Ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to Canada on Sunday, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is expecting a surge of travellers entering Canada and has issued a reminder of what to expect.
“The CBSA is working with government and industry partners to mitigate long border wait times, but there are also things that travellers can do to make the process easier for themselves and other travellers,” the agency said in a release Friday.
Here’s how the CBSA recommends travellers prepare for their visit:
- Check border wait times in advance. It is advised that anyone who crosses the border by land do so early in the morning or during off-peak hours.
- All travellers, including Canadian residents, must declare all their goods to the CBSA.
- Regardless of their immunization status, all travellers must input their vaccine information on ArriveCAN app up to 72 hours before entering Canada, whether they are travelling by air, land, or sea.
- The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act's standards for admission must be met, and foreign nationals must present the necessary travel and immigration papers.
- Have all of your paperwork ready. The ArriveCAN receipt, a passport or other valid travel document, proof of vaccination, and identification for each passenger in the vehicle should all be available for presentation to the border services officer.
Pope Francis is set to land in Edmonton on Sunday before going to Quebec City on Wednesday and Iqaluit on Friday. He is expected to apologize for the Roman Catholic Church's role in the residential school system.
His visit to Canada is expected to last six days and he leaves for Rome on Friday.
For more information about visiting Canada’s border, visit the CBSA website or call 1-800-461-9999.
