Importing a Car

[Iamrobot85]

I will be landing soon and will need to import my car. My car is already in Canada as I am visiting, and I am a US citizen. I read this website: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5048-eng.html But I found it very confusing and I need help sussing out what I need to do exactly.

Could you guys share your experiences.

Also, my car is currently being financed by a bank back home, so they actually hold the title. I have the registration from Ohio, where I'm from, that has VIN number and is registered to me and all that good stuff, is that enough?

Also, my dad had to co-sign the loan for the car, and as a result, he had to co-register the car with me, and is a co-owner. He will not, however, be at the border with me. Is this going to be a problem? My dad knows I plan on immigrating to Canada and doesn't mind I'm taking the car. The car, for all intents and purposes outside of loan and registry, is mine. My dad has never even driven it (or even likes it, lol).

I am hoping to land in a few weeks and this is definitely causing me stress, so any help or clarification will be greatly appreciated.

 

[PMM]

Hi

I will be landing soon and will need to import my car. My car is already in Canada as I am visiting, and I am a US citizen. I read this website: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5048-eng.html But I found it very confusing and I need help sussing out what I need to do exactly.

Could you guys share your experiences.

Also, my car is currently being financed by a bank back home, so they actually hold the title. I have the registration from Ohio, where I'm from, that has VIN number and is registered to me and all that good stuff, is that enough?

Also, my dad had to co-sign the loan for the car, and as a result, he had to co-register the car with me, and is a co-owner. He will not, however, be at the border with me. Is this going to be a problem? My dad knows I plan on immigrating to Canada and doesn't mind I'm taking the car. The car, for all intents and purposes outside of loan and registry, is mine. My dad has never even driven it (or even likes it, lol).

I am hoping to land in a few weeks and this is definitely causing me stress, so any help or clarification will be greatly appreciated.

1. You first have to export it from the US by sending a copy of the clear title or a letter from the lender allowing you to export the car to the US customs office where you will exit the US (yes I know you are in Canada) See: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/export_docs/motor_vehicle.xml Note it is unlikely that the lender will allow you to export the car.
2. Then you have to import the car to Canada. See www.riv.ca for the instructions and to see if the car is admissible.
3. Then the car will have to be inspected and the modifications made, before you will be allowed to register it in the province where you will be residing.
4. Note you have to get a recall letter from the Car Manufacturer, not the dealer.
5. Methinks you are going to have difficulty exporting the car until it is paid off.

 

[Material]

The question is : is it worth it ??

 

[Iamrobot85]

Well I really like my car and I really want to keep it. But the other problem is that if I can't import it, I will have to sell it, and sell it for as much as I owe on it, AND try to have enough after that to put as a down payment on another car. AND I would have to sell it in the US, which would be a HUGE hassle.

 

[Stumpedmom]

I just spoke with RIV on the phone. The information that I was told was

A) The year make and model that we are looking at importing is acceptable, if you call the number they will tell you
B) You need to fax Title and bill of sale 72 hours before importing it to the US Customs
C) When you cross to the Canadian side you will be given a RIV Form 1, but they also need the title and bill of sale
D) you can pay the RIV fee (195+taxes) at either the border, on their website or over the phone, which also includes the federal inspection fee (to be done at your local Canadian Tire UGH!!!!)
E) The GM recall clearance letter can be done through an Authorized GM Dealership (the manufacturer of our type)
F) The will send you the Form 2 after about 3 days once they get the Form one and payment
G) Once the inspection is done at Canadian Tire (province depending on e-test) you can then convert it over to Canadian

***As a side note, we were told that the clusters had to be switched, and according to RIV they DO NOT need to be switched, and when I told him it was a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am the only modification that was listed was Daytime Running Lights which are already on the vehicle....and don't forget that the Title needs to be clear or you need a letter from whoever holds the title, we had to pays ours off before hand as the company holding the title would not release it for import with out it....

Hopefully this helps a bit!!!

 

[Iamrobot85]

This helps. I may have to try to refinance my car with a bank in Canada. What number did you call and reach RIV at?

 

[TreeLover]

I'm in the same boat. I owe $9000 on my car and can't pay it off right now. I was considering refinancing through a Canadian bank, but the problem is, without a credit history, I doubt they'd give a loan. Especially when the car is not imported yet. I'm in Canada now as a visitor and have been here 5 months. I do have a credit card, but it's secured and only for $300 (LOL). My bank said after I'm here 6 months they'd give me a real credit card, but I'm not so sure about a car loan for a car that is registered in the USA. hmmm. I wonder about a joint loan with my partner? Or maybe that is very complicated?

Iamrobot - maybe since your father is a co-signer and he is staying in the USA, you can get his permission too export the car? Or the bank will let you export the car since your father is still in the States? I was considering putting putting one of my parents on the loan if that would make the the bank allow me to export it. But I'm thinking that probably wouldn't work either.

Such a pain, but it's our newer car. My partner's car is on its last legs so we wanted to keep my car and selling it would make me lose money as I would have to take it to a dealership and sell it as I'm not in the USA and can't be just driving over the border all the time to show people the car!

I was also wondering if it's possible to land without importing your car at the time and say you will do it later. We need it for transport and to pick up my things in the USA before I land. We can't use my partner's car as he didn't export his when he moved back. He didn't know he had to and the Canadians went ahead and imported it anyway, but now he can't take it back into the States or he could get a penalty.

