Importing personal electronics for 'soft landing'

[Trid3nt]

Apologies if this question has been asked before. I couldn't seem to find a relevant discussion through the search tool.

I am planning to move to Canada as a PR for 6 months for a 'soft landing'. I don't plan on supplying the CBSA with a 'Goods to Follow' list just yet, as I would like to do that when I settle more permanently in the future.

Given the longer duration of my 'soft landing' (6 months), I am planning to ship some of my personal items (like a computer desktop, speakers, etc.) from America to Canada using a delivery service like UPS.

Questions:

1) Will I have to pay import taxes on these devices if I am not planning to sell/leave them in Canada? Note that I expect them to arrive after my arrival into Canada and not as part of my luggage due to the bulky nature of these items.

2) Will I have to declare the electronics that I bring with me (in my luggage) for personal use that I do not plan to sell/leave in Canada?

 

[gabbar0101]

I have same questions - does anyone has any experience on shipping personal items through UPS/FedEx from US to Canada?

 

[Trid3nt]

I asked CBSA this question and got the following response:

Persons entering Canada to become Permanent Residents without the intention of residing immediately in Canada are not considered Settlers to Canada since they do not have any intention of remaining in Canada at that time, and will live outside Canada for an undetermined period of time. Therefore, under customs legislation, these persons are considered visitors to Canada, even if they are Permanent Residents for immigration purposes.

When shipping goods to Canada, special effort should be made to ensure that the arrival of the goods coincides with or follows your entry to Canada.

Visitors arriving in Canada are required to declare to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) any personal baggage that is being shipped separately. When shipping the goods, please ensure that the description information given to the courier includes the fact that the goods are the personal effects of a visitor to Canada. You will be required to clear those goods in person with CBSA after your arrival in Canada. You will need to present to the CBSA a copy of the courier company's manifest for the goods you have shipped. You will also require documents to show your status as a visitor to Canada, which may include a driver's license, airplane tickets, or a hotel invoice and a list of the contents of the package. While there may not be any duties and taxes payable on the goods, please note that the CBSA may require the payment of a security deposit for them, which would be refunded to you when they are exported from Canada. Should this occur the CBSA would issue Form E29B, Temporary Admission Permit.

Once the clearance of the goods is complete, you will be required to present to the courier company the clearance documents that were provided to you by the CBSA.

I am planning to head to the CBSA office this weekend to get a couple of items cleared without paying duties on them. I will let you guys know on how that goes.

 

[gabbar0101]

Thanks - that is quite helpful - so did you ship your items through UPS/Fedex or through movers?
What kind of documentation you did while shipping your stuff?
Also, how does the coordination with CBSA happens - they send you intimation about an item that requires your presence for the clearance?
I am wondering what if I live far away from border - for example, I am planning to move to Saskatoon, SK -does this mean I will have to travel to Montana-Saskatchewan border (6-7 hours away from Saskatoon) to get my shipment cleared or it can be done at center that will be more closer to me?

 

[Trid3nt]

Thanks - that is quite helpful - so did you ship your items through UPS/Fedex or through movers?
What kind of documentation you did while shipping your stuff?
Also, how does the coordination with CBSA happens - they send you intimation about an item that requires your presence for the clearance?
I am wondering what if I live far away from border - for example, I am planning to move to Saskatoon, SK -does this mean I will have to travel to Montana-Saskatchewan border (6-7 hours away from Saskatoon) to get my shipment cleared or it can be done at center that will be more closer to me?

Actually, I did not end up shipping my items from home. The package I am collecting consists of goods I purchased from Europe, and the courier they went with is DHL.

So I didn't really present any documentation. I would imagine the process would be similar if you went with FedEx/UPS/movers.

DHL told me to get my items released by visiting a CBSA office, so you don't need to get to the border to do this. Any CBSA office should be fine.

 

[gabbar0101]

Got it - that is helpful.
One last question - after I release the package, do I have to pick it up from there to home, or after that courier service will pick it from there and deliver it home? I believe latter is true, but I am still bit confused about the whole process.