American Moving to Canada - When can you move, how to bring your stuff?

[DustSNK]

Hello all. I am hoping that there is an American here (or an in the know Canadian) who can help me with a few questions.

Background info: Got accepted into an Ontario uni. Currently live in NY (Buffalo) next to the USA/CAN border. Program starts in Sep., my lease (here in BUF) ends in MAY, and I would really like to move when my lease ends here.

Questions:

1) When you get your study visa, can you move in before the start date on the visa?

2) For that matter, say I apply for permit and get one in April (very possible, already accepted), since I got the permit way before the fall semester when can you move? Has anyone been in the situation?

3) Since I'm on the border, I'm planning on doing the Point Of Entry application process (have read it is same day in person processing). Anyone gone through this before?

4) MY STUFF! I have 1bdr apt worth of my stuff coming with me. What on earth do I do about this? MY current plan, if I could, is to move well before the semester even starts.

These are just a few questions/summary of the questions. Anyone who is kind enough to help me I will deff expand on everything. Any relevant info would really help me out. Thank you!

[new_to_kin]

My answers in bold

Hello all. I am hoping that there is an American here (or an in the know Canadian) who can help me with a few questions.

Background info: Got accepted into an Ontario uni. Currently live in NY (Buffalo) next to the USA/CAN border. Program starts in Sep., my lease (here in BUF) ends in MAY, and I would really like to move when my lease ends here.

Questions:

1) When you get your study visa, can you move in before the start date on the visa

not officially, however you can move your stuff over by entering as though you were going on holiday. you'll just have to come out again and re-enter on your student visa. Seeing as you're so close to the border, it's not an issue.

2) For that matter, say I apply for permit and get one in April (very possible, already accepted), since I got the permit way before the fall semester when can you move? Has anyone been in the situation

usually your visa will have the start date of the program on it as well as the date it is issued. You should be able to use it once it is issued. When I went to the US (from Australia) I moved in August.

3) Since I'm on the border, I'm planning on doing the Point Of Entry application process (have read it is same day in person processing). Anyone gone through this before?haven't done this. but don't leave anything to chance. if they reject you once, you're screwed forever. they can totally reject you at a border entry. a visa doesn't guarantee your entry.

4) MY STUFF! I have 1bdr apt worth of my stuff coming with me. What on earth do I do about this? MY current plan, if I could, is to move well before the semester even starts.

do you mean how you you move it? depends on how nice your stuff is. is it worth it to pay movers (a lot)? or is it student furniture that you could sell on CL and buy on kijiji in Canada? Do you have a car? If not, then you can do a one way rental of a larve van or SUV to move incidentals (that is what we did when we came to canada - only a few companies do it). You'll pay a bit, but it is cheaper than a moving company.

hese are just a few questions/summary of the questions. Anyone who is kind enough to help me I will deff expand on everything. Any relevant info would really help me out. Thank you!

[DustSNK]

Thanks New_to_kin. Yea since I'm American it makes this whole process tricky, and websites rnt helping me. I deff get some special privileges like the point of entry application, and can stay in CAN for 6 months as just a visitor.

[kyjin]

Welcome to the great north! I'm also an American in Canada (Alberta) and went through this process last year.

1)Not to my knowledge, but you can get a pretty wide start date on the visa. My program didn't start until Sepember 2011, but I was able to enter on the visa in August and stayed.

2)You can get it very early. As a US citizen, you can do the study permit application online, and you'll recieve a letter in about a week that will allow you to recieve your permit as soon as you reach the border. I flew through Toronto, so I showed my letter to the security and customs, waited about ten minutes, and then got my visa. You'll hardly have the permit looked at if you go back and forth across the border.

3) Haven't done this, but again, you can do the application online fairly easily. I'd just do that; might be faster in the long run.

4) There should be various moving companies you can contact. In my case I literally moved across the continent (PA to Alberta), so it wasn't worth it to bring anything.

Good luck, and I hope you like it here.

[DustSNK]

Welcome to the great north! I'm also an American in Canada (Alberta) and went through this process last year.

1)Not to my knowledge, but you can get a pretty wide start date on the visa. My program didn't start until Sepember 2011, but I was able to enter on the visa in August and stayed.

2)You can get it very early. As a US citizen, you can do the study permit application online, and you'll recieve a letter in about a week that will allow you to recieve your permit as soon as you reach the border. I flew through Toronto, so I showed my letter to the security and customs, waited about ten minutes, and then got my visa. You'll hardly have the permit looked at if you go back and forth across the border.

3) Haven't done this, but again, you can do the application online fairly easily. I'd just do that; might be faster in the long run.

4) There should be various moving companies you can contact. In my case I literally moved across the continent (PA to Alberta), so it wasn't worth it to bring anything.