 

[Iamrobot85]

Wow, treelover, it's almost uncanny how similar our situations are. My husband's car is also about to bite the dust and my car is the only dependable transport we have. I still owe roughly 8,000 on it.

I figure it shouldn't be too hard to get a loan for 8k, that's not all that much money. I am thinking that I will either try to get a co-loan to refinance with my husband as the primary loan applicant and me as to co-signer (or vice-versa) or else see if one of my parent-in-laws will co sign.

But you also make a good point. Since my dad co-signed and is responsible for the car as well, and will still be living in the states and therefor will have to live with the negative credit effects should the loan default, maybe they would be more likely to let me import it. That would be great, but I think their PRIMARY concern is being able to repo the car if I default. I'm hoping that maybe since I've had the loan now for a year and a half and never missed or been late with a payment, they might take pity on me and trust me. And even as I type that I understand how deluded I'm being


It's just one great big hassle after another.

 

[TreeLover]

Let me know what you end up doing. I see you got your PPR already, so I imagine you will be landing soon. Our timelines are very similar, but I didn't receive PPR yet. I'm hoping I'll get it soon though, and then I"ll have to think about my car as I will want to land quickly. That is why I wondered if I could import the car at a later date.....after landing. It will take time to get the title from the bank, even if I get a loan for the car from a Canadian bank. I do have an unsecured line of credit with my bank and could pay off the rest with that and get the title, but then I'd have a loan that is 7% instead of 4% and also it's with the same bank in the US. Not sure how they feel about having an unsecured line of credit that high when I'm not in the country anymore. I don't want to ask them about it now as I don't want them to know the car is in Canada for so long (maybe they'd have an issue with that??). Well, the bank does know I'm in Canada as I told them so they wouldn't be suspicious of any transactions in Canada, but I also have transactions in the US and use a US address for my account too. But if I wait until the last minute and ask if I can export it and they say no, it'll cause a delay in landing unless I can delay importing my car. Landing "on foot" at the border without the car might seem a bit odd and then I wouldn't be able to get my stuff in storage in WA either.

I think I will call the border patrol and ask about importing the car AFTER I land.

What province are you in? I'm in BC.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Wow, treelover, it's almost uncanny how similar our situations are. My husband's car is also about to bite the dust and my car is the only dependable transport we have. I still owe roughly 8,000 on it.

I figure it shouldn't be too hard to get a loan for 8k, that's not all that much money. I am thinking that I will either try to get a co-loan to refinance with my husband as the primary loan applicant and me as to co-signer (or vice-versa) or else see if one of my parent-in-laws will co sign.

But you also make a good point. Since my dad co-signed and is responsible for the car as well, and will still be living in the states and therefor will have to live with the negative credit effects should the loan default, maybe they would be more likely to let me import it. That would be great, but I think their PRIMARY concern is being able to repo the car if I default. I'm hoping that maybe since I've had the loan now for a year and a half and never missed or been late with a payment, they might take pity on me and trust me. And even as I type that I understand how deluded I'm being


It's just one great big hassle after another.

It is not the credit rating that the lender cares about, it is that if you export the car from the US, and then default, the creditor has nothing to seize.

 

[Stumpedmom]

http://www.riv.ca/Contactus.aspx


Phone: 1-888-848-8240 (toll free from Canada or the United States)
416 626-6812 (outside North America)

Mon. to Fri.: 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight (EST)
Sat. and Sun.: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST)

All I did was search importing a vehicle into canada and got to the RIV.ca site, the best part is, they gave me a transaction number voluntarily that references the call and what was discussed, so if anyone wants to say I am wrong they can go back to the call.....

 

[Iamrobot85]

TreeLover, I am in Alberta which is supposedly more lax about cars and things. Let me know what you find out about im/exporting your car after you land instead of before, because I am thinking this might be what I end up doing, too if it is indeed possible.

 

[Iamrobot85]

I got in touch with the bank that I have my car loan through and they said that since my dad co-signed and will in fact be staying in the states, that they did not have a problem issuing a letter of permission allowing me to export my car. So, TreeLover, this might be an option for you. I think most banks would probably not allow this but because I have never missed or been late with a payment and my dad has a pristine credit history, plus the bank is a small-town bank, they were willing to do this.

NOW I just need to figure out what I'm going to do because they won't actually give me a title, just a letter of permission. So I am not sure what I should send to the border when I land... maybe my registration & the letter will be sufficient? Anyone?

 

[TreeLover]

ah, that's good to know! I'm going to ask my bank first to see if they'll go for it as I have a good record with them. If they say no, then I'll see if it would help if I had one of my parents added to the loan. It's not a small town bank though - it's a huge national bank, but I'll call my old branch and see.

I was planning on calling the border where I cross for additional information. You can get the numbers from the riv.ca website that was posted earlier. I believe you just bring the permission letter in lieu of the title and just show your registration.

I haven't done anything about it yet as I haven't even received PPR.

But I will do it ahead of time so I'm not rushing at the last moment.

 

[Iamrobot85]

Here's another question for you. My car is a toyota, that means it was manufactured in Japan. Does that mean I have to pay extra duties on it? I was trying to figure it out online but am not having too much luck.