Entry/Exit Program: Canadian Government Can Now Monitor How Many Days Immigrants and Visitors Spend in the Country
Since February 2019, the government has been able to track how many days travelers spend in Canada. It was recently announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will now have access to a traveler’s information to determine their eligibility for Canadian citizenship and permanent residence.
What is the Entry/Exit Program?
The Entry/Exit Program is a joint initiative of Canada and the United States. Through this program, the Canadian government is able to obtain information from the Canadian Border Services Agency, which allows them to track the movements of individuals entering and exiting the country.
The program is meant to facilitate an exchange of information between Canadian and US border services. In this way, individuals who are reported as having crossed the border into the US can be automatically recorded as having exited Canada.
The Canadian Border Services Agency collects the data of individuals who cross the Canada/US border by land, as well as all travelers who exit Canada by air.
What data will be collected?
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Nationality or citizenship
- Sex
- Travel document information including type, number and issuing country
What is the Goal of the Entry/Exit Program?
Entry and exit data can be used to determine a person’s eligibility for a Canadian travel document, and to further protect individuals against immigration fraud.
In addition, the information collected by Canadian Border Service Agents will now be useful in determining an immigrant’s eligibility for both temporary and permanent status:
Examples of temporary status:
- Temporary resident visas
- Electronic travel authorizations (eTAs)
- Temporary resident permits
- Visitor records
- Work permits and work permit extensions
- Study permits and study permit extensions
Examples of permanent status:
- Overseas refugees
- Permanent resident travel documents
- Permanent resident cards (PR cards)
- Family class sponsorships
To qualify for permanent residence, applicants must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days of every 5 year period. The Entry/Exit Program will now be able to help the IRCC verify these credentials.
This can help the government track if an individual has overstayed their allowable time in Canada.
Citizenship
In order to be eligible for Canadian citizenship, applicants must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days of the five years leading up to the submission of their application.
Exit and entry data can be used to verify this requirement, and may be used to either grant or revoke an individual’s citizenship.
Overall, this information will help the IRCC to make better informed decisions and to ensure that individuals are complying with all necessary requirements in order to achieve status in Canada.
It is more important than ever to ensure that you are following proper protocol throughout the immigration process. At Canadim, we can offer you the best possible chance of successfully immigrating to Canada by following the process and providing accurate information every step of the way.
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