As part of the Beyond the Border Action Plan for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, Canada and the United States (U.S.) are working together to establish and coordinate entry and exit information systems, including a system that permits sharing information so that a record of a land entry into one country can serve as a record of exit from the other.

This key initiative is aimed at helping identify threats as early as possible through a common approach to perimeter screening and will allow both countries to: identify persons who potentially overstay their lawful period of admission; better monitor the departure of persons subject to removal orders; verify that applicants are meeting their residency requirements for continued eligibility in immigration programs; and better manage the border, including making more focused policy decisions.

Phase I established that a traveller’s record of entry in one country can serve as a record of exit from the other. Phase II, which began on June 30, 2013, builds off this success. Now, entry data is exchanged on third-country nationals, permanent residents of Canada who are not U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of the U.S. who are not Canadian citizens.

Initial results of the information exchange for Phase II are positive. By the end of July, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) had successfully sent about 362,000 entry records to the U.S. and received approximately 400,000 U.S. entry records in return. There have been no delays to travellers at the border as a result of Phase II.

For more information on the Entry/Exit Initiative, please visit the CBSA Web site.