The USA is Canada’s closest neighbor, and the two countries have established a unique relationship. Due to the fact that US and Canadian citizens do not have to make any special arrangements to visit the neighboring country, many people enjoy traveling many times of the year.
Moving from Canada to USA
The USA draws Canadians not only because of its marvelous resorts and famous cities but as a place to live as well. Moving from Canada to USA is mostly based on economic reasons when people are seeking more profitable jobs. Another reason is more favorable real estate prices. Studies show that a growing number of skilled Canadians are leaving Canada to work in the United States. According to the data from Migration Policy Institute, 60% of all Canadian emigrants reside in the USA.
The moving process
Technically, there is nothing different between the moving process from Canada to the USA and moving within Canada. There are hundreds of cross country moving companies in Canada servicing the trans-border relocation. Of course, there will be a lot of:
- packing,
- carrying, and
- loading the truck.
With an experienced moving team by your side, you should not worry about the hassle.
Difficulties
Moving is a big thing for anyone, and moving to a different country is more stressful because the laws and regulations are different. Moving to the US is not a straightforward process.
During the outbreak of Covid-19, many Canadians started working remotely from home. This has led to an increasing number of moves between Canadian cities and provinces. If you are working from home, you can not just take your notebook and move to the USA. To be able to live and work in the US, a TN visa or N-1 visa is required, and you will have to look for a sponsoring US employer to obtain that. In some cases, the employer will have to file a visa application and get it approved by government authorities. To sum up, you must have the documents that give you the right to stay and work in the US legally.
Border control
There is one thing that is different about moving from Canada to USA if compared to local moving. It is border control. Depending on the province you are traveling from and your route, you may pass the border via different US cities – there are more than 100 border crossings between Canada and USA, some of them are open 24/7. As you can imagine, wait times are different at different crossing points.
For example, the ones that serve the Vancouver – Seattle area are the busiest, with wait times as long as 3-4 hours.
What to expect
There will be several booths with officers waiting for you. When you proceed towards the booth, you move slowly, because your car is being photographed from different points.
- The officer then will check your passport and supporting documents.
- The question that they are required to ask according to the protocol, is what is your citizenship.
- The officer may ask any other questions as well, and they expect reasonable answers.
- They do criminal record checks as well.
- The contents of the car or truck may also be inspected.
- The driver of the moving team is expected to show the cargo escorting documents.
Moving restrictions
Keep in mind that there are certain items that you can not bring across the US / Canadian border. The regulations change constantly, this is why we recommend checking official websites before your moving day. For example, you must tell the officer if you have fresh fruits and vegetables, also meat and animal products. Foods containing cooked eggs are prohibited. If you have cultural objects like relic furniture or art, it may require a special permit. Although in Canada, you may have a certain amount of recreational marijuana with you, you can not take it with you across the border. If you possess firearms, it may be extremely difficult to bring those to the US because of strict regulations.
Summing it all up, nothing is impossible when you think about moving from Canada to the US. It just required some more time and attention to detail. Do not hesitate to contact experienced moving company Canada, they will surely provide useful advice.
Camovers will help you with your cross border or long distance moving process
Сamovers cooperate with professional moving companies.
If you’re not sure which moving company to choose you can always rely on Camovers. Camovers offer efficient:
- residential moving services,
- cross-country movers,
- professional long-distance moving services for all your needs,
- car shipping, and
- moves to the US.
Contact Camovers today for more information.
Professional moving companies at Camovers will cope with any difficulties!