Frequently traveling between nations reveals that each has its laws governing border controls.
As a result, each of them has federal agencies tasked with upholding these laws. One such federal agency in Canada is the Citizens Security Agency (CBSA), which has the responsibility of gathering traveler data.
Consequently, this raises the question, “What Traveller Information Does CBSA Collect?”
In this piece, we want to address these queries. So, you’ve come to the correct spot if you’re looking for information on CBSA activities.
Now, let’s respond to the first query for the benefit of newcomers;
What is the CBSA?
Canada’s border law enforcement organization is called the Agence des services frontaliers du Canada (ASFC), or Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Along the Canadian border, the agency is in charge of travel, trade, immigration services, border control, and other customs services.
Because the CBSA assists in maintaining appropriate record-keeping, national security, and many other aspects of government operations, its services are vital.
The most crucial of these for this article is gathering specific information from travelers to fulfill other duties.
The duties of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) also include administering and enforcing appropriate border laws, identifying and detaining potential threats to Canada, and collecting unpaid taxes on imported and exported goods.
List of Information CBSA Collects from Travellers
We have listed the duties that the CBSA is responsible for. Therefore, to fulfill those obligations efficiently, the CBSA obtains traveler data at the time of entrance or before departure.
Airports and land borders are the locations where this data is gathered; seaports and rail transportation have not yet begun to record this data.
The following details are among the data that travelers provide to the CBSA:
- first name
- middle name(s)
- last name
- date of birth
- nationality
- gender
The kind, number, and name of the travel document, along with the date and time of entry and exit, as well as the name of the port of entry and exit.
The aforementioned data is gathered at land ports. But if the data is gathered at an airport, the flight details will be included.
Generally, the passenger data mentioned above helps create a report known as a travel history report.
What is a Travel History Report?
A travel history report is a record that is created utilizing all of the information that the CBSA collects on an individual’s entry and exit.
There are specialized applications for this report, particularly in Canada, while obtaining passport and immigration services.
It might also be useful in some legal circumstances. All of this, though, will be covered later.
For this report, the CBSA began gathering entry data from individuals entering Canada in August 2000.
A little policy change occurred in 2013, though, when the government began gathering data on foreign nationals—aside from Americans—leaving Canada.
As of 2019, all exit information for travelers—including Americans and Canadians—must be submitted.
Who has access to CBSA Traveller Information?
Most of the traveler data that the CBSA gathers is extremely confidential. Nonetheless, under some circumstances, the Privacy Act, the Customs Act, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms permit the transmission of such data to designated organizations.
Therefore, the following individuals have access to the CBSA traveler information:
- border services officers and superintendents
- National Border Operations Centre (NBOC) officers
- criminal investigations officers and analysts
- document analysts
- National Security Screening Division officers and analysts
- inland enforcement officers and enforcement case officers
- The Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- intelligence officers and intelligence analysts
- trusted traveler officers
- hearings officers and hearings advisors
- National Targeting Centre (NTC) targeting officers
- NTC targeting operations intelligence
Use of Traveller History Information
You might be curious as to why any of the organizations or individuals on the above list would need access to your trip records.
Consequently, the following are some of the most often-used applications for traveler data and travel history reports:
Temporary Residence Application
First, and perhaps most importantly, the Canadian government utilizes travel history data to determine whether a tourist has ever before stayed in Canada longer than permitted.
A criminal act like this would discourage them from applying in the future.
Permanent Residence Application
The IRCC may ask the CBSA for your travel history report when you apply for permanent residence in Canada to confirm that you meet the requirements.
In other words, to assess your eligibility, they will need to know how long you have been in and out of Canada.
Furthermore, if the applicant is seeking permanent residence through sponsorship, this report may also include the sponsor’s residence status and duration in Canada.
Asylum
People who want to enter Canada as refugees or in search of asylum can also submit their travel information to the CBSA.
This could help reduce the number of fraudulent entrances at the border by confirming whether or not they provided truthful information.
Investigations
The Canadian authorities may need to look into your permits or citizenship/travel documents if they believe you may have entered the country fraudulently.
It may also refer to ordinary criminality, though, when the court needs to ascertain whether or not you were present in the nation at a specific moment.
The authorities might ask for your trip history report in such circumstances and utilize it as an alibi.
How to Request Your Travel History Report
We have already established that you may require your CBSA traveler information/travel history report for several applications in Canada.
Therefore, you can ask the CBSA for a report on your travel history.
It typically takes 30 days for the CBSA to process your report request. This is a somewhat long time, given that you might not have much time to finish some applications.
Therefore, it is not always a good idea to ask for it yourself. Applications requesting your report typically contain language allowing the IRCC to seek it directly from the CBSA.
Among these are a few of these:
- Adult applications for citizenship.
- application for citizenship for kids traveling alone.
- application for permanent residency.
You can apply online for your travel history report if you still require it. You are free to apply for your report. It is necessary for the person you are applying on behalf of to fill out the consent form that you will attach to your application.
Make sure to indicate exactly what information you require—entry information, exit information, or both.
