Flagpole personnel will no longer be able to obtain work and study permits at Canadian ports of entry.
Flagpolers are foreign nationals who hold temporary residence status in Canada and who apply for immigration services such as work permits or study permits at their port of entry, rather than submitting a renewal application through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. A person who leaves Canada and re-enters Canada to use the service.
of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reports that from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, more than 69,300 flagpolers were processed, primarily in the Pacific, Southern Ontario, and Quebec regions.
“This change will further streamline operations at ports of entry, allowing Canadian and U.S. border officers to focus on border security, which is their specialized training,” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said in a statement Monday. It will become.”
The announcement comes as part of a broader move to strengthen Canada’s border security ahead of the inauguration of the next U.S. president on Jan. 20.
Canada has focused on strengthening border security to deter President Trump from imposing a hefty 25% tariff on all Canadian goods. He said the tariff threat was in response to concerns about border security, immigration and illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl.
The Liberal government’s fall economic update allocated $1.3 billion for border security measures over six years. This includes purchasing helicopters and drones to better monitor our shared border, as well as increasing spending for the CBSA, RCMP, Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Communications Security Agency. However, the statement did not provide details on how the funds would be used.
In part, border security and Canada’s looming tariff war efforts led to former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from the cabinet.
In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Freeland said the two sides were at odds over the best path forward through Trump’s tariff threats.
“We need to take that threat extremely seriously,” she wrote in the letter. “That means not depleting the fiscal spark today and securing the reserves that may be needed for the coming tariff war.”
The CBSA says the flagpole changes were made to allow both Canada and the United States to “effectively manage border operations and maintain the integrity of our shared border.”
“The strong relationship between Canada and the United States ensures the safe movement of people and goods while protecting both sides of the border,” Immigration Minister Mark Miller said in a statement. can be repurposed.”
The CBSA says that in “limited circumstances” work and study permits may be granted to individuals who would otherwise meet the flag bearer criteria. Citizens and Permanent Residents of the United States. Truck drivers who need to leave Canada for work. Experts and technicians under free trade agreements with the United States/Mexico, Chile, Panama, Peru, Colombia, and South Korea. Spouses or common-law partners of professionals and engineers under free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea.
Individuals who do not meet the limited circumstances and wish to put up a flagpole will be redirected to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to submit an application.
