, or
- (iv) soliciting sales or subscriptions on behalf of an employer who operates a business in Canada;
Hello Guys,
I had moved to canada on a PR in Jan 2020. I am currently renting a car and driving in Ontario. Does my US insurance cover the rental ? As per my insurance they said i can use the insurance in Canada for Rental cars. However im still unsure about the rules in Ontario .
Any suggestions ?
I had moved to canada on a PR in Jan 2020. I am currently renting a car and driving in Ontario. Does my US insurance cover the rental ? As per my insurance they said i can use the insurance in Canada for Rental cars. However im still unsure about the rules in Ontario .
Any suggestions ?
Good afternoon all! Thank you so much in advance for this super helpful thread and any advice you can offer!
I have a strange situation that I was hoping I could get some help with. My husband is a Canadian Citizen, I'm an US Citizen. I accompanied him over the border in my US Registered/Plated car last December. I decided to apply for PR which was submitted in April, and he applied for a Greencard at the same time. Our plan is for me to become a Canadian Citizen (we'll be in Canada for the next ~3 years) and once he gets his Greencard and we've saved up enough, we will move back to the US for the foreseeable future.
We came in a 2008 Hyundai Sonata which has 185,000 km's on it, is 100% paid off, and runs like a dream. The catch is that it was technically totaled 3 years ago when two separate cars slid on black ice and damaged all four panels of the left side. We've taken care of it and drive pretty infrequently (we work from home) so it will likely run for another ~5 years without any major repairs. Other than the 4-panel damage on the left side, it's in good condition, but because it's older and totaled it probably wouldn't sell for more than $1500 CAD and we would have to sell it in the US (which my husband can't legally enter, and I can't legally come back into Canada because of my pending PR)! So it's worth much more to use as a working vehicle while we are saving up for our first house. We would like to drive it into the ground, and THEN buy another vehicle!
The issue, as you can see here is that it seems we will need to import it once I get PR and I discovered recently that it is not admissable without heavy modifications. It doesn't have Daytime Running Lights, an Immobilizer, or an Odometer in km. Between importation fees and all of the modifications, it would likely cost $3,000 CAD just to get it imported. On top of that, we would just need to export it again when we leave in another year or so. The other problem is that the kind person I spoke to at the Hyundai dealership actually called around and discovered that she can't even get the US parts that they will need to make it able to import. She was of the opinion that since we are planning to leave Canada again after a few years that we should go back home to register it every year, but I'm nervous about that interfering with my desire to eventually apply for citizenship.
I'm not sure what my options can possibly be at this point, any help would be appreciated!
I have a strange situation that I was hoping I could get some help with. My husband is a Canadian Citizen, I'm an US Citizen. I accompanied him over the border in my US Registered/Plated car last December. I decided to apply for PR which was submitted in April, and he applied for a Greencard at the same time. Our plan is for me to become a Canadian Citizen (we'll be in Canada for the next ~3 years) and once he gets his Greencard and we've saved up enough, we will move back to the US for the foreseeable future.
We came in a 2008 Hyundai Sonata which has 185,000 km's on it, is 100% paid off, and runs like a dream. The catch is that it was technically totaled 3 years ago when two separate cars slid on black ice and damaged all four panels of the left side. We've taken care of it and drive pretty infrequently (we work from home) so it will likely run for another ~5 years without any major repairs. Other than the 4-panel damage on the left side, it's in good condition, but because it's older and totaled it probably wouldn't sell for more than $1500 CAD and we would have to sell it in the US (which my husband can't legally enter, and I can't legally come back into Canada because of my pending PR)! So it's worth much more to use as a working vehicle while we are saving up for our first house. We would like to drive it into the ground, and THEN buy another vehicle!
The issue, as you can see here is that it seems we will need to import it once I get PR and I discovered recently that it is not admissable without heavy modifications. It doesn't have Daytime Running Lights, an Immobilizer, or an Odometer in km. Between importation fees and all of the modifications, it would likely cost $3,000 CAD just to get it imported. On top of that, we would just need to export it again when we leave in another year or so. The other problem is that the kind person I spoke to at the Hyundai dealership actually called around and discovered that she can't even get the US parts that they will need to make it able to import. She was of the opinion that since we are planning to leave Canada again after a few years that we should go back home to register it every year, but I'm nervous about that interfering with my desire to eventually apply for citizenship.
