I am moving back, but hubby is not.

So after living in USA for 6 years, I am moving back to Vancouver, b.c. along with my newborn daughter. But my husband, who is a Canadian, is not yet resuming his residency because of his job. When my daughter and I move back, my husband will be travelling with us, too. I know we will fill out seperate custom declaration card. But should we go to the same custom booth or seperate? All the B4/B4A forms will be under my name only. I don't know whether my husband's presence would confuse the custom officer.

thanks for your advice.

Is he coming back to Canada ever? I assume the idea is that you move back and then he moves back later.

The thing to do is complete the B4 and B4A as though you're both moving back, list all your personal effects on it. When he comes back you still have the approved B4 and B4A so they're just articles which are coming in later.

The only snag is if he acquires more personal effects after the B4 is approved.

You don't use the standard customs card if you are a returning resident, the customs card is for visitors and residents only, you're neither.

Steven, thanks for the suggestion. If I don't need the custom declaration form, what form should I fill out? Just the B4 form? What about my 5 months old daughter who only has a US passport?

I asked CBSA about my husband acquiring more personal effects upon his return. CBSA said he will still have the $10,000 exemption when he returns. I just hope the policy won't change in the near future.

see info here http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/problems/b ... ion-en.asp about how to get your baby's Canadian citizenship sorted.

You just fill in the B4, you don't need the customs card. You can fill one in if you want but the CBSA agent said there was no point and just threw it away when I presented my B4.

Steven, thanks again.

Reba, thanks for the link, too.

I am back in Canada. Just want to update my experience for those who might be interested in the near future.

So I flew back to Vancouver. Filled out the declaration card. Presented my B4/B4A. My baby has a US passport only. No problem with that. Since my husband went to a seperate custom booth, the custom officer did question me about whether the father of my baby was informed about the move. I also brought back 2 cats with me. After I picked up my luggages, I brought the cats to see the officer who collected my delcaration card on my way out.

It was quite an easy and smooth process.

thank you so much, yaya74, my husband and I will be doing the same thing on Dec 10th, 08. However, we are both US citizens and I'm Canadian as well. I'm moving back to Canada and I want to apply him as a Canadian resident, so when we go through Vancouver's custom, shall we go together, or should we do it separately? we haven't fill any paper work for my husband's residency in Canada yet, so he will be traveling as a visitor. I'm just afraid that the custom will give him a hard time since we are a married couple and one is returning and one is only a visitor.

Also, since we shipping all our belongings through UPS, how do we declare those boxes? Do we just declare everything on the B4 form and when we pick up our boxes from UPS, we present that form to UPS so that we won't be tax for those items?

V Lau, the folks over at http://roadtocanada.com may be able to help you with your husband's immgration questions.

I'm just afraid that the custom will give him a hard time since we are a married couple and one is returning and one is only a visitor.

They might do, CBSA isn't quite as hot on it as USCIS but if he doesn't have non-immigrant intent they could refuse entry.

Also, since we shipping all our belongings through UPS, how do we declare those boxes? Do we just declare everything on the B4 form and when we pick up our boxes from UPS, we present that form to UPS so that we won't be tax for those items?

I suspect what will happen is that you will be charged duty and GST on anything imported by UPS, because they have no way of holding it until you've cleared it. So what you have to do in that situation is apply for a refund from CBSA.

I had this problem because some of my goods were sent separately by a carrier, you get the CBSA clearance paperwork from their customs broker and use that to apply for a refund, there's a form for it you can download from the CBSA website, I forget what it's called. You have to include the original copy of the B4 and B4A, you send it in, they check off the things listed on the goods list that UPS used and then they send it back. Cheque comes separately.