Back in June, the ArriveCAN mobile app debuted support for Advance CBSA Declarations, allowing incoming international travellers to submit their customs and immigration information ahead of time, at airports in Vancouver and Toronto.
The feature was previously only available on the web but was added to the app in an effort to speed up wait times at airports, amid post-COVID-19 travel.
In August, the federal government said the feature would expand to seven more airports: Winnipeg, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Billy Bishop, Ottawa and Quebec City.
Earlier this month, the feature expanded to Winnipeg James A. Richardson International Airport (Oct. 13), and today the advance declaration feature debuts at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Five more airports are awaiting the support of the feature. The government says “in the coming months” the feature will land at Calgary, Edmonton, Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ottawa and Quebec City international airports.
Today’s announcement means Halifax joins Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau, Winnipeg Richardson and Vancouver international airports in supporting the advance declaration feature.
The ArriveCAN app has come under major scrutiny as of late, for its $54 million budget and lack of transparency for outsourcing to contractors and also its accounting errors. Opposition MPs launched an investigation into ArriveCAN spending, demanding the federal government share details about how its budget ballooned from $80,000 to $54 million.
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Flying back from Vietnam on the weekend. Will be nice not having to bother with this garbage.
On the other hand, the airline still requires masks for the entire flight, so that sucks.
Its only used for advance declaration now, saves time when you arrive.
Maybe. Deleted it from my phone so we’ll see if it slows me down.
Just arrived and left Pearson 10 minutes ago from Asia. No ArriveCAN. Was about 0 minutes slower than arriving from Europe 4 weeks ago with ArriveCAN.
Sometimes, when they’re giving you excuses, you should question whether they might be just blowing smoke up your backside. They certainly were about ArriveCAN saving you any time at all.
I rather do advance declaration on the app, the CBSA computers at Pearson are slow AF.
Still had to use the terminals when I used the app in sept. The app doesn’t compare your passport photo to a facial scan.
So, you still have to use those slow AF CBSA computers. The only difference is it might be one or two of the questions about what you’re bringing in are skipped. By far, the slowest parts of the process at the kiosk are the scanning of your passport and of your face. These are still needed even with using the app ahead of time.
0 minutes or even seconds saved.
You’ve been played. They’ve convinced you that there must be a benefit for you, so you’ve convinced yourself there must be. But, there isn’t.
Does the app still ask for V status? If so, BIG no.