The CBSA gives tips this Labour Day long weekend for a smoother trip for travellers

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 30, 2022 /CNW/ – The Canada Border Providers Company (CBSA) reminds all travellers crossing the border this upcoming Labour Day lengthy weekend of what to anticipate on the border through the busy summer season months, whether or not returning house to Canada or visiting.

This summer season, travellers are returning to a border that’s managed in another way, with evolving COVID-19 necessities, which may imply delays throughout peak durations. The CBSA is working with authorities and trade companions to mitigate lengthy border wait occasions, however there are additionally issues that travellers can do to make the method simpler for themselves and different travellers.

Travellers will help scale back wait occasions on the border by coming ready and by finishing their obligatory ArriveCAN submission inside 72 hours earlier than arriving on the border. Over 1.4 million travellers efficiently used the ArriveCAN app final week.

The CBSA invests vital effort yearly to plan and put together for peak durations, such because the summer season months. The Company works with bridge and tunnel operators, airport authorities and journey trade teams to plan and evaluate service necessities, enhancement alternatives, and required assets, in order that we are able to ship collectively one of the best service to all travellers.

The CBSA has additionally established fashionable processes to enhance the traveller expertise and handle volumes, just like the Worldwide-to-Home and the Worldwide-to-Worldwide packages that considerably lower connection occasions, in addition to the Primary Inspection Kiosks, and the Advance CBSA Declaration feature within ArriveCAN.

Key suggestions for all travellers:

• Guarantee you might be eligible to enter Canada. International nationals should meet the admissibility necessities beneath the Immigration and Refugee Safety Act and supply acceptable travel and immigration documentation. Admissibility selections on entry are made by a border providers officer on the port of entry.
• Perceive the foundations round COVID-19. There are nonetheless border measures in place for COVID-19. They range relying on who’s travelling—overseas nationals, returning residents or Canadian residents. Answer a few questions to search out out which necessities apply to you and should you can enter Canada.
• Use ArriveCAN. Whether or not you might be travelling by air, land or marine, all travellers, no matter vaccination standing, are required to submit their info in ArriveCAN (free as a cellular app or by accessing it on the CBSA website), as much as 72 hours earlier than getting into Canada. ArriveCAN collects contact, well being and journey info to guard the well being and security of travellers and expedite processing on the border. It’s the quickest, best and most safe manner for travellers to indicate they meet public well being necessities.
• Travellers should guarantee they’ve essentially the most up-to-date model of the ArriveCAN app (seek the advice of the Google Play Retailer or the App Retailer for iPhone).
• Travellers ought to print or take a screenshot of their ArriveCAN receipt and produce it with them once they journey.
• Travellers with out a smartphone or with out cellular information can submit their info by signing in on-line via a computing machine. When you use this web site possibility, the know-how ensures that your web connection to ArriveCAN is safe. If travellers are unable to enter their info themselves, they will have a pal or member of the family enter the data for them.
• Advance Declaration characteristic. Air travellers touchdown in Toronto (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR) and Montreal (YUL) airports, could use this characteristic in ArriveCAN (app or Net model) to finish their customs and immigrations declaration in advance of their arrival in Canada. Early utilization information signifies that utilizing the non-obligatory Advance CBSA Declaration cuts the period of time a traveller spends at a kiosk by roughly one third. This characteristic will additionally develop into accessible on the Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Billy Bishop Toronto Metropolis, Ottawa, Québec Metropolis and Halifax worldwide airports within the coming months.
• Have all of your paperwork prepared. Travellers will need to have the next able to current to the border providers officer: their passport or travel documents and identification for all individuals within the car. You might also be requested to current your ArriveCAN receipt and proof of vaccination.
• Plan forward and verify border wait times. Travellers crossing the border by land are inspired to plan to cross throughout non-peak hours, similar to early morning. The Monday of vacation lengthy weekends are usually the busiest, with longer border wait occasions.
• Coming into Canada by water. Except exempt, all travellers getting into Canada by water, must report their arrival to the CBSA at once. All travellers, together with these with a proper of entry (Canadian residents, everlasting residents and individuals registered beneath the Indian Act), should submit their obligatory info in ArriveCAN earlier than, or when, getting into Canada at a marine port of entry.
• Be ready to declare. Travellers returning to Canada should declare all items bought and/or acquired whereas exterior the nation. It is suggested that items not be wrapped as CBSA officers may have to look at them. Have your receipts available from purchases made exterior of Canada.
• Know your exemption limits. Returning residents planning to make purchases or decide up on-line purchases throughout the border ought to pay attention to their exemption limits. Remember to verify the CBSA duty and taxes estimator to calculate taxes on items bought in the US and to assist make knowledgeable selections when procuring overseas. 
• Residents can deliver again tax and obligation free items valued at CAN$200 after being away for twenty-four hours, and items valued at CAN$800 after 48 hours. There are not any personal exemptions for same-day cross-border procuring journeys, so be ready to pay tax on these purchases and probably obligation. Alcohol and tobacco allowances can also range relying in your size of absence from Canada.
• Declare any foods, plants, or animals similar to uncooked poultry merchandise and by-products that aren’t totally cooked, to the border providers officer. There are presently restrictions on imports of dwell birds, chicken merchandise and by-products from states affected by Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the US. Additionally declare all wooden and wooden merchandise (together with. firewood and wood souvenirs). Remember to verify the Automated Import Reference System to assist decide all particular import necessities.
• Declare all forex and/or monetary instruments of CAN$10,000 or extra. It’s not unlawful to deliver such quantities into Canada, nevertheless it have to be declared on arrival.
• Hashish. Do not deliver it in. Do not take it out. Transporting hashish throughout the border in any type, together with any oils containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), with out a allow or exemption authorized by Health Canada stays a critical prison offence topic to arrest and prosecution, regardless of the legalization of hashish in Canada.
• Know the contents of your car. Travellers can seek the advice of the CBSA’s web site for info on firearms and different restricted and prohibited goods.
• Use the most recent know-how. Upon arrival at chosen main airports in Canada, travellers can use a primary inspection kiosk or eGates to confirm their journey paperwork, affirm their identification and full an on-screen declaration.
• Kids. When travelling with children, it is suggested that the accompanying grownup have a consent letter authorizing them to journey with the kid. Border providers officers are at all times anticipating missing children, and within the absence of the letter, officers could ask extra questions, to assist them establish the connection between the kid and the accompanying grownup.  

For extra info, go to the CBSA Web site or name us at 1-800-461-9999.

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SOURCE Canada Border Providers Company

For additional info: To schedule an interview with a CBSA consultant, please contact: Media Relations, Canada Border Providers Company, [email protected], 1-877-761-5945