U.S. licensed car and Immigration Annoyance

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Subject: U.S. licensed car and Immigration Annoyance
  Have any new Permanent Residents moving from the U.S. encountered this situation regarding one´s U.S. based car?

It seems that every time we cross with our car when bringing goods in, Canadian immigration officers are really irritated that we have not imported this and our other car, and that they´re still licensed in Illinois with Illinois plates. Both cars were listed as "Goods to Follow" at the time of landing . I see no need for this requirement, since they´re on our "Goods to Follow" list an we still maintain residences on both sides until our move to Canada is complete.

At the time of our landing, I asked Customs how much time is allowed to bring in goods listed on the "Goods to Follow" list, and Customs replied no time limit. So I´m at a loss at this attitude.

[04-11-2006,20:10]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard
(in reply to: U.S. licensed car and Immigration Annoyance)
Hi Richard: Sorry to hear you´re having troubles (even just annoyances) with your cars. We haven´t yet made trips to Canada since we landed, but when we did land, there was a huge issue made out of the fact that we took a rental car rather than our own. From border control to immigration, everyone was in disbelief and grilled us endlessly. I was under the impression that if we didn´t want to import our car at that time, a rental was the best way to go, but it certainly caused a lot of suspicion. Our whole landing experience was strange; as you´ve seen on another post, the IO even rejected the Canadian address we provided. Because of all the fuss, I´ve been a bit nervous about crossing the border before actually moving, and now I´ll add car worries to my list! :)

I have a feeling there´s a bit of a crackdown on people landing before actually moving; perhaps this is some of the fallout. You are certainly correct that the attitudes of IOs and border agents vary greatly, as they do in "real" life, and of course it is in within their right to question our every motive for crossing through their border. Good luck on your future trips; bickering about your car and their requirements must be a headache.

[05-11-2006,10:10]
[**.24.116.116]
wannabecanadian
(in reply to: U.S. licensed car and Immigration Annoyance)
Thanks for the advice, Wannabe. In a way it´s good to know it´s not just us getting a bit of a hard time occasionaly with Canadian Immigration. I have to agree with you that we´re seeing a certain nervousness from Immigration over border security and the terrorist thing. It´s getting to the point though that it´s sometimes unfairly affecting normal immigrants like us just trying to move.

The rental car issue is also really surpring to me as I see no reason for any question from them over that. I decided to keep doing what I think is legal despite any pressures or comments from them. I´ve never seen anything in Canadian immigration or customs requirements saying new PRs can´t cross the border in rental cars nor take unimportd cars during the moving process. Until they cite that any of this is illegal, I´m going to move as best I can in this way.

So hang in there and continue. I think, as you say, there are a few of these types in every country´s immigration system.

[05-11-2006,14:54]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard
(in reply to: U.S. licensed car and Immigration Annoyance)
One more comment. Whenever we cross, both sides ask us why we´re crossing, what we have, and where we´re going. The U.S. side this last time asked why we immigrated when they saw our visas in the passports - I told them I like the scenery on the other side (really none of their business).

All this fuss at the border reminds me of the days when I backpacked across Europe and travelled across the "Iron Curtain" in the days of the cold war. The East Germans and Czechs would grill me on what I had with me, why I was going, and why I was taking this or that.

I would have thought Canada and the U.S. would by now have a much smoother and cooperative apporach in their citizens crossing between their 2 countries. Crossing borders in the EU these days is basicaly a wave of the hand by border control, or none at all. I feel a little like the Soviet/U.S. days are back.

[05-11-2006,15:15]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard
(in reply to: U.S. licensed car and Immigration Annoyance)
That´s an interesting observation about Europe´s borders; I hadn´t thought about that. I´ve never been asked there to show proof of anything, or offer explanations about why I am there, regardless of which country I am entering. I guess answering basic questions while moving between the US and Canada doesn´t bother me; we´ve nothing to hide, and I am thankful that it is consistently so easy (with the minor exception being now that we have PR status). On the one hand, I agree that it is surprising that the two countries don´t work closer together, but on the other hand, since our current administration is actively considering building a fence between the two, it is easy to see how cooperation must not be much of a priority (at least on one end).

I like your scenery explanation; I´ll have to use that one! :)

[06-11-2006,20:33]
[**.24.116.116]
wannabecanadian
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