Hi - We plan to arrive in Canada in summer 2010, on a student visa for my husband, which allows me to have an open work permit.

But, we plan to buy an RV in the states and tour the US first and I've read that we won't pay import taxes if we have it with us when we arrive. And I'm kind of wondering how this would work out.

Option 1 - Is to arrive in Canada first, as visitors only - look for a rental property, leave for the states, buy an RV and return to Canada a few weeks later on the student visa. But, is this doable with a one way ticket, or will we be refused entry?

Option 2 - Fly into the states - buy the RV and tour there first - then arrive in Canada with the student visa. But again, would we be able to enter the US with a one way ticket? We got a lot of questions last year in New York, just because we had two seperate tickets with different airlines, as opposed to a return - even though we showed them.

Maybe we would be better off buying a return ticket to the US? But would that get us into trouble when we don't actually leave the US to go back to the UK and cause us problems later?

Are either of these two things do-able, or should we scrap buying the RV until later and just pay any import taxes?

Landing in an RV is easy. It's getting it airborne in the first place that's hard.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

I very much doubt that the US will care about how leave the, just that you do.

When you cross the border, you can ask the Canadian immigration people to remove your US visa (or whatever it is called, the green thingy) from your passport and to pass to the US immigration office next to their's. You will then have left the US in the eyes of the US.

You need to consider the implications of importing a US vehicle into Canada. There are lots of threads on this subject.

Hi

The OP should know that they cannot import the RV duty free as settlers effects as they are not permanent residents. CBSA will allow the vehicle in duty free for the length of their study permit, but it has to be removed from Canada at the end of the stay and cannot be sold in Canada.

How will you be arriving in the US? Using the Visa Waiver Program? If so, you might find it difficult to get a vehicle titled, registered, plated, and insured if you don't have an address in the US.

AGR

Thanks PMM - Would we need to bring in the RV when we first arrive in Canada on the study permit? Also, I am applying for PR when we arrive - apparently it is ok to do this when you're on a student visa. If we get PR before OH studies have finished will the RV count as stuff we are bringing in then? Or will we still need to sell it in the USA?

Hi Bill - Thanks. I need to find out more about how that works. I've been reading on some RV forums about folk from the UK buying RV's - visiting for a few months and storing them and coming back and forth. I guess they must be using some temp US address, so I need to find out how they're doing it.

Hi Almost Canadian - That is reassuring. I wonder if it will be classed as importing still, if we don't have PR? Even so, I need to check out the rules, as they will apply when we do eventually get PR.