When Not to Apply for a Canada Travel History Report
Your travel history is gathered by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on your behalf. Select the “yes” option found on your application.
- Applying for Canadian Citizenship (Adult and Minor)
- Applying for a Permanent Resident card
How to Request a Canada Travel History Report under the Privacy Act
Who is eligible to make a request?
You have to be one of the following and apply on your behalf:
- Canadian Citizenship and Permanent Residency
How to Access Your Online Travel History Under the Privacy Act
- Click “Continue” after visiting this link.
- Proceed to Request for Personal Information
- Decide which response, for example, is right for you.
- Look up and select “Canada Border Services Agency.”
- Click “Next” after leaving the pilot site.
- Read the privacy notice
- Respond to the queries posed.
- Indicate which record—Travel History—you would want to see.
- Provide supporting documentation for your application.
- Go over everything you’ve typed and hit submit.
- Hold off until you receive the journey history.
How to Make a Written Request for a Travel History Under the Privacy Act
Step 1: Complete this form to request personal information. the Canada Border Service Agency’s request.
If you are requesting your trip history, please include additional information such as your name, date of birth, and passport number. Put your signature on the form.
Step two: Mail the request to:
- Canada Border Services Agency
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator,
333 North River Road,
14th Floor, Tower A
Vanier, Ontario
K1A 0L8 - Or fax it to 343-291-7012.
Step 3: Hold off until you receive the journey history.
How to Use the Access to Information Act to Request a Canada Travel History Report Requests about:
Information created CBSA
Personal data provided by a representative indicating the client’s location:
- Not in Canada
- Not a Canadian Citizen
- Not a Permanent Resident
Steps in Getting a Travel History Online Under the Access to Information Act
- Click “Continue” after visiting this link.
- Select General Records Request.
- Since we already know which institution to select, skip this step.
- Look up and select “Canada Border Services Agency.”
- Click “Next” after leaving the pilot site.
- Read the privacy notice
- Respond to the queries posed.
- Indicate which record—Travel History—you would want to see.
- Provide supporting documentation for your application. You must upload the Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Representative if you are a representative.
- Go over everything you’ve typed and hit submit.
- A $5 fee must be paid.
- Await the dispatch of the travel history
Steps in Getting a Travel History Under the Access to Information Act through a Written Request
Step 1: Compile the ensuing paperwork:
- Information Access Request Form
- The Canada Border Service Agency’s request.
- Enter the person’s name, passport number, and/or date of birth when requesting their trip history.
- Put your signature on the form.
- Permission to Give a Designed Representative Access to Personal Data. If you were someone’s representative,.
- $5 in cash, check, or money order made payable to the Receiver General for Canada
Step 2: Mail the request to:
- Canada Border Services Agency
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator,
333 North River Road,
14th Floor, Tower A
Vanier, Ontario
K1A 0L8 - or fax it to 343-291-7012.
Step 3: Hold off until you receive the journey history.
Processing your request for a Canada Travel History Report will take around thirty days. Applying for oneself under the Privacy Act is possible.
Purchase a representative in Canada if you are unable to do so. This should be useful, especially for your visa applications, I hope.
FAQs
Does the CBSA gather information about Sea Travel Entry and Exit?
No, as of 2023, the CBSA does not yet gather traveler data from passengers arriving and departing Canada via rail or marine ports.
What is required of you at Customs Canada?
Upon entering Canada, you must declare all weapons and firearms at the CBSA port of entry. Food, plants, animals, and products connected to them: all of these items need to be disclosed. Foodborne illnesses like E. coli can spread.
How much prior travel experience is needed for a Canadian visa?
A record of your travel history for the last ten years or since your eighteenth birthday, whichever is most recent, is required by immigration.
For any excursions you have taken outside of your home country AND/or country of citizenship, kindly include a complete travel history.
How is the CBSA put to use?
The agency is in charge of offering integrated border services that serve the top priorities of public safety and national security and enables the free movement of people and goods—including people, animals, and plants—as long as they comply with all program legislation criteria.
Is Travel History Relevant to Obtaining Permanent Residency in Canada?
Indeed. An application for permanent residence in Canada can require you to provide a report on your past travels.
I have no travel history; can I still apply for a Canada visa?
Yes, without a doubt! Even though they have never visited Canada before, first-time visitors still need to apply for a visa.
Does Canada look into past traveller behavior?
A traveler’s entries, exits, or both into Canada are documented in a travel history report. The Canada Border Services Agency is the organization that gathers this data ( CBSA ).
Conclusion
To carry out its purpose of maintaining national security, enabling lawful travel, and enforcing customs regulations, the Canada Border Services Agency gathers a variety of traveler information.
Every piece of information, from biometric information and personal identifiers to the declaration of products, has a specific function in preserving the integrity of Canada’s borders.
There are differing views on how to strike a balance between personal privacy rights and security measures, although CBSA practices are essential to the nation’s security.
The future of information collection at Canada’s borders will be shaped by continuing talks and cooperation between government organizations, privacy advocates, and the general public as technology develops.