Us Customs Preclearance: Canadian Airports Offering This Service

The United States has been conducting air preclearance in Canada since 1952. Preclearance allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to inspect travellers before they board flights to the United States. This process is intended to streamline border procedures, reduce congestion at American ports of entry, and facilitate travel into airports that otherwise lack immigration and customs processing facilities for commercial flights. There are currently eight Canadian airports with preclearance: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto (Pearson), Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

Airports with preclearance

Preclearance is an arrangement between two countries that allows customs and immigration officials from the country of destination to be located in the country of origin. This allows them to clear or deny the admission of travellers or goods to the destination country. The United States has been conducting air preclearance in Canada since 1952.

Preclearance facilities are available at eight major Canadian international airports. These include Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto (Pearson), Vancouver, and Winnipeg. With preclearance, travellers undergo U.S. customs, immigration, and agriculture inspections before departure from Canada, rather than upon arrival in the U.S. This simplifies connections and reduces wait times upon arrival in the U.S.

At airports with preclearance, passengers must first pass airport security inspection before proceeding to the preclearance area. Security checks are conducted by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and must adhere to both CATSA and U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is currently installing its Mobile Passport Control program across Canada's preclearance airports. This program allows travellers to submit their passport and travel information through a mobile application. This information can then be stored on a traveller's device for future travel, expediting the travel process.

Benefits of preclearance

Preclearance is an arrangement between two countries that allows customs and immigration officials from the country of destination (in this case, the US) to be located in the country of origin (Canada) to clear or deny the admission of travellers or goods to the destination country. The benefits of preclearance for travellers from Canada to the US are:

Streamlined border procedures

Preclearance facilities at Canadian airports enable US-bound passengers to clear US customs and immigration before boarding their flight. This means that upon arrival in the US, precleared passengers can skip the CBP and TSA inspection lines and proceed directly to their connecting flight or final destination, reducing congestion at American ports of entry.

Easier domestic connections

Preclearance allows travellers to accept tighter connection windows at US airports and be less likely to miss a domestic connection.

Cost savings

Travellers can access less expensive US domestic gates and more flexible arrival times at US airports.

New US destinations

Airlines can establish new routes to desirable US destinations that meet growing traveller demand, including 160+ US airports that do not have a CBP port of entry.

Expedited travel

The Mobile Passport Control program, which is being rolled out across Canadian preclearance airports, allows travellers to submit their passport and travel information through a mobile application, resulting in a faster and more efficient travel experience.

Mutual security

The Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air (LRMA) Transport Preclearance strengthens economic competitiveness and mutual security, allowing CBP and the Canada Border Services Agency to conduct security, facilitation, and inspection processes in each other's countries.

The Mobile Passport Control program

The Mobile Passport Control (MPC) program is an official application created by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It streamlines the CBP inspection process at select U.S. entry locations. The MPC program was originally launched in August 2014 and has been used by more than 4.3 million travellers.

The MPC app is available for download on Apple or Android devices. It allows travellers to submit their passport and travel information using their mobile devices. The app also enables them to store their information so it will be readily available for future international travel. This results in less congestion and a faster, more efficient travel experience.

The MPC app can be used by U.S. citizens, certain Canadian citizen visitors, lawful permanent residents, and Visa Waiver Program visitors. It is important to note that MPC does not replace your passport or other required travel documents such as ESTA for Visa Waiver Program travellers. Your passport will still be required for travel and must be presented to the CBP officer for final inspection.

To use the MPC app, travellers must complete their travel information, answer CBP inspection questions, capture a photo of themselves and each member of their group, and follow the instructions provided on their receipt. Upon submission, travellers will receive an electronic receipt with an encrypted Quick Response (QR) code. Travellers will then bring their physical passport and mobile device with their digital QR-coded receipt to a CBP officer to finalize their inspection for entry into the United States.

Airports with Global Entry

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in the United States. Members enter the United States by accessing the Global Entry processing technology at selected airports. At airports, program members proceed to the Global Entry lanes where processing technology will be used to expedite the members by capturing a photo to verify their membership.

Global Entry is available at many airports in the U.S. and worldwide. It is offered at some of the country's biggest airports, like John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). It is also available at smaller airports, such as Toledo Express Airport (TOL) and Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB).

• Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (IAH)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK)
• Lambert - St. Louis International Airport (STL)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
• Providence – T.F. Green International Airport (PVD)
• St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)

In addition to the airports listed above, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is in the process of installing its Mobile Passport Control program across Canada's Preclearance airports. This program allows travellers to submit their passport and travel information through an application downloaded onto their mobile devices, expediting the travel process.

History of preclearance

The practice of pre-screening US-bound passengers in foreign countries began in 1894 when American immigration inspectors were deployed to seaports across Canada. However, modern preclearance facilities were first introduced in 1952 at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Calgary International Airport. At the time, the facilities only offered "`pre-inspection` immigration inspection", with customs and agriculture inspections still carried out upon arrival in the US.

In 2009, Shannon Airport opened an addition to its "pre-inspection" facility, allowing full preclearance inspections. In 2011, Dublin Airport followed suit, opening a dedicated preclearance facility with full CBP services. These preclearance facilities enable US-bound flights to arrive at domestic terminals, allowing passengers to bypass further inspections upon landing in the US.

Today, preclearance facilities exist at eight major Canadian international airports, including Toronto Pearson, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. Additionally, one seaport in Canada offers preclearance, while several other seaports and one rail station in British Columbia have "pre-inspection" facilities for screening immigration admissibility.

The US preclearance program is a joint initiative between the US and Canadian governments, allowing US CBP agents to operate on Canadian soil. This arrangement streamlines border procedures, reduces congestion at US ports of entry, and facilitates travel into smaller US airports that lack immigration and customs processing facilities for commercial flights.

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