Good luck, and I hope you like it here.

Thanks Kyjin ^__^ I have been seeing from lots of people online that they were allowed to come in Aug. I have been calling like 5 different offices trying to find out how early I can move once the visa is approved. I'm literally 45 mins away right now where I want to live in Ontario, and my lease here ends soon. Id really like some time to get the apt, settle in, and it save me a good deal of $ paying rent there than it does where I am. After all the people I've talked to in immigration, one person finally gave me an answer that it is up to the border how early I can come in on the study visa. This doesn't help me haha! I mean if the visa starts on the day classes do, they can't expect people to come with their things on the day, I would bet 100% of people need to come early... but the "how early" or "when" you can come is not listed ANYWHERE on any site. Also no one seems to know the answer, and since the person told me it is up to the border how early you can come that is very unsettling. In theory that would mean someone from the UK comes in Aug 1st, but program starts in Sept 1st... the immigration official could say "Nope, you cant move all your things here until Aug 17th.. you will have to ship all your items back to the UK and come back on Aug 17th". Eshhh very tricky process >_<

Edited March 7, 2012 by DustSNK

[kyjin]

I do recall somewhere on the study permit form about when you were planning on entering the country. I'd fill that out and see what happens. You may be able to come in even earlier that way. Worst case scenario, move up on a tourist visa, then come back home for a couple days in August, and reenter for the study permit.

[DustSNK]

I do recall somewhere on the study permit form about when you were planning on entering the country. I'd fill that out and see what happens. You may be able to come in even earlier that way. Worst case scenario, move up on a tourist visa, then come back home for a couple days in August, and reenter for the study permit.

Yup seems like this might be the way to go. I'm just shocked where is no official literature stating when you can come in. Esp for int students this is important to know :/

[new_to_kin]

Make suyre you enter at a large border crossing. The little ones won't know what to do with you. Trust me on this.

[ktel]

I'm not surprised that they say "It's up to the border". Strangely enough, a lot of this stuff really comes down to what type of border agent you get on the day. This goes for America to Canada and vice versa. I'll second new_to_kin's statement that you choose a large border crossing.

[abc123xtc]

Hmm... I don't know about you all, but my university sent me an information packet about this stuff. I am somewhat surprised that they're not going to babysit me throughout the entire process (I think someone gave me the impression they would), but I am glad to have an information packet that lays it out for me in detail. If anyone is interested, I could post scans of my info packet if that would help, although there is probably information online. I totally sympathize with this though! I have always lived within 1-3 hours of the Canadian border, so going to Canada never seemed like a big deal. However, the prospect of being denied entry when I hardly feel like an international student is terrifying. Does anyone else feel weird about being considered an international student? I feel like I hardly count, especially since Victoria is very similar in terms of weather, climate, and foliage as Seattle (and, of course, language ).

[anonyouknow]

Hmm... I don't know about you all, but my university sent me an information packet about this stuff. I am somewhat surprised that they're not going to babysit me throughout the entire process (I think someone gave me the impression they would), but I am glad to have an information packet that lays it out for me in detail. If anyone is interested, I could post scans of my info packet if that would help, although there is probably information online. I totally sympathize with this though! I have always lived within 1-3 hours of the Canadian border, so going to Canada never seemed like a big deal. However, the prospect of being denied entry when I hardly feel like an international student is terrifying. Does anyone else feel weird about being considered an international student? I feel like I hardly count, especially since Victoria is very similar in terms of weather, climate, and foliage as Seattle (and, of course, language ).

I would LOVE scans of your information packet. My university has some information online that is helpful but isn't nearly as specific as I'd like. I'm actually nearly done with my student permit application and plan to submit in the next 2-3 days but I'm SO scared I may be missing something vital.

[turtles]

Does anyone know anything about if US citizens can still apply at the border if you're also bringing a spouse? I know I can't apply for my study permit online if I have any dependents, but I can't find anything about the border application because it's US-specific.

[abc123xtc]

I would LOVE scans of your information packet. My university has some information online that is helpful but isn't nearly as specific as I'd like. I'm actually nearly done with my student permit application and plan to submit in the next 2-3 days but I'm SO scared I may be missing something vital.

Cool, I do the scans. I'm busy for the next couple of days, but I'll send them to you by the weekend. I hope they will be helpful!

[anonyouknow]

Cool, I do the scans. I'm busy for the next couple of days, but I'll send them to you by the weekend. I hope they will be helpful!

Thank you Please take your time!

[jeni]

You can move your stuff by hiring a good moving company.

[gopromoving]

If you have in use the plunge and decided to move across the border and take up residence in Canada, you should know that just moving to Canada does not make you a permanent resident. In fact, the process of actually becoming a permanent resident is rather time consuming and complex