Free-flow International Transit Rules

Summary#

This is a proposed rule from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), published November 29, 2025, that would let some international travellers who are only changing planes in Canada move through certain airports without stopping for a CBSA officer or kiosk. It would change several regulations so airlines must send extra passenger data showing who is transiting and where they will next land. Interested people have 30 days from publication to comment.

What it does#

• Amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) to treat travellers who stay in a “designated holding area” or “sterile transit area” as transiting (not seeking to enter Canada) and to require airlines to flag each passenger’s transit status and their first destination outside Canada in advance passenger data.
• Amends the Presentation of Persons (2003) Regulations (POPR) and the Reporting of Imported Goods Regulations (RIGR) so the definitions and rules for “designated holding area” and “sterile transit area” match across customs and immigration rules.
• Amends the Passenger Information (Customs) Regulations (PICR) to require airlines to include transit status and the first foreign destination in their Advance Passenger Information submissions.
• Amends the Exit Information Regulations (EIR) to require airlines to report the first place outside Canada where passengers or goods disembark and the arrival date/time there as part of Air Exit Information.
• Enables a “free-flow” model at approved airports where transiting travellers can go directly to their departure area without using ITI kiosks. The CBSA would rely on the extra airline data to confirm travellers left Canada as expected.
• The CBSA expects to incur IT and systems costs to receive and reconcile the new data; overall stakeholder costs are estimated at less than $1 million per year.

Who's affected#

• International travellers who are only transiting through Canada at participating airports (for example, Vancouver International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montréal).
• Commercial air carriers, including carriers consulted such as Air Canada and WestJet, because they must provide the added passenger data elements.
• Airport authorities (for example, the Vancouver Airport Authority, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and Montreal Airport Authority) that operate or want to operate transit services.
• The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which would change how it targets, monitors, and verifies transiting travellers.
• It is unclear from the notice whether additional airports will be approved automatically; participation still requires airport approval.

Why it matters#

• For travellers: fewer steps and faster connections at participating airports. The ITI pilot has already processed over 737,000 transiting passengers (about 2,000 per day on average, and up to 5,000 per day in peak season), showing this affects real traffic levels.
• For airlines and airports: a simpler transit flow can make routes more attractive and help airports compete as transfer hubs. Airports may be able to remove ITI kiosks and reassign that equipment.
• For government operations: the CBSA would shift work from in-person checks to data-driven checks, freeing officers to focus on higher-risk work. The change relies on better matching of inbound and outbound passenger data.
• Privacy and systems: the CBSA will update its Privacy Impact Assessment and Personal Information Bank for the new data elements. The proposal is still just that — a consultation-stage change, not law yet.