Backgrounder

Controls at the Canada-US Border

US VISIT Program

On January 5, 2004, the US Department of Homeland Security launched its US VISIT program at 115 US airports and 14 seaports. Under the program, electronic fingerprints and a digital photograph will be collected to track the entry and exit of visitors from non-visa waiver countries to the United States. The biometric information will be run against terrorist watch lists and criminal databases.

This new policy does not affect Canadian tourists, as Canada is a passport exempt country, i.e. Canadians do not require a passport to visit the US. However, it is strongly recommended that those who wish to do so carry their valid Canadian passport. For those who do not hold a valid passport, they must present a copy of their birth certificate, if they were born in Canada, or their citizenship card, if they were born abroad, along with a photo ID card, such as a driver's licence or a provincial health insurance card.

There is a small group of Canadian citizens who require visas to enter the United States. Only those with a visa sticker glued into their passports by a US consulate will be subject to US VISIT - mainly treaty traders/investors and fiancés. Visa categories that do not require a physical visa sticker in their passports are exempt, including students, NAFTA professionals, performing artists and athletes. Diplomats receive a visa sticker but are also exempt given their special status.

It is estimated that in fiscal year 2003, approximately 3,000 citizens would have been subject to US VISIT. This number is extremely small considering Canadians make 60 million trips to the US annually.

Some, but not all Canadian permanent residents will be required to comply with US VISIT. Permanent residents who are citizens of one of the 27 visa waiver countries do not generally require a visa and therefore will not be subject. However, by October 2004, citizens of visa waiver countries must be in possession of a machine-readable passport to enter the United States without a visa. After October 2004, Canadian permanent residents from visa waiver countries without a machine-readable passport will need to comply with the US VISIT program requirements.

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The Canadian Passport

It is important to note that the Canadian passport does not contain biometric information. It does not have an electronic chip in which personal data can be stored. The decision to include biometric features in Canadian travel documents has not yet been made by the Government of Canada.

In May 2002, the Passport Office introduced the new, digitized Canadian passport in an effort to counter criminal activities, such as identity theft and forgery. It has enhanced security features to safeguard its integrity, which makes the Canadian passport one of the most respected travel documents in the world. The new security features are as follows:

• Digitally printed photo: the bearer's photo is digitally printed and embedded into the page. It cannot be removed.
• Holograms: the passport includes a set of holographic images. When the booklet is tilted, they appear to move across the page.
• Special ink: new optically variable ink that changes colour under different lighting.
• "Ghost" photo: a reproduction of the bearer's photo appears only under ultraviolet light.
• Digitally-printed information: the bearer's personal data as well as his or her signature are digitally printed and embedded into the page. These cannot be removed or erased.

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Updated: 2004-01-16

Important Notices