Should I list my car on form B4?

[deadbird]

I am planning on doing a short landing from the US soon and return to Canada permanently in a few years. I am wondering whether to list my car in form B4. My particular situation is that after I do my landing and before I move permanently (in a few years); I'd like to be able to make personal trips to Canada using my US car.

Would I be able to drive in and out of Canada using my US car listed on form B4 without importing it for several years?
Alternatively, what happens if I don't list it on form B4? Can I still import it later on?

 

[smtele]

First off, you do not need to submit B4 (now known as BSF186) at the time of landing. There is no such requirement from CIC. I know I did not, and it worked out fine. You can present it to CBSA when you move to Canada for good.

If you still would like to submit it when landing, then I'd suggest adding the car in goods to follow (form BSF186 with goods to follow box checked).

>Would I be able to drive in and out of Canada using my US car listed on form B4 without importing it for several years?
Yes, I believe so. Import is done immediately after exporting the car in the US. Unless you do the export formality, it remains as a US car.

>Alternatively, what happens if I don't list it on form B4? Can I still import it later on?
You should list it if you plan on importing it.

 

[deadbird]

First off, you do not need to submit B4 (now known as BSF186) at the time of landing. There is no such requirement from CIC. I know I did not, and it worked out fine. You can present it to CBSA when you move to Canada for good.

If you still would like to submit it when landing, then I'd suggest adding the car in goods to follow (form BSF186 with goods to follow box checked).

>Would I be able to drive in and out of Canada using my US car listed on form B4 without importing it for several years?
Yes, I believe so. Import is done immediately after exporting the car in the US. Unless you do the export formality, it remains as a US car.

>Alternatively, what happens if I don't list it on form B4? Can I still import it later on?
You should list it if you plan on importing it.

Thanks @smtele. That's very helpful.

Is it necessary to carry the BSF186 goods to follow list every time I enter Canada for a short visit (even if I am not importing anything from the list) ? At what point does something stop becoming 'importable'?

 

[smtele]

>Is it necessary to carry the BSF186 goods to follow list every time I enter Canada for a short visit (even if I am not importing anything from the list) ?

Not necessary. PR card and Passport is all you need to enter Canada.

> At what point does something stop becoming 'importable'?

After you submit BSF186 (goods & goods to follow) to CBSA, all items listed on the form can be brought into Canada with zero duties or tax. CBSA will give you a casual goods accounting document - BSF715-1 that has the sum total of the cost of all the items you are importing, and it mentions no tax or duty on those because you are moving in as a settler.

If you are bringing more items later on, especially which were not listed on BSF186, then I think you need to pay duties/tax on them. I'd suggest clarifying this with CBSA, as most people ship all the goods at one go.

 

[deadbird]

>Is it necessary to carry the BSF186 goods to follow list every time I enter Canada for a short visit (even if I am not importing anything from the list) ?

Not necessary. PR card and Passport is all you need to enter Canada.

> At what point does something stop becoming 'importable'?

After you submit BSF186 (goods & goods to follow) to CBSA, all items listed on the form can be brought into Canada with zero duties or tax. CBSA will give you a casual goods accounting document - BSF715-1 that has the sum total of the cost of all the items you are importing, and it mentions no tax or duty on those because you are moving in as a settler.

If you are bringing more items later on, especially which were not listed on BSF186, then I think you need to pay duties/tax on them. I'd suggest clarifying this with CBSA, as most people ship all the goods at one go.

Thanks.

Would you happen to know if I drive my car (the one listed on BSF186 form) without exporting it to the initial landing? or does it have to be done with a rental car from the US? The reason I am asking is that a lot of folks choose to drive a rental car from Buffalo for some reason.

 

[CDNPR2014]

Thanks.

Would you happen to know if I drive my car (the one listed on BSF186 form) without exporting it to the initial landing? or does it have to be done with a rental car from the US? The reason I am asking is that a lot of folks choose to drive a rental car from Buffalo for some reason.

you can drive a us plated car through the border for your landing. it doesn't matter if it's going to be imported or not or if it's listed on a declaration form. CBSA is not going to ask and will not care about whether you have intentions to import it. the car you drive to the border with has nothing to do with the landing process.

 

[harirajmohan]

Thanks.

