Question Period Note: Border Management and ArriveCan App

• This Government is committed to protect our borders and to help travellers remain safe, which is paramount in the context of the global pandemic.
• Technology, such as the new ArriveCAN app has and will be instrumental in protecting the health and safety of travellers and expediting processing at the border.
• I want to reassure Canadians that the ArriveCAN app and website do not collect any geo-location data related to users and only retains the information that is provided by the traveller. This information is utilized for health screening purposes at the border, including allowing public health officials to determine the need for quarantine or isolation.
• ArriveCAN was built using privacy-first principles, and the CBSA will continue to respect the principles of the Privacy Act as it modernizes its processes.
• This Government is committed to build on the success of the ArriveCAN app and will roll out other initiatives designed to deliver a better and faster border experience for travellers in the coming months and years.
• The CBSA has shared its Privacy Impact Assessment of ArriveCAN with the Privacy Commissioner’s Office. The CBSA is committed to working with the Privacy Commissioner and other stakeholders to develop rigorous standards and governance that will protect the privacy of Canadians while continuing to modernize the management of Canada’s borders.

In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken measures to close borders and drastically reduce international travel, in addition to many other heightened public safety measures. With current requirements for travellers to provide contact details and information on their plans for quarantine, border processing times will be longer unless modern tools in stakeholder data collection and analysis are leveraged.
As a direct result, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have collaboratively developed new digital tools and are positioned to expand their use to enhance Canada’s border posture.
To support the administration and enforcement of the Quarantine Act and Emergency Orders made under it, CBSA and PHAC developed ArriveCAN, an integrated digital solution that enables real-time collection of information at Canadian Ports of Entry (POE) for all incoming travellers. ArriveCAN enables travellers to provide their information digitally as required by law under the Quarantine Act, to support compliance and enforcement, as well as public health measures.
ArriveCAN first launched in April 2020 and is available as a mobile app on the Apple App and Google Play stores or by signing in online at Canada.ca/ArriveCAN.
In November 2020, it became mandatory for air travellers to submit their information digitally in advance (i.e., before boarding the aircraft to Canada). In February 2021 use of ArriveCAN became mandatory in the other modes (e.g. land, marine).
Currently, all travellers, with limited exceptions, whether entering Canada by air, land, rail or marine vessel, must use ArriveCAN to submit their information within 72 hours before arrival to Canada, unless exempted from this requirement due to an accessibility need.
Travellers who do not submit their information through ArriveCAN may be denied boarding if arriving by air and may be denied entry into Canada if crossing at a land, rail or marine border crossing (if you are a foreign national travelling for discretionary purposes).
Canadian citizens, permanent residents, persons registered under the Indian Act and foreign nationals eligible to enter Canada under another entry exemption will not be denied boarding or entry, but:
• won't be eligible for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption;
• may face additional delays at the border for public health questioning; or
• may be subject to fines or enforcement action.
Once in Canada, requirements to quarantine and provide symptom information will differ depending the vaccination status of the traveller as confirmed at the time of entry to Canada.
Information provided through ArriveCAN is shared with provinces and territories and law enforcement agencies for public health follow-up and to verify compliance with the Quarantine Act. ArriveCAN is part of a broader suite of activities and tools supporting Canada’s evolving border policies through COVID-19.
ArriveCAN has had consistently high ratings in the mobile app stores and has been downloaded more than 6 million times. ArriveCAN has also been built with accessibility needs in mind.
With the increase of vaccination rates and the opening of the border, the flow of international travel is expected to eventually return to pre-pandemic levels. When that happens, it will be important that the CBSA has processes in place to support passenger flow while minimizing any virus transmission that can occur from routine actions, such as exchanging a travel document.

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