On June 15, 2016 the Canadian Government tabled for first reading Bill C-21, or as it is called, An Act to amend the Customs Act.

The Bill was introduced by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honorable Ralph Goodale. This procedure is to start the process for keeping track of passport information for all individuals exiting Canada. The Bill has to have two more readings and review by the House of Commons Committee before it will be sent to the Senate and then proclaimed into law.

Minister Goodale told reporters, “It’s nothing more or less than what you find on page two of your passport .And that is the full name, the nationality, the issuing authority and the gender of the traveller.”

The same information is already collected when people enter Canada. Many countries are collecting such data upon departure including the U.S. and the U.K.

Goodale also noted, “Having this data will allow us to better respond to amber alerts, for example, on missing children. It will help us deal with human trafficking, it will help us deal better with illegal travel by terrorist fighters, it will help (Minister of Immigration) John McCallum deal with immigration proceedings and visa applications, and it will help us ensure the integrity of Canadian social programs.”

It is proposed that when Individuals leave Canada by land, and enter the United States, American border officials will collect the data and send it back to Canadian officials. When leaving the country by air, airlines will provide passenger manifests to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). All information will be retained for 15 years.

The collection of data will also help monitor the residency of people attempting to dodge taxes, and stop people from illegally collecting government employment benefits while out of the country. The Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada expect to save between $194 million and $319 million over five years once the system is fully implemented.

CBSA already stores data for almost all entries into Canada. This information is used for security purposes but also to monitor presence in Canada for individuals who are applying to renew their Permanent Residence Cards or making an Application for Canadian Citizenship.

Please Contact Us for more information.