I'm not sure what my options can possibly be at this point, any help would be appreciated!
As a person who imported two Mercedeses ( second one last week) my opinion is biased, but come one, it's too much trouble for totaled 2008 Hyundai with selling price ~$1,500CAD ($1,100US). Again, "runs like a dream" until you get another fresh car. I see a few Michigan plated cars here in Windsor, ON with already expired stickers. Until we have this virus around it's OK, police has blind eye, I would just keep US insurance active.
I think you are already answered your question - $1500CAD worth vehicle with $3000CAD modification.
Thank you so much for your quick response, Alex! Holy smokes, I can't imagine how much trouble you went through to import two cars! You're right, I suppose I do have my answer. I definitely don't want to import that car! But now I have a few other questions I've been struggling to get answers to in order to make sure we're doing everything above board! I failed in my previous post to mention that we are simply living with my husband's parents for a few years while his Greencard is being processed. So my actual residence is and will continue to be an address in the US.
1) As long as I have up to date US Registration and Insurance and do not have a residence in Canada, am I legally able to drive my US car for the next 2-3 years in Ontario even if it has not been temporarily or permanently imported? Will doing so endanger my PR or potential Citizenship applications in the future? Or would I possibly have trouble with the authorities if my car is in an accident?
2) I'm able to register my car online! Do we need to leave the country with the vehicle every year and re-enter to make sure it's in the country legally?
3) My husband is a Canadian citizen. Based on some posts I've read, if I write a notarized letter authorizing him to drive my car while here in Canada will he be able to legally operate it without me present?
Thank you so much for all your help! I've spent the last week calling around, reading articles, and trying to get answers. COVID is making it hard to get much done... So I'm grateful for the internet.
1) As long as I have up to date US Registration and Insurance and do not have a residence in Canada, am I legally able to drive my US car for the next 2-3 years in Ontario even if it has not been temporarily or permanently imported? Will doing so endanger my PR or potential Citizenship applications in the future? Or would I possibly have trouble with the authorities if my car is in an accident?
2) I'm able to register my car online! Do we need to leave the country with the vehicle every year and re-enter to make sure it's in the country legally?
3) My husband is a Canadian citizen. Based on some posts I've read, if I write a notarized letter authorizing him to drive my car while here in Canada will he be able to legally operate it without me present?
Thank you so much for all your help! I've spent the last week calling around, reading articles, and trying to get answers. COVID is making it hard to get much done... So I'm grateful for the internet.
HI
1. No he can't drive it.Thank you so much for your quick response, Alex! Holy smokes, I can't imagine how much trouble you went through to import two cars! You're right, I suppose I do have my answer. I definitely don't want to import that car! But now I have a few other questions I've been struggling to get answers to in order to make sure we're doing everything above board! I failed in my previous post to mention that we are simply living with my husband's parents for a few years while his Greencard is being processed. So my actual residence is and will continue to be an address in the US.
1) As long as I have up to date US Registration and Insurance and do not have a residence in Canada, am I legally able to drive my US car for the next 2-3 years in Ontario even if it has not been temporarily or permanently imported? Will doing so endanger my PR or potential Citizenship applications in the future? Or would I possibly have trouble with the authorities if my car is in an accident?
2) I'm able to register my car online! Do we need to leave the country with the vehicle every year and re-enter to make sure it's in the country legally?
3) My husband is a Canadian citizen. Based on some posts I've read, if I write a notarized letter authorizing him to drive my car while here in Canada will he be able to legally operate it without me present?
Thank you so much for all your help! I've spent the last week calling around, reading articles, and trying to get answers. COVID is making it hard to get much done... So I'm grateful for the internet.
Agree, he can't drive the vehicle.
You can renew registration online and even somebody with US address can forward the renewal sticker to you. The US insurance - this is between you and your insurance company, but I think you will not be covered in case of accident. The short visit to Canada is one thing, but garage the US plated vehicle in Canada for long time is other thing. Even COVID-19 situation could not be excusable. I see here in Windsor US plated car with expired MI sticker, but that person looks like commute to MI from Ontario daily.
I do not think this issue affect your PR and future Citizenship processing.
As far as Canadian police - they will ask where do you live and it could be an issue.