My common law partner is currently in the process of immigrating USA to Canada, her PR app is processing smoothly. She had a brand new vehicle gifted to her by her grandpa in 2017 (it has never been driven and still smells like a new car… wow) and the title was given to her mother with her mother’s name on it. It already has all modifications necessary to import into Canada thankfully, so we have come to Hawaii to manage the transport. We registered the car, it is insured in Hawaii, and we transfered the title to me (the Canadian resident) as a gifted vehicle. We shipped the car to Tacoma today where it will stay with a friend until I can drive it across to our home in BC.
What will be the process for me? Is it best to import the car, register and get plates in Canada, and export later? Do I need to formally export my car from the USA? How will they know if I have exported it once it has BC plates? We cross frequently for events (or at least we will once Covid is resolved). I am just a little lost as the car is now mine and I am the Canadian driving it into Canada with US plates and insurance. We could also have my partner drive the car if a US citizen has to be the one to do it.
What will be the process for me? Is it best to import the car, register and get plates in Canada, and export later? Do I need to formally export my car from the USA? How will they know if I have exported it once it has BC plates? We cross frequently for events (or at least we will once Covid is resolved). I am just a little lost as the car is now mine and I am the Canadian driving it into Canada with US plates and insurance. We could also have my partner drive the car if a US citizen has to be the one to do it.