Phaedru5

Hi, I apologise in advance I have searched and found many topics on this subject but I still have a few questions.

I am landing as a PR in Canada in 2 weeks time, albeit for only 3 weeks before coming back to the UK for a few months to finalise things, sell house, etc, then intend to be back in Canada permanently early next year. I am arriving into Calgary airport but have intention to live in BC (not Alberta) is this ok?

With regard the shipping forms I have printed form BSF186 - is this the same as form B4? And do I just need two copies of it - one for goods I'm bringing with me and one for goods to follow?

Whos name do I put on the Importers name and address - my name? And which address my current address in the UK or a friends address in Canada?

Lastly, I did find on here previously someone posted links to excel files of the accompanying forms they used but I can't find it again, can anybody help show me where they are by a link?

Hurlabrick

What sort of PR do you have? Unless it is under a specific provincial sponsorship scheme, you can 'land' and declare PR anywhere in Canada.

You don't have to worry about filling ANY of the forms out. CBSA will do that. What you do need to have is two separate lists, pone for goods accompanying and another for goods to follow with a decent description of items and a valuation in Canadian dollars - a total is also helpful. Have you spotted the wiki article on precisely this topic below?

Goods To Follow-Canada : British Expat Wiki

This tells you all you need to know.

I personally created my own 'B4 lookalike' spreadsheet which I used. I would be happy to send you the Excel file if you want to Private Mail me your email address.

Phaedru5

Hi, thanks for the response, I just have a normal PR achieved through spousal sponsorship so should be ok to land anywhere.

And PM sent for the spreadsheet!

scottabraham13

Just re-iterating what everyone else has said. Don't worry about filling in any official forms, they will do it for you. Have a couple of copies of your list of good accompanying an goods to follow and that's it.

Safe trip!

JonboyE

You should not need to declare goods to follow if this is just a "landing" trip. You do this when you move to Canada to live. That said, to be on the safe side I would take two copies of a goods to follow list just in case. The rules are not always applied consistently.

scottabraham13

If they are "landing" i.e. they are starting their permanent residency by declaring they are a permanent resident to the CBSA officer and going through the process, then I thought this was your ONLY opportunity to declare goods to follow. Otherwise you run the risk of having to pay duty if you subsequently bring it in. If they are just coming to Canada for a recce visit then no need to.

Bucks_Family

I agree with JonboyE here, you don't need to supply the goods to follow list on a landing trip, but you do when you make "the final move" over. We did that without problem 4 years ago.
After all - if you present a list on your landing trip, then the goods don't arrive for many months - even years - after you presented that list, how accurate will it be? Things would have been added or removed from it.
Ah, I found the wording Former Lancastrian has used in the past... "a landing without establishing a residence in Canada".

JonboyE

See here Memorandum D2-2-1 - Settlers' Effects - Tariff Item No. 9807.00.00
paragraph 1 the definition of a settler as someone entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for the first time, residence for a period exceeding 12 months.

Phaedru5

While sifting through our belongings this weekend something dawned on me; my application for PR was for me and me alone, applied in the Family Class with my wife as a sponsor. My wife is Canadian (BC) and our daughter was born in BC so also is Canadian, although we have all lived together in the UK now for around 10yrs. So when I land in 2 weeks it is ONLY me that is landing, the other two are citizens with Canadian passports. Therefore the belongings and goods to follow forms presumably only need to account for my belongings, do they? If my wife is moving back to Canada and bringing household items, her jewellery, etc with her would she normally need to fill in a form B4 or not? What I'm trying to get at is, in MY form for when I alone 'Land' do I need to account for all of her things aswell on my forms? Or just my own things? I think for clarity I am happy to include all the household items that will follow, but surely don't need to account for all of my wifes jewellery under what is essentially MY immigration? Does anyone have any idea, or preferably experience in this?

Hurlabrick

If you are ALL landing 'to establish a residence' (and with you ALSO landing to 'declare permanent residence' - two separate things as others have pointed out) - then you can BOTH have goods accompanying and goods to follow.

I am Canadian and my wife is the British PA. When we landed, I had two lists of 'goods accompanying' (one for me and one for my wife) and one list of goods to follow (in her name). The CBSA agents were perfectly fine with it.

Yes, if you are ONLY landing to declare PR (with a view to returning later to actually establish a residence), then you should not have to do the 'goods' forms on this trip, but as others have pointed out, not all CBSA agents seem to know this. I was told and they insisted that when we landed to declare PR, that this was our one and only chance to declare goods - fortunately we had anticipated this and already had a list we could use.

Phaedru5

Ok so what I was trying to establish is whether my wife, who used to live in Canada anyway, has to declare all her items when moving back to Canada having lived outside of Canada. It sounds like this is a yes from what you say above? If so I may aswell cover everything just on my one form/lists will that be acceptable do you think?

Former Lancastrian

A settler has no dollar amount on the total of goods being imported.
Former residents of Canada i.e. your wife have a $10,000 dollar limit on any one item. Note all goods need to have been owned and used prior to importation.

Yes you could do one list of goods providing no single item exceeds the $10,000 limit and all are used goods.

This link for Settlers i.e. you
Memorandum D2-2-1 - Settlers' Effects - Tariff Item No. 9807.00.00

This link for your wife
Memorandum D2-3-2 - Former Residents of Canada – Tariff Item No. 9805.00.00