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The University of British Columbia
- a place of mind
- The University of British Columbia
- UBC Human Resources
The busiest time of the year for relocation is usually between May until the first weekend of September. Please ensure that new faculty members and staff are informed of the Human Resources Relocation website before contacting UBC’s designated relocation and moving vendor, Quality Move Management (QMM).
Here are some moving tips that you may find helpful for new faculty or senior management staff:
Get the quote or estimate as soon as you have a date to move to Vancouver or Kelowna and coordinate with your Department to get approvals. Quality Move Management may get booked up quickly during the peak season. The key is to get the estimate first, and then QMM will book the schedule as soon as they receive our Purchase Order.
For new appointees who do not have Canadian citizenship or are non-residents, please do not confirm your move date or your flight into Canada until you have the appropriate immigration paperwork to obtain your work permit.
For new faculty appointees, please find information on immigration at Faculty Relations.
For new staff appointees, please contact your HR Associate for more information.
The movers cannot give a guaranteed date because of shared charter of the trailer. One trailer contains approximately 5-10 loads. Usually, movers will provide a range of dates for pick-up and delivery.
After a survey has been arranged with the Relocation Coordinator, QMM will send a local surveyor to do the estimate. Please let them know by what transportation mode you would like your goods to travel (e.g. wardrobe by Air, books by truck or sea freight), including any high-value items may require extra care/packing (e.g. Grandfather clock). Don’t forget to include the valuation amount of your goods for the insurance coverage. If some of your household is stored in another facility, please advise the surveyor of the pick-up address and contact phone number.
Responsibility for damage to goods in a carton that you have packed is difficult to establish if there is no visible damage to the outside of the carton. Unless the carton showed obvious structural damage, these items would not be included in the Valuation offered. It is recommended that you allow the movers to handle the packing for you. If you would prefer to pack some items yourself, here are some tips to help you.
When packing is performed on a different day than loading, the movers will leave the beds and all major furniture as-is. These will be taken care of during loading.
This refers to any item with a replacement value in excess of $10,000. The value for these items must be confirmed by a written appraisal, dated before the packing or loading date. Items such as documents, jewellery, liquor, wine, records, LPs and stamp collections are not covered under the Valuation and should be taken by you. As the moving van is not temperature controlled, wine will either freeze or spoil. Any items damaged by broken wine bottles and any spoiled or frozen wine will not be covered under the Valuation.
Listed below are the items that the Federal Government does not permit to be transported:
Alcohol and some non-perishable food items in small quantities are permissible for transport into Canada. However, duties may apply for alcohol and the shipment may be subject to Customs exams at additional costs.
Please be advised that any International shipment or shipment between the United States and Canada will require Customs documents/permits from the Department of Agriculture for the import of live plants to Canada. Shipments including live plants may be subject to Customs exams, which can be quite expensive. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that live plants should not be included on these kinds of moves.
The moving vans are not temperature controlled; the plants are not watered during transport and will not be accepted into storage. Choosing to have the plants shipped on the van would be at your own risk. The plants will not be covered under the Valuation offered. To allow your plants the best chance of surviving the trip, it is recommended that:
Shock can cause the leaves to yellow and drop. This is normal and should not last.
If you do not have a fixed address in Vancouver or Kelowna, you may incur storage expenses. Please bring this to the attention of your Department and also advise the Relocation Coordinator that you may need storage for a period of time. As soon as you have a fixed address in your new city of residence, inform Quality Move Management to update your delivery address.
Delivery to Your New Residence
When you have confirmed where you will be moving to, please advise your Relocation Coordinator if there will be any problems with a moving van accessing the residence.
Some issues to be aware of would be one-way streets, low hanging wires, overhanging trees, short driveways or narrow streets.
QMM may be unable to deliver on the day you receive possession of your new residence. This is due to the uncertainty of what time you will receive the keys. Please work with your Relocation Coordinator to discuss the delivery schedule. It is advisable to provide your Relocation Coordinator of your requested delivery date at least 5-10 days prior in order to give QMM sufficient time to plan accordingly to accommodate your request.
Be sure you are provided with a guaranteed estimate. Please be aware that this applies only to the weight. Any customs duty, storage fees, shuttle and unforeseen delays are not included in the guarantee. Once you receive the estimate, ask if there are any extra charges that may occur beyond the guaranteed estimate. The guaranteed estimate should include the fuel surcharges and all applicable taxes.
Ensure prior to moving that you are the registered owner of any vehicle that you plan to move to Canada. If the car is leased, it cannot be moved without the leasing company’s agreement. Please refer to the Registrar of Imported Vehicles for the customs regulations or policies of Importing a Motor Vehicle Into Canada.
When shipping a vehicle, please ensure that pre-existing damage is recorded on the Vehicle Condition Report at the time of loading. In the unlikely event that damage is incurred during transit, ensure it is recorded on the Vehicle Condition Report. Loading and delivery vehicle condition reports must be completed and signed for claims consideration. You are responsible to ensure the following items have been completed prior to the vehicle inspection, and the shipment of the vehicle:
Please note that no personal belongings can travel in the vehicle.
Lab Equipment Crossing the Border
Please point out to the surveyor separately if you have lab equipment, and advise the title of ownership for the equipment. Customs duties and taxes may be applicable.
Please refer to the Canada Border Services Agency for the customs regulation or policies of moving to Canada. While all measures are taken by QMM to ensure seamless customs clearance transpires, Canada Customs will randomly inspect shipments. While shipments are inspected, additional charges will apply, which are over and above the estimated cost of a given relocation.
Choose the most acceptable moving schedule according to your needs:
Advise the Relocation Coordinator as soon as possible regarding your required moving dates. Your Relocation Coordinator will confirm your delivery spread with you at this time that is based on the weight of your shipment and the distance if it is a cross border or domestic move. If you are relocating internationally, your Relocation Coordinator will confirm the estimated transit time based on the method of shipping. Specific delivery dates cannot be guaranteed, however QMM will do everything possible to accommodate your requested delivery date at destination.
Inform your Department to prepare a Purchase Requisition, attach your accepted estimate, along with any supporting documentation and have your department fax the documentation to Supply Management as soon as possible.
For moves within Canada, you have 60 days from the date of delivery to file a written claim.
For moves between the United States and Canada, you have nine months from the date of delivery to submit a written claim.
For moves Internationally, you have 30 days from the date of delivery to submit a written claim.
Please follow the claims process found here.
Joyce Wei (joyce.wei@ubc.ca)
New Hires: Please fill out the UBC Contact & Information Sheet for Relocation (.doc) and forward it to QMM.
Download the Relocation Reimbursement Claim Form [.pdf]
The Work-Life and Relocation Services Centre helps with the smooth transition of new faculty, postdoctoral fellows, staff and their families who are relocating from outside Metro Vancouver to the UBC community and Vancouver neighbourhoods.
