On February 14, 2021, the Government of Canada issued an Order in Council declaring that all travellers must use the ArriveCAN app for the purpose of re-entering Canada.
For your convenience, a link is included if you have questions regarding ArriveCAN.
As of February 21, 2021, it will be required for all travellers to submit their information electronically before or when entering Canada. Commercial transporters will continue to be able to submit the mandatory information before or when entering Canada.
For travellers who have not submitted their information in advance, they will be asked to provide it on entry. No Canadian driver will be denied entry into the country.
Therefore, in summary, a truck driver will currently have three options to comply with this requirement:
- ArriveCAN App
- Web Portal
- Oral Declaration
Note: The oral declaration option is only being allowed to facilitate the movement of cross-border trade until a reasonable transition timeframe has elapsed, which is still to be determined.
CBSA stated the following:
“Commercial transporters will continue to be able to submit the mandatory information before or when entering Canada.
For travellers who have not submitted their information in advance, they will be asked to provide it on entry.
While it is not mandatory for the information to be submitted in advance of crossing the border at this time, the use of ArriveCAN for travellers to submit their information in advance of the border is strongly recommended. ArriveCAN is a secure and user-friendly tool to help travellers comply with Canada’s enhanced border measures.
ArriveCAN is available as a free mobile app available for download from Google Play or the App Store or by signing in online via Canada.ca/ArriveCAN.”
To accommodate drivers who do not have access to a smartphone, drivers have the option to sign-in online on any personal computing device, such as a tablet or desktop, to use the non-app version of ArriveCAN. This will require a driver to have an email address.
If a driver does not have an email address, a link is included below to help them get set up with a Gmail account.
It has also been clarified that drivers can submit this required ArriveCAN information in advance of their trip. For example, a driver leaving from Montreal to Chicago can submit the required information from their Montreal terminal before leaving for their trip to Chicago via the portal or a smartphone.
It is understood that CBSA’s intention is to facilitate the movement of the supply chain and not be punitive in the early stages of the new policy.
This same message has also been delivered to the Regional Directors of all ports of entry across Canada. These directors have educated frontline border officers on this guidance.
If a driver experiences enforcement action/fines over providing an oral declaration of ArriveCAN information, they should contact 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).
As expected, many issues will need to be dealt with regarding this new border policy in the coming days and weeks.
The Government of Canada has assured that they will “engage with industry to allow for the appropriate measures to be put in place for a seamless implementation, to the greatest extent possible.”
Your fleet should also be monitoring border delays as a result of this policy and its enforcement approach. If your drivers are experiencing significant border delays, you should contact 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232).
Below is a series of links and guidance to assist the industry in meeting compliance:
– Download the ArriveCAN app for free on Google Play and Apple App stores.
– Access to the ArriveCAN app is also available through the web using a computer/laptop for those who do not have access to a smartphone. This will require a driver to create an account that will need an email address, such as Gmail. Creating an email is free of charge, and a driver can follow the instructions to set up an account here.