Free-flow Transit for International Flights

Summary#

This is a proposed set of changes called the Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Customs Act (Transit Between International Flights). It would let international passengers who are only transiting through Canada move through certain airports without having to meet a CBSA officer or use a kiosk, so long as they stay in the approved transit area. The proposal was published on November 29, 2025 and comments are invited for 30 days after that date.

What it does#

• Defines and aligns two types of airport transit areas — a "designated holding area" and a "sterile transit area" — so the same rules work across customs and immigration regulations.
• Changes the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations so that people who remain in one of those transit areas are treated as transiting (not entering) and would not have to appear in person for an examination.
• Changes the Passenger Information (Customs) Regulations and the Exit Information Regulations to require air carriers to send extra passenger data, including each traveller’s transit status and the traveller’s first destination outside Canada.
• Updates the Presentation of Persons (2003) Regulations and the Reporting of Imported Goods Regulations so exemptions and reporting rules are consistent with the new area definitions.
• Lets airports that qualify run a “free‑flow” process where transiting travellers can proceed directly to departures without interacting with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in person or at a kiosk.
• Documentary requirements (for example, visas or an Electronic Travel Authorization) remain unchanged.

Who's affected#

• International travellers who only transit through Canada at participating airports (must still have the right travel documents).
• Canada Border Services Agency, which would change how it identifies and monitors transiting travellers and would absorb most IT costs.
• Commercial air carriers, which must provide the extra passenger and exit data to CBSA.
• Airport authorities that run or want to run transit hubs, including airports already in the pilot: Vancouver International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montréal.
• Industry groups and airlines consulted on the proposal, such as Air Canada and WestJet.
  If it is unclear whether a specific airport will participate, that will depend on separate approvals and operational arrangements.

Why it matters#

• For travellers: it can make international connections faster and simpler at participating Canadian airports because you may not need to stop for a CBSA kiosk or officer if you stay in the transit area.
• For airports and airlines: it could make Canadian airports more attractive as connection hubs and let airports reduce or repurpose ITI kiosk infrastructure.
• For government operations: CBSA expects efficiency gains in targeting and can focus resources on higher-risk arrivals. The proposal does require IT changes at CBSA and some operational coordination with airports and airlines.
• Costs and scale: the ITI pilot processed over 737,000 transiting passengers in 2024–2025 (about 2,000 per day on average, and up to 5,000 per day in busy periods). Expected additional costs to stakeholders are estimated at less than $1 million per year, mostly for government IT work.
• This is a proposal, not law yet. Interested parties were invited to make representations within 30 days of publication (November 29, 2025). The regulations would take effect when they are registered.