You have to fill RIV (registrar of imported vehicle) online forms to get the car into canada. they will ask for uploading title and recall clearance certificate.
After that you will get 4 copies of the form to take with you to border crossing.
There are 2 types of import (when you select that in RIV website online)
Temporary - for work permit and student visa holders
Permanent - for PR ppl (im not sure PR folks can choose the temp option or not)
In the border crossing they will get these 4 copies of papers and give you 2 back. In doing so if you are temp importing they wont ask anything more, for permanent imports you will have to pay taxes upfront. (temp ppl pay later when they choose to sell)
After moving to canada rules are specific to province
For BC
- Get car checked by ICBC approved garage and get provincial clearance certificate.
- Go to ICBC autoplan broker (there are a dozen in every street) and get insurance for the car by providing provincial clearance cert AND previous insurance records from US (if you provide them you will get some % of discount every year you were claim free)
- ICBC will get you a new plate and you basically surrender old plate and US state registration paper with them