i am engaged to a us citizen. i am canadian. an earlier post reflects my questions regarding permits and citizenship.
in the meantime as i am back and forth from canada-i wonder how i can get my things into the u.s.

and how we can travel together across the borders with my things.

can i bring my stuff across before we are married and before i have a work permit or either/or.



thanks.

If you are moving your household goods to the U.S. there are no restrictions and all come in duty free. You can use a professional mover or move it yourself.

thanks federale.
can i move my household goods before i get married or have a work permit

thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by federale86:
If you are moving your household goods to the U.S. there are no restrictions and all come in duty free. You can use a professional mover or move it yourself.

quote:

Originally posted by J2:
thanks federale.
can i move my household goods before i get married or have a work permit

thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by federale86:
If you are moving your household goods to the U.S. there are no restrictions and all come in duty free. You can use a professional mover or move it yourself.

I'm not sure if this is okay or not. My sister in law immigrated from Canada and they waited until her K1 was approved before moving her things across the border. Didn't want to raise any suspicions. I would definitely check more into this before taking action, J2.

Technically, the goods can move at any time, however, if you travel with the goods, you have to have the proper status. You, personally, cannot move here until your status is approved. However, obviously your future husband or a professional mover can move the household goods.

I don't know if things have changed but, from my own experience and others that I have heard about, your belongings cannot pass customs until your visa issuance.
Once you get your K1 say, then you can.
I am not sure, but they may have shipping company hold it until visa issuance or when you pass POE, or something like that.

In my situ, I had to arrive before my goods did, if they didn't come with me.

Best thing to do is check with a moving or shipping company of the rules.

There is usually duty paid on some items of new, so check that too.
Rules and forms keep changing, so best to check it out before making that decision.

Wrong, household goods are independent of the owner. In any event, the spouse is a co-owner, so no problem.

Like I said, check the rules.
J2, unless someone says this is legal advice, still check out forms and latest rules. Don't want you to get into problems because of wrong info.

My husband was also a co-owner Federale, I wasn't allowed.

Are you giving legal advice or just your opinion?

quote:

Originally posted by federale86:
Technically, the goods can move at any time, however, if you travel with the goods, you have to have the proper status. You, personally, cannot move here until your status is approved. However, obviously your future husband or a professional mover can move the household goods.

Federale - you normally give good advice to people seeking help. Please don't mislead this new person. She needs to wait for her status to change before she tries to move her things across the border.

thanks everyone! i just envision myself crossing the border from canada with my fiance from the US and a load of my things, and not having my tn or h1 or whatever yet and raising suspicions.

i can come and go as i do, as a visitor. and i bring things down sometimes. but a horsetrailer load of household furnishings may make them think that i have no intentions of not coming back to canada. which is not the case.

i am just trying to get the things there that are in storage while i decide which sort of route of passage i need to take.

i want to legitimately move to the us and work in the us. i have to do it properly. for now, i just come and go, as i have things going on in both countries. but in the meantime, it would be nice to send my things down, as i know that they will ultimately, stay there.

sorry to go on and on.....

My advice stands. Household goods can preceed the immigrant. That is a fact.

quote:

Originally posted by federale86:
My advice stands. Household goods can preceed the immigrant. That is a fact.

Okay. I just wouldn't want her to be stopped and questioned at the border if she was bringing a U-Haul load of her belongings. But I will defer to you since you know more about immigration than I.

J2, it is totally up to you whether you want to take Federale's supposed facts or not, but let me warn you on this..

You may or may not get inspection. BUT if they do, you could find yourself in a heap load of mess.
Is it worth it?

US customs need a itemized list of things you have on trailer or whatever, and if you don't believe me, look up the requirements on their website. or better still look at the Canuck boards where I am sure you will find people in same situation and where advice given on best way to bring things over and their experiences.

If you are caught on inspection and you don't have the right paperwork filled out, there they may start asking questions and could cause problems for you with your future visa application.

Remember you want to bring things over before you get your K1 visa, so more suspicious.

Canadian/US borders is not so strict as others however remember the rules have changed June 1st and stricter rules have been put in force on crossing.

Up to you, take the risk if you want to, take Federale's word for it if you want to, but it's your future, it's your life, not his that could get into problems.

Please check the US customs site, check with others that have done it recently to see what they needed to cross.

My advice, have paperwork done ready in case you are inspected, inventory and questions of why you are taking them over.

Best to be safe then sorry.

That's what I was trying to say. I know my brother in law was very careful not to bring his fiance's things across the border before she had her K-1 visa approved. Raising suspicions with border officials is not a good thing.

thanks to both of you. i want a life in the US. not a moment. i appreciate it your advice and agree.

i want to do things right. i spend all this money on doing things right to bring horses back and forth with the proper documentation that often is not even asked for...and yet i hand in anyway....becuause in one moment...they could...if you do not do the honest thing...take my horses and my trailer and truck away....AND BECAUSE it is right, to do the right thing.

so...if i am going to bring myself across for good....i better do it right. so they don't take me away! LOL! i have spent so much time in the us showing horses, and visiting, and never realized how complicated it was, to actually be allowed to live there.

that is a good thing, i am sure. but it is a hard concept to grasp....when it is just a line between countries.....and we are all so friendly.

sometimes i wonder, why we are all just not one. but we do have our own identities.

cheers,

j2

... and by the brief time you have spent on the forum, J2, I believe America will benefit by having you move here permanently. I wish you the best and hope your 'journey' to becoming an LPR is short.

quote:

Originally posted by J2:
thanks to both of you. i want a life in the US. not a moment. i appreciate it your advice and agree.

i want to do things right. i spend all this money on doing things right to bring horses back and forth with the proper documentation that often is not even asked for...and yet i hand in anyway....becuause in one moment...they could...if you do not do the honest thing...take my horses and my trailer and truck away....AND BECAUSE it is right, to do the right thing.

so...if i am going to bring myself across for good....i better do it right. so they don't take me away! LOL! i have spent so much time in the us showing horses, and visiting, and never realized how complicated it was, to actually be allowed to live there.

that is a good thing, i am sure. but it is a hard concept to grasp....when it is just a line between countries.....and we are all so friendly.

sometimes i wonder, why we are all just not one. but we do have our own identities.

cheers,

j2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b7qaSxuZUg

Reading you message J2 - I needed to let you know that you are not the only one.

Hi koller ,
Im Fresh!!

quote:

Originally posted by MakeItRight!:
Hi koller ,
Im Fresh!!

You always are....but I love you for it MIR.

wowie zowie thank you proud. and koller.

its a crazy world...but somtimes...strangers....come from no where....and say things...that make the whole world seem so simple....and real.

thank you again.

cheers.
j2