Would you happen to know if I drive my car (the one listed on BSF186 form) without exporting it to the initial landing? or does it have to be done with a rental car from the US? The reason I am asking is that a lot of folks choose to drive a rental car from Buffalo for some reason.

Border guys wont let the car in if the move is permanent. Yes, for short landing they dont worry and for short stay after landing they dont worry. But if we mention that this is the permanent move then they wont let the car in without completing the import process - this is what i was told hence i had to keep the car at US side till i finish the import process.
I was not knowing much about (not being allowed) and moved while using rental car and then i had to rent for a month to complete the process.
After importing i could drive before registering it (but was asked couple of times but showed that i completed the process).

Also have clear title and keep the bill of sale for completing the process. As i had loan on it, i had to wait for clear the loan and clear the title.

For ON license:
Also get your driver license first (if you are moving to ON) as these guys want the DL before insurance is issued and without insurance on driver's name, we cant register. I did not plan hence had tough time to get DL transferred and then car thing and then insurance and then registration.
Get your recent 2 out of 3 years driving history (certified copy only from respective US state) to get your US DL transferred to G license. If its not recent 2 years then they dont issue full license. Too many parameters.

What i did:
I mentioned the car in B4 follow on goods list which was asked by border guys for tax exempt. Not sure if we can have the B4 post-landing.

 

[CDNPR2014]

Border guys wont let the car in if the move is permanent. Yes, for short landing they dont worry and for short stay after landing they dont worry. But if we mention that this is the permanent move then they wont let the car in without completing the import process - this is what i was told hence i had to keep the car at US side till i finish the import process.

this was not my experience at all. i had absolutely no issue with landing/moving to canada permanently with the car i planned to import at a later date. CBSA did not care where my car was registered or whether import had started. it was listed on my goods to follow form.

there is absolutely no requirement to import the car immediately upon landing or moving to canada permanently, and there is absolutely no rule that suggests a person can't permanently move to canada and drive a car across the that has not had an import initiated yet. importing the car and where it's registered has nothing to do with landing as a pr or moving to canada permanently. there should not be any issue landing and moving permanently with a legally registered car, regardless if it's on your goods to follow form or not.

Being told something by a border agent doesn't make it 100% true. you definitely were given very bad information or misunderstood what was said. US plated cars cross the border daily. guaranteed if you had actually driven your car prior to importing it across the canadian border while you were moving there permanently, you would not have had any issue at all and the car would not have been turned away. CBSA doesn't care whether the person driving lives in canada permanently or not. they care about whether the car is legally allowed to be on the road and isn't hiding contraband. It is ridiculous to me that CBSA suggested otherwise.

 

[harirajmohan]

this was not my experience at all. i had absolutely no issue with landing/moving to canada permanently with the car i planned to import at a later date. CBSA did not care where my car was registered or whether import had started. it was listed on my goods to follow form.

1. there is absolutely no requirement to import the car immediately upon landing or moving to canada permanently,

and
2. there is absolutely no rule that suggests a person can't permanently move to canada and drive a car across the that has not had an import initiated yet. importing the car and where it's registered has nothing to do with landing as a pr or moving to canada permanently. there should not be any issue landing and moving permanently with a legally registered car, regardless if it's on your goods to follow form or not.

Being told something by a border agent doesn't make it 100% true. you definitely were given very bad information or misunderstood what was said. US plated cars cross the border daily.

3. guaranteed if you had actually driven your car prior to importing it across the canadian border while you were moving there permanently, you would not have had any issue at all and the car would not have been turned away.

4. CBSA doesn't care whether the person driving lives in canada permanently or not.

they care about whether the car is legally allowed to be on the road and isn't hiding contraband. It is ridiculous to me that CBSA suggested otherwise.

1. Yes there is no requirement to import it immediately. I too did not import it immediately. I did it after 5 months and multiple trips before importing and after landing.

2. Whether there is rule or not but at end of the day the border guys only have full power to approve our entry into Canada.

3. I used the car few times before the permanent move (the same number plate) but i mentioned the duration of stay at that time as 1-2 days. Possibly thats why they did not ask me anything on importing the car at that time. Dont know.

4. I think that they worry that we would take the car without importing it. Not sure why they were saying on it.