Moving from Canada to US
u/According_Value_6308r/immigrationNov 9, 2025
We did Ottawa to Franklin TN for about $16K USD using Kings Transfer Moving.
Your practical budget is about CA$135–$315 for Air Canada checked bags or CA$147–$395 for three 5–20 kg Expedited Parcel boxes, assuming three ticketed travellers and three equal-weight boxes.
“I am moving from Toronto to the Bay Area on a TN visa with my family of 3. We are only bringing minimal household items like small appliances, clothes, and toys, and leaving large furniture behind. What are my options for moving these items across the border, and roughly how much should I expect it to cost?”
Summary
The customs rule covers residents and nonresidents, so you do not need a special TN moving privilege. With no large furniture, you can usually avoid a four-figure mover by matching your load to checked bags, your own vehicle or several postal boxes.
Because you are bringing a small load, compare these routes before paying the minimum charge for a full international mover.
Take checked bagssimplest
This is usually the simplest flight option. For Air Canada tickets bought on or after April 13, 2026, three ticketed travellers on Economy Basic/Standard would pay CA$135 for one checked bag each or CA$315 for two each; on Flex, one each is free and three second bags total CA$180. CBP says no Form 3299 is needed when the goods travel with you. [Air Canada Baggage Fee Changes; CBP Article 1392]
Drive your own vehicleno shipping fee
If your family is already driving, putting the belongings in your vehicle creates no separate carrier charge; fuel, lodging and vehicle costs remain part of the trip. The belongings travel with you, so CBP’s accompanied-goods rule says no Form 3299 is needed, although you should carry an item list and declare everything requested by the officer. [CBP Article 1392]
Mail several boxesbest for boxes
Toronto-to-California is Canada Post rate code 7. Expedited Parcel–USA lists CA$48.84 for 5 kg, CA$78.77 for 10 kg and CA$131.65 for 20 kg per box—CA$146.52, CA$236.31 or CA$394.95 for three equal boxes. Xpresspost–USA is CA$73.55, CA$119.04 or CA$205.05 per box—CA$220.65, CA$357.12 or CA$615.15 for three. Because these are , complete CBP Form 3299 and the Canada Post customs declaration. [Canada Post Consumer Prices, pp. 27 and 29; 19 CFR 148.52(c)]
Use a small-load moverleast handling
A door-to-door mover can pack, transport and coordinate clearance, but the exact Toronto-to-Bay-Area charge is quote-dependent. The only route-specific published comparison found was a reverse California-to-Toronto estimate of $1,049–$2,279 for a small move, with currency unstated, so treat four figures only as a planning signal—not a Toronto quote. [Easy Moving reverse-route estimate]
These are transport illustrations, not quotes: airfare and road-trip costs are separate, all three travellers must have the assumed ticketed baggage allowance, and Canada Post says a fuel surcharge may apply.
Read the full explanationHide the full explanation
Watch out for
The one-year customs testFor belongings claimed as , duty-free entry requires that your family used them abroad for at least one year while living in that household; the year need not be continuous. Keep dated evidence, and list newer appliances or toys separately instead of assuming they qualify. [19 CFR 148.52(a)-(b)]
California’s separate 90-day testFederal duty-free entry does not decide California . Property first used outside California and kept outside the state for more than 90 days generally escapes use tax; property first functionally used in California generally does not. [CDTFA, California Use Tax for Foreign Purchases]
Bulky boxes can price higherCanada Post can rate a box using its weight or , so light but bulky appliances may cost more than the weight-only examples. Its guide also says a fuel surcharge may apply. [Canada Post Consumer Prices, pp. 26–29]
Remove restricted itemsDo not casually pack food, plants, seeds, meat or animal products with the toys and clothes. CBP says restricted goods can require permits and that every plant or plant product must be declared and presented for inspection. [CBP Prohibited and Restricted Items]
Air Canada’s price recently changedAir Canada’s April 13, 2026 notice raised the Canada–U.S. Economy Basic/Standard fees to CA/US$45 for the first bag and CA/US$60 for the second for qualifying ticket purchases; older pages showing $30–$35 are stale for those tickets. [Air Canada Baggage Fee Changes, 2026-04-13]
Next steps
These steps let you price the move first and then use the correct customs process for the route you choose.
Before buying transport
Inventory and weigh everything
Separate household items used abroad for at least one year from newer items. Keep dated receipts, photographs or other records you already have because 19 CFR 148.52 permits CBP to require proof of the one-year use period.
Requirements
One list for each bag or box
Packed weight and outside dimensions
Approximate current value of each item
Date or year each household item was first used
After packing
Calculate the cheapest route
For three Air Canada Basic/Standard passengers under the April 13, 2026 fee schedule, budget CA$135 for one checked bag each or CA$315 for two each; Flex is CA$0 for one each or CA$180 for two each. For three equal Canada Post Expedited Parcel boxes, budget CA$146.52 at 5 kg each, CA$236.31 at 10 kg each or CA$394.95 at 20 kg each, before any applicable fuel surcharge.
Requirements
Number of ticketed passengers
Airline fare type
Number and weight of boxes
If the bags travel with you
Present accompanied goods at entry
Carry the list with you and declare the belongings when CBP processes your entry. CBP Article 1392 says no Form 3299 is needed when you travel with the goods.
