Advance Declaration Feature in ArriveCAN App Expands to Quebec City Airport

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on Monday its Advance Declaration feature within the ArriveCAN app has expanded to another major Canadian international airport.

Incoming travellers from international flights at Québec City’s Jean-Lesage International Airport can now use the Advance Declaration feature inside the ArriveCAN app, joining Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau, Winnipeg Richardson, Vancouver, and Halifax-Robert Stanfield international airports.

The feature has still yet to reach international airports in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto’s Billy Bishop, and Ottawa, but that will change “in the coming months,” says the federal government. Back in October, the Advance Declaration feature was launched for Halifax’s international airport.

The Advance CBSA Declaration feature allows travellers to submit their customs and immigration declaration to the CBSA, up to 72 hours in advance of their arrival in Canada. Previously, it was only available on the web, but in late June the feature was added to the ArriveCAN app, in an effort to lower travel wait times.

The CBSA says the new feature can cut wait times at primary inspection kiosks (PIK) “by roughly one third”.

The ArriveCAN app cost taxpayers about $54 million to develop and maintain, and recently has faced scrutiny over the transparency of who actually developed the app, which the CBSA chief said was unknown.