Entry/Exit initiative based on Bill C 21, An Act to amend the Customs Act

On February 25, 2019, the Government of Canada announced the Entry/Exit initiative regarding the collection of entry and exit information on travelers entering and departing from Canada.

Bill C 21 allowing the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to systematically collect and share routine biographical information on all travelers, including Canadian citizens, received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018.

As a result of Bill C 21, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will be in the position to query the CBSA’s Entry/Exit information system, inter alia, to verify residency requirements to process ongoing applications; to verify if a temporary residence applicant may have previously overstayed their admission period in Canada; to verify whether sponsors are residing in Canada where required to by law; to verify whether a refugee claimant entered Canada using their travel documents, etc.