Requirements
Packing or inventory list
Age-of-use evidence for household effects
Receipts or value records for newer items
If boxes arrive separately
Complete the shipped-goods paperwork
Complete CBP Form 3299 at https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/cbp_form_3299_0.pdf. For Canada Post, complete CN22 or CN23; at a post office, a shipment below CAN$500 uses the printed label with CN22, while one over CAN$500 requires declaration 43-074-172. Expedited Parcel–USA label 43-074-243 includes the postal customs declaration.
Requirements
CBP Form 3299
Complete packing list
Canada Post customs declaration
Declared values
After arrival
Keep records for California
Keep these records with your moving papers. Under CDTFA’s foreign-purchase rule, non-vehicle property first functionally used outside California and kept outside it for more than 90 days generally is not subject to California use tax; property first functionally used in California generally is.
Requirements
Purchase date
Proof of first use outside California
Proof the item remained outside California for more than 90 days
Others who faced this
You are not the first to go through this. Here is how it went for others who asked the same thing.
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Legal sources
The rules and prices come from CBP, the eCFR, California’s CDTFA, Air Canada, Canada Post and one clearly labeled mover comparison.
19 CFR 148.52
Used household effects can enter duty-free after the one-year use test, with proof and Form 3299 for a shipped claim.
19 CFR 148.52
(a)-(c)
Household effects used abroad not less than 1 year by a family of which the importer was a resident member for not less than 1 year during the period of use may be allowed free entry whether or not the importer owned the effects at the time of such use. The year of use need not be continuous, nor need it immediately precede the time of importation. In order to obtain free entry for household effects under this section, the use of the effects abroad for 1 year must be proven to the satisfaction of the port director. When household effects are claimed to be free of duty a declaration of the owner on Customs Form 3299, or its electronic equivalent, shall be required to support the claim for free entry.
CBP Article 1392
CBP does not require Form 3299 when your belongings travel across the border with you.
CBP Article 1392
No form is needed if you plan to travel with your goods.
CBP Form 3299
This is the CBP form used to claim free entry for belongings arriving separately.
CBP Form 3299
Part I, page 1
DECLARATION FOR FREE ENTRY OF UNACCOMPANIED ARTICLES PART I -- TO BE COMPLETED BY ALL PERSONS SEEKING FREE ENTRY OF ARTICLES
CDTFA California Use Tax for Foreign Purchases
Already-used possessions generally avoid California use tax when first used outside California and kept outside it for more than 90 days.
CDTFA California Use Tax for Foreign Purchases
For Personal Use
Your purchase of property (other than vehicles, vessels, or aircraft) outside of California is generally not considered to have been purchased for use in California and use tax does not apply if the property is: delivered outside of California, first functionally used outside of California, and used, stored, or both used and stored outside of California for more than 90 days from the date of purchase to the date of entry into California. However, in general, if you purchase property outside of California and first functionally use the property in California, your purchase is subject to use tax.
Air Canada Baggage Fee Changes
These are Air Canada’s current illustrative transborder checked-bag fees for the listed economy fares and purchase date.
Air Canada Baggage Fee Changes
April 13, 2026 update
Economy Basic and Standard 1st bag: CA/US$45 2nd bag: CA/US$60 Economy Flex 1st bag: Free 2nd bag: CA/US$60
Canada Post Consumer Prices — Expedited Parcel-USA
For Toronto’s Ontario origin zone, California uses rate code 7, making the last number in each row the applicable published price.
Canada Post Consumer Prices — Expedited Parcel-USA
Expedited Parcel–USA, page 29
California CA 7 7 4 7 5.0 11.0 37.46 38.13 40.83 41.46 44.38 46.18 48.84 10.0 22.0 57.93 59.65 64.76 65.93 72.61 75.93 78.77 20.0 44.0 96.32 98.26 105.31 106.48 118.82 129.65 131.65
Canada Post Consumer Prices — Xpresspost-USA
These rows provide the faster Xpresspost comparison for the same Toronto-to-California rate code.
Canada Post Consumer Prices — Xpresspost-USA
Xpresspost–USA, page 27
California CA 7 7 4 7 5.0 11.0 61.11 62.85 64.08 65.62 69.69 71.51 73.55 10.0 22.0 91.56 93.83 95.06 96.18 112.76 115.82 119.04 20.0 44.0 155.25 159.03 164.96 166.51 194.63 201.37 205.05
Canada Post Customs Requirements
Canada Post parcels need a postal customs declaration in addition to the CBP free-entry process.
Canada Post Customs Requirements
Required customs documentation, page 5
You must also complete a Customs Declaration CN22 or CN23, depending on the value of the item. For items with a declared value of over CAN$500, you must complete and affix Customs Declaration 43-074-172.
CBP Prohibited and Restricted Items
Food, plants, animal products and similar items require special attention rather than being packed unnoticed with household goods.
CBP Prohibited and Restricted Items
Restricted means that special licenses or permits are required from a federal agency before the item is allowed to enter the United States. Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals. Every single plant or plant product including handicraft items made with straw, must be declared to the CBP officer and must be presented for CBP inspection, no matter how free of pests it appears to be.
Easy Moving reverse-route estimate
This reverse-route advertisement is only an order-of-magnitude comparison, not a Toronto-to-Bay-Area quote.
Easy Moving reverse-route estimate
Our estimated pricing is: Small Move: $1,049–$2,279; 1 Bedroom Apartment: $2,279–$4,939; 2 Bedroom Apartment: $4,939–$8,549; 3 Bedroom House: $8,549–$11,399
These are the official rules and issuer prices published on the cited dates; regulations, carrier charges and surcharges can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice; SettleKit is not a law firm.
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