shhhh

We landed as PRs over a year ago now, when we did the whole landing thing, we were armed with our goods-to-follow list, but when I told them we were going back to the UK for a bit, I was told to present the goods-to-follow list when we actually came back permanantly.
I noticed that this seems to have happened to several people who did the same at Vancouver - did you have any problems with customs? I really don't want to get stung for the tax on it!!

spaceace

There is no time limit on how you get the stuff on your goods to follow list into Canada, so you should be ok

Good luck!

Aviator

I still have stuff in the UK - From 16 years ago! I guess if I have not needed in 16 years, not likley to now.

paolosmythe

This is a situation that will depend on the particular customs agent you speak to. Yes i know this is not the sort of thing you wanted to hear.

Our experience was, landing in March to use our PR visa, with the ambition of returning within 12 to 18 months later permanently.

Informing the agent who dealt with our landing of this plan of action, he too told us, i don't want your goods to follow list until you are here with no intent to leave.

We were a bit pissed off by this as 1. he simply threw back at us, the list we had spent much time and effort to prepare; 2. it left a big chunk of unfinished business and thus yet more paper work was left to be accepted or denied by the CIC.

No matter.

We landed. We loved it. We went back to Blighty. Our Goods to Follow list changed a little, from listing absolutely everything we owned, to one resembling the things we actually began to pack.

As it turned out, 6 months later we returned on one way tickets to Canada. (To liven things up with a dose of complication, although we landed in Couver and were on our way there, our international arrival was in Toronto.)

The customs agents were bemused to see a goods to follow list, (not to mention a lengthy goods accompanying list,) coming across their border with 2 people carrying PR cards already.

I explained. They then went to explain to their supervisor. We shit ourselves. Just a little. They returned to say how useless Vancouver customs agents are. They stamped our stuff and we were (relieved and) on our way.

The intricacies of documentation processing can as i said, vary from agent to agent. One thing that remains constant however, is their friendliness and helpful attitude towards you if you are open, honest, up front and amiable about everything.

Of course if they suspect you are trying even the slightest dodgey thing, they will not provide you with anything close to a fond memory.

All i would say is, ensure that your documentation (both the CIC forms and those from your shipping company) are prestine and absolutely complete. Oh and they love it if you have copies for them, so they don't have to go to their photocopier.

Bon Chance!

spaceace

WOW, sounds like you had a bad experience

You may want to take a look at section 29

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/...d2-2-1-eng.pdf

paolosmythe

Does this section not merely regard the items listed on the 'to follow' list?

I took the OP's original Q to be about when they might expect the list itself to be accepted by customs staff.

Alan2005

This seems normal.

Our own prepared goods to follow list was never looked at once. We didn't need it when we landed, or when we came back to live a year later.

When our stuff arrived in Vancouver we went down town to sign the customs clearance thing and they didn't even look at it then. I suspect that they mostly think that the shipping manifest (or whatever it's called) is enough.

agr

This is something that customs officers do not seem to share a universal understanding of. We were caught in the same problem - see earlier thread.

Alphawolf

We landed on 13th July with the intention of returning permanently next year, handed the goods to follow list in and had it stamped no problem. We are now back in blighty wishing the next 9 months away

CanadaJimmy

You should never get stung for taxes on personal items. When I shipped my personal belongings to Canada with FedEx, they initially wanted tax at the destination (my friends house). However, after signing a document stating they were personal belongings and providing a copy of my passport they were satisfied and removed all the tax.

budcolin

We did exactly the same.You'll only need to produce your gtf list when you release your container from customs...not at the airport.
We didn't return for about a year after submitting ours

shhhh

Thanks all
It seems at least Vancouver consistently don't bother/know whether to stamp the list I was quite annoyed at the time having spent ages compiling the list before we went and even sorted out the right official coversheets - ho-hum!
I'll make sure I get my list stamped as advised before trying to release my goods when I get to that stage

MJDJ

we landed to activate PR's in Calgary Feb 09 and returned to UK / Jersey. We have one way tickets booked for monday 02nd august and our goods land in Vancouver circa Aug 14th - we did our GTF List on landing in Calgary and have a bar coded original from our landing in Feb 09 -
Will let you know how we get on however from my understanding there should be no problems.

Vancouver is our nearest shipping port as opposed to airport landing.