Airport Transit and Holding Area Rules

Summary#

This is a proposed change to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations put forward by Canada Border Services Agency and published on November 29, 2025. If adopted, it would clarify rules for people transiting through Canadian airports, add a definition for a holding area, and require extra information to be recorded about transit passengers. The public can comment within 30 days of publication.

What it does#

• Adds a new definition for designated holding area (it refers to the meaning in the Presentation of Persons (2003) Regulations).
• Clarifies that, at any airport, passengers arriving from any country who are transiting to a country other than Canada and who remain in a sterile transit area or a designated holding area are covered by the transit provisions.
• Requires anyone who wants to leave a sterile transit area or designated holding area to appear immediately for examination by border officers.
• Requires officers to record a traveller’s status as passenger or crew, whether they are in transit, the traveller’s first destination outside Canada if they are in transit, and the unique passenger reference assigned by the commercial transporter (if any).
• The proposed text says the regulations would come into force on the day they are registered, if finalized.

Who's affected#

• People transiting through Canadian airports who stay in sterile transit areas or designated holding areas.
• Airlines and other commercial transporters, because the rules refer to a unique passenger reference they may assign.
• Airport operators and staff who manage sterile transit zones and holding areas.
• Canada Border Services Agency officers who will apply the checks and record the extra information.
• It is not clear from the notice whether the changes affect non-air travel or smaller airports differently.

Why it matters#

• Transit travellers could face an extra step: anyone who leaves the transit/holding area must be immediately examined. That could affect travel convenience and connection time.
• Airlines may need to provide or manage a passenger reference number for their customers, and airports may need to adjust operations in holding areas.
• The changes increase the information border officials record about people passing through Canada, which matters for security, tracking, and privacy.
• These are proposed changes, not final law; the public has a short window to comment before a decision is made.