A household move to Canada starts with paperwork at the border, not at the dock. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) sets the rules in its guide for people moving or returning to Canada and in Memorandum D2-2-1 on settlers' effects. O'Brien's Moving & Storage arranges international moves through Bekins and partner international carriers, so the shipment itself is planned from our Sparks office while the border side follows the CBSA text below.
Are you a settler or a returning resident?
CBSA defines a settler as a person entering Canada to establish, for the first time, a residence for a period of not less than 12 months. A former resident is someone coming back after living in another country for a year or more. The two groups follow similar steps, but the ownership test differs: settlers must have owned, possessed and used each item abroad before arriving, while former residents need six months of ownership and use, a requirement that CBSA waives after five years or more of residence abroad.
Short assignments are treated differently. The memorandum excludes people entering for employment of up to 36 months and people entering for study, so read the definition against your own visa before you plan the shipment.
The two-part list of goods
CBSA asks you to prepare two copies of a list before you leave, and to give it to a border services officer at your first point of entry even if you have no goods with you. The officer completes Form BSF186, assigns a file number and returns a copy that serves as your receipt. You need that copy to claim duty-free entry of the goods that arrive later.
The list must be split into goods accompanying you and goods to follow. Goods to follow qualify for duty-free entry only if they appear on the original list, and each line asks for the value, make, model and serial number where one exists.
- Prepare two copies before departure.
- Separate what travels with you from what ships later.
- Include make, model and serial number for appliances and electronics.
- Keep the officer's copy with your shipping papers.
Why the inventory matters before packing
Every line on the CBSA list needs a description, and the easiest way to produce one is to start from a written record of the home. O'Brien's prepares an itemized inventory and condition report before packing begins, so the household has one document that names each piece and notes its condition. It is also the natural starting point for the list you give CBSA.
Timing, storage and resale
The memorandum advises that the arrival of your goods coincide with or follow your own arrival. Goods that reach Canada ahead of the owner are held at a sufferance warehouse for 40 days and are then treated as unclaimed, although an extension can be requested before the deadline.
CBSA also attaches a holding rule: if you sell, give away or divert duty-free goods to commercial use within one year of import, the duty and taxes originally exempted become payable.
Vehicles and restricted items
Personal vehicles, motor homes, private aircraft and pleasure boats can be eligible, but each must meet the requirements of Transport Canada and other departments. A vehicle you bought, leased, rented or borrowed while abroad generally cannot be brought in for personal use. Currency, food, plants, animals, health products, firearms, explosives and used mattresses are restricted or prohibited, so settle what stays behind before the packers arrive.
How O'Brien's plans the move
Your first step is a free, no-obligation in-home estimate with an O'Brien's estimator, and it comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes. The estimate is itemized and in writing. Because a move abroad is built on paperwork, ask the estimator which items you want on the shipment and which stay in storage here in Sparks. See international moving for the overall process, or call 775-359-6683.