As of midnight Monday, the immigration practice known as “flagpoling” officially ended, the Canada Border Services Agency said in a news release.
According to the CBSA, flagging occurs when foreign citizens who have temporary resident status in Canada leave the country and, after a visit to the United States or Saint Pierre and Miquelon, return to access immigration services at a port of entry. .
The agency said work and study permits will no longer be provided to flaggers at a port of entry, effective December 23 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
“This practice has consumed significant resources at the border, diverting Canadian and U.S. agents from important law enforcement activities and has contributed to increased wait times for cross-border travelers,” the CBSA news release says.
Manan Gupta, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant based in Brampton, Ontario, said “this has become a very popular trend in recent years.”
This usually happens when someone needs a visa or extension at short notice.
“If someone gets a job offer and has to start early, they often turn to flag transfer to get same-day visa services,” he said.
Receive the latest national news
For news affecting Canada and around the world, sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as it happens.
Basically, by raising a flag, a person leaves Canada and informs US border officials, indicating that they intend to return to Canada and not remain in the United States.
Upon arrival at the Canadian point of entry, the CBSA may consider the person’s application for the immigration service they wish to receive.
“They can simply tell the US border agent that you do not have a US visa and they will turn you around before you can enter the US. You will then be able to enter Canada, where CBSA agents will process your application,” said Gupta. “You can imagine why this was irritating for the United States when the flow of goods and people was stopped in border traffic.”
In May of this year, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Canadian government end the practice on their side of the border.
Gupta said applicants resort to flagging as a “last resort” due to high wait times for visa processing in Canada.
As of December 17, the average processing time for a work permit in Canada was 170 days, while the average wait time for a student permit was nine weeks.
“There was nothing illegal about this practice (before Tuesday), but it shows that the system was not working well when the wait times were so long,” Gupta said.
Applicants attempting to apply for a work or study permit at the Canada-United States border will be asked to submit their application to immigration officials.
Gupta welcomed the government’s decision to end the measure.
“This was creating a two-tier immigration system. Why should wait times be different for different people?
Every year, thousands of people fly flags at Canadian points of entry, and since 2021, there has been a year-over-year increase, according to CBSA statistics shared with Global News.
As of June 2, a total of 32,410 people had raised the flag.
Last year, 61,561 people used this tactic, which was a 90 percent increase from 2022, when 32,394 people flew flags at the borders between the United States and Canada.
In 2021, flag use dropped by 34 percent as non-essential travel across the US-Canada border was restricted amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
