Shipping clothing for 90 day visit = Ok?

[Benni]

I'll be flying up to B's to get married in April and will be staying for 90 days.

Can I ship a box of my clothing/personal care/vitamins without any problems from Customs?

[Anoulie]

Dude. You don't need more for 90 days than you'd need for a week. You can do laundry at his place, right? And I'm sure they have pharmacies and toothpaste in Canada, too. Pack light.

[Benni]

Well, it's not JUST for the 90 days -- that is, initially, how long I will stay.

I will come back here for 2 weeks, then fly to him again to stay for 6 months.

I just want to make sure it doesn't raise any red flags in Customs.

[Anoulie]

How much do they let you take in your suitcase? For me, it's 50 lb/23 kg. If I were you, I'd just do this: Fly there with 50 lb suitcase + carry-on; then, when you fly back, take very little back; then when you fly to your SO again, take another 50 lb suitcase + carry-on with you. Boom, > 100 lb of your stuff in Canada and customs won't bat an eye.

[Benni]

22# for carry-on. I never check baggage because I don't have enough time to get the bag, in Toronto, then go through customs and have to re-check it again. And I can't lug my carry-on PLUS the checked one at the same time, running as fast as I can -- no way.

[Fretboard_Magic]

Do you know when/where your package will arrive? I have a place in Canada so I still go back there from time to time. I sometimes get my family to send me stuff from Japan while I'm staying there(it really depends on how the immigration reacts, but I'm usually there for a good few months at a time), and I've never had a problem with the packages arriving. Canada Post sends you a notice to your Canadian address saying that you need to go to a such-and-such location to pick up your stuff. You go there, and they ask for your ID for the confirmation's sake, then you retrieve your stuff, and that's it. The procedure itself is very simple. ;-)

[Benni]

Do you know when/where your package will arrive?

I think the post office said it would take about 10 days. I'm shipping it 2 days before I fly out. I'll have enough with me for 2 or 3 weeks.

It would arrive at my fiance's home address. Hope the pick-up location is close to his home.

Thanks bunches for the info and reassurance.

[Fretboard_Magic]

Oh, okay. In that case, I don't really see any problem there...... BUT in my case, I'm talking about receiving packages from Japan....just to be clear. I don't really know if the actual origin of the sent package makes any difference in situations like yours. I'm pretty sure it won't, though. At any rate, you're welcome. Congratulations on your engagement! :-)

[Benni]

Congratulations on your engagement! :-)

Thank you!!

[Fretboard_Magic]

Thank you!!

You're welcome! :-)

[snow_girl]

I packed one suitcase for two years....

[digitalfever]

I packed one suitcase for two years....

I'm genuinely impressed by this.

[snow]

I don't think they'd get suspicious, but that might be naiive me.
Many people move and send their stuff through mail and they won't have you there to explain why you sent all these things.

I just know that when my man sent me christmas gifts from the states he had to declare everything that was in it.

It's too bad you can't take another bag with you. I did this the last time I came. I checked 2 bags with my clothes and left them here when I flew back.

[Riyko]

Well, it's not JUST for the 90 days -- that is, initially, how long I will stay.

I will come back here for 2 weeks, then fly to him again to stay for 6 months.

I just want to make sure it doesn't raise any red flags in Customs.

The shipping clothing up to Canada won't raise a red flag, but going up to Canada for 90 days, returning for 2 weeks then going back for 6 months WILL raise some red flags. They'll be suspicious of why you are going back to Canada so soon after you were just there for 90 days and if they assume you are residing or working in Canada they can deny you entry. It's best to have a return ticket for the end of the 6 months before you leave to visit him for the 90 days (it can make them feel better that you are going to be leaving. Before I got my study visa to canada I was there for 2 months, came back to the states for 2 weeks then flew back up and they almost didn't let me back into the country telling me it was suspicious that I was there for 2 months, left for 2 weeks and then was coming back for 2 more months and they needed proof (return plane ticket) that I was leaving at the end of the 2 months before they'd grant me re entry into Canada.

[Tooki]

The shipping clothing up to Canada won't raise a red flag, but going up to Canada for 90 days, returning for 2 weeks then going back for 6 months WILL raise some red flags. They'll be suspicious of why you are going back to Canada so soon after you were just there for 90 days and if they assume you are residing or working in Canada they can deny you entry. It's best to have a return ticket for the end of the 6 months before you leave to visit him for the 90 days (it can make them feel better that you are going to be leaving. Before I got my study visa to canada I was there for 2 months, came back to the states for 2 weeks then flew back up and they almost didn't let me back into the country telling me it was suspicious that I was there for 2 months, left for 2 weeks and then was coming back for 2 more months and they needed proof (return plane ticket) that I was leaving at the end of the 2 months before they'd grant me re entry into Canada.

This is the vibe that I get as well. There could be many reasons that could explain why you would ship clothing to Canada, but your visiting schedule does look suspicious.