Leaving Canada

Really not much else to do at this point. Maybe leave some cash in your Canadian bank to hold your car payments for awhile. I would suggest starting to do research on where you're going to live which is covered later, but if you can narrow down some apartments before you even come down to the States, you'll save yourself a lot of time. You may need an Immisions letter from your car company stating that it meets the USA Immisions test.

So pack your bags, and say good bye to everyone. Take one last feel at how hot and humid it is (if it's summer), or stand outside during the frigid cold, because that's the last you'll be seeing that for a long long while (if you're going to California).

Forward Your Mail!

• your banks - write them a letter indicating your new address and your status as a non-resident as of a certain date. This letter may be useful later to prove to Revenue Canada the date you became a non resident. Note that you will incur a with-holding tax on Canadian interest, as of the date you became a non resident.
• your credit card companies.
• your company and especially its HR department. This will be especially useful for your last paycheck and other follow up letters (e.g. investment plan and pension plan settlements).
• your auto and home insurance companies
• your phone companies

  your cable company (alternatively, close your account with them before you leave)

• your landlord, if you rent
• any clubs (e.g. CAA) you belong to
• magazines or companies on whose mailing lists you are. If you subscribe to a US magazine, try to get a subscription extension, based on your new US address.
• Revenue Canada
• your friends :-).

You may want to consider filling out a Canada Post change of address form. For a US forwarding address, this will cost CDN $60/6 months. Do this 2-3 weeks before you leave and call Canada Post to verify that your request has made it into their computer. Canada Post will not forward to a company address. I believe they will not accept a mailbox as a forwarding address as well.