The Advance CBSA Declarations feature is now available for international travelers coming to Canada. This feature will likely expedite the arrival process for these travelers from international destinations. Customs clearance is a prolonged process because, typically, declaring items after reaching the airport will consume a lot of time. Additionally, travelers also spend a great deal of time on other administrative activities. Newcomers at the airport will require to meet the CBSA officer and will also have to tackle all other routine measures of the airport process.
Most recently, Calgary International Airport made this new feature available on January 31, 2023.
Overall, Advance CBSA Declarations will eventually expedite the processing time between the arrival of new immigrants to Canada and their exit from the airport.
According to the recent Press Release, the “Advance CBSA Declarations” will help travelers from international destinations use the Express Lanes and avoid long queues for PIK machines. These machines are the Primary Inspection Kiosks. As a result, the arrival process will lighten up for newcomers, saving them time.
Advance CBSA Declarations feature- its objective and procedure
The Advance CBSA Declarations feature helps travelers arriving in Canada to proceed with their customs submission and immigration form before their entry into Canada. Additionally, completing the Advance CBSA Declarations indicates its submission at the ArriveCAN app prior to the newcomer’s arrival in Canada. This will be 72 hours before coming to Canada.
What are the advantages of this new feature?
Reportedly, over 11.79 million traveled to Canada, and these included sectors like the international and transborder sectors. However, this figure doesn’t reflect the 34.3 million travelers who arrived here via domestic flights. To an extent, this CBSA feature will streamline and speed up the arrival process for new immigrants coming to Canada.
Consequently, the Advance CBSA Declarations will assist such passengers coming to Canada in a few ways. This includes reducing their time for PIKs after they arrive in Canada. Furthermore, it will also reduce the waiting period at the border.
Reportedly, the Canadian government also claimed that international traveling experience has been expedited by 30 percent at the kiosk. This fast experience is a result of the Advance CBSA Declarations feature.
Availability of the Advance CBSA Declarations
Calgary International Airport recently introduced the Advance CBSA Declarations toward the end of January. As of now, this feature is available at seven international airports across Canada; they’re as follows:
- Toronto Pearson
- Calgary International Airport
- Vancouver International
- Winnipeg Richardson
- Halifax
- Montreal-Trudeau
- Quebec City Jean Lesage
As the next step, CBSA will implement this feature in three airports, including Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ottawa International, and Edmonton International.
