Will Immigration Search Your Baggage After Landing?

[mediajunkie]

Flying off tomorrow, landing in Toronto 2 days later. My dad tells me that immigration will check my luggage, I guess it's to verify "goods accompanying".

I have an external hard drive which I store several video files, many of which were ripped from original DVDs that I own. I have the original discs already in Canada. Will the Canadian customs look at what's inside my hard drive? I'm afraid they may mistake them for illegal downloads. Are they even legally allowed to ask me what's in my hard drive?

Last minute worries at what will happen at the landing.

[Leon]

They never searched my baggage at landing.  I think it extremely unlikely that they will ask you what is on your HD, let along start it up and check.

[Eric Parker]

The question for me is: Since I will have goods to follow, will they examine my luggage with my stuff I have at the time I land, and will they inspect the boxes when I move the goods to follow months later when I cross with those boxes at a land border?

And, if they do inspect my luggage I have at landing, will they be picky about my list (i.e forgot to list something or they decide that the item costs more than I put down, ect...)?

[Karlshammar]

Sometimes they will check you, usually not.

[mediajunkie]

Just an update:

I landed last night and had no problems whatsoever. They didn't even ask me to fill out a "Goods to Follow" or "Goods accompanying" form because all I had were 2 suitcases and a backpack and told them I didn't ship any items. So they didn't check my luggage. After clearing customs I was sent to the Canadian Immigration line although there was no line at that time. The immigration officer just filled up my COPR, asked me a few obligatory questions, and told me "Welcome to Canada!". After which I was given a landing package with lots of brochures inside a recyclable grocery bag. Probably took about 5 more minutes than the normal immigration process. I guess not bringing many things made it a lot easier.

This was at Toronto Pearson.

[foreverwaiting]

Just an update:

I landed last night and had no problems whatsoever. They didn't even ask me to fill out a "Goods to Follow" or "Goods accompanying" form because all I had were 2 suitcases and a backpack and told them I didn't ship any items. So they didn't check my luggage. After clearing customs I was sent to the Canadian Immigration line although there was no line at that time. The immigration officer just filled up my COPR, asked me a few obligatory questions, and told me "Welcome to Canada!". After which I was given a landing package with lots of brochures inside a recyclable grocery bag. Probably took about 5 more minutes than the normal immigration process. I guess not bringing many things made it a lot easier.

This was at Toronto Pearson.

That's odd!! When I landed the immigration office came before the customs.

[Suin]

if one lands with just one suitcase, an in a few months while traveling will get more goods - are they still required to declare?

[Karlshammar]

If you are buying goods after landing, no, do not declare them.

If you bought the items before landing, and want to transfer them over later, it is in your own interest to declare them as that will make it tax-free, from what I understand. If you ship items later that you did not declare as goods to follow when landing they will charge you duties for importing them.

if one lands with just one suitcase, an in a few months while traveling will get more goods - are they still required to declare?

[Suin]

thank you for your reply. I plan to leave for my country after 4 months staying in Canada as PR, just for a few weeks to collect my kids and return back and make their landing. Will I have to declare things I will bring that time?

[Karlshammar]

If they are things you already own, that are just at home waiting to be brought over at a later date, you should declare them as goods to follow when you land.

thank you for your reply. I plan to leave for my country after 4 months staying in Canada as PR, just for a few weeks to collect my kids and return back and make their landing. Will I have to declare things I will bring that time?