As many of you are aware, the cross-border information sharing program, known as the Entry/Exit Initiative, was scheduled to be expanded to include Canadian and American citizens on June 30, 2014. However, since the necessary legislative and regulatory changes were not implemented in time, the inclusion of Canadian and American travellers was delayed and information sharing remained limited to permanent residents and third-country nationals.
On March 10, 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Obama jointly announced that both nations would proceed with the reciprocal exchange of entry and exit records of all cross-border travellers. On June 15, 2016, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Ralph Goodale introduced legislation, Bill C-21, An Act to amend the Customs Act, in the House of Commons which will permit Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to collect personal information on all individuals who are leaving or have left Canada. Passage of this legislation will allow for the expansion of the Entry/Exit Initiative, which will include the collection and exchange of biographic entry and exit information of all travellers, including Canadian citizens. Once fully implemented, entry into one country will serve as an exit record from the other. It should be noted that information sharing arrangements must be established between CBSA and all partners before any information can be shared.
The Canadian Snowbird Association will continue to closely monitor developments related to the Entry/Exit Initiative and will communicate any updates directly to our members.
If you have any questions related to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the CSA office toll-free at 1-800-265-3200 or by email at csastaff@snowbirds.org.
