Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller has said that work and study permits will no longer be provided to ‘flagpolers’ at a port of entry, in an announcement on December 23.
Flagpoling occurs when foreign nationals who hold temporary resident status leave and re-enter Canada through the US to obtain same-day services for immigration applications such as renewing study and work permits.
Taking immediate effect on December 23, immigration services at the border will now be limited to individuals arriving in Canada, with those already in Canada required to submit renewal applications online through the IRCC website – where processing time can take up to six months.
“Flagpoling is unnecessary and diverts resources from critical enforcement activities. This change will ease border congestion, improve fairness for applicants and enhance the efficiency and security of our borders,” said Miller.
The immigration minister previously announced his intention to end the practice on December 17, though the official IRCC update came just four hours before the change took effect.
Flagpoling had become a popular method of accessing instant immigration services and bypassing long wait times associated with online applications.
Flagpoling is unnecessary and diverts resources from critical enforcement activities
Minister Marc Miller, Canadian government
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) processed over 69,3000 flagpolers across Canada, diverting both Canadian and US immigration resources at the border.
Announcing the change, Miller highlighted the “strong Canada-US relationship” that “keeps people and goods moving safely while protecting both sides of the border”.
“This change will enable us to further streamline activities at our ports of entry and allow Canadian and American border officers to focus on what they have been expertly trained to do – border enforcement,” added David McGuinty, minister of public safety.
US citizens and permanent residents remain exempt from the policy, as well as free trade professionals and their spouses, as well as certain pre-booked CBSA appointments.
The pre-Christmas announcement comes at the end of a year of turmoil for the Canadian sector, hit with seemingly endless IRCC policy announcements impacting international higher education.
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