Dealing with Canadian Border Services Agency

driftwood
New Member



Joined: 16 Apr 2008
Posts: 1
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:04 am

 

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Hi

This is my first post. I am a former and soon to be again Canadian expat. I just returned from a short visit to Bulgaria where I plan to take up residence in the next few months.

My re-entry to Canada was at the Halifax airport and it was my first experience in dealing with the new CBSA. This could be a little controversial for some folks, but I'll try to keep my feelings out of it by sticking to the facts. Please note that the following applies to Canadian citizens only. People of other nationalities/status are required to truthfully answer all questions put to them by CBSA agents.

CBSA agents are trained to ask you certain questions about your stay abroad. These include "Where did you stay?" - as in hotel/with friends, etc - or "What did you do during your visit?". There may be other questions of a general nature too.

When you, as a Canadian citizen, approach the CBSA wicket with your properly completed customs declaration and passport in your hand, you have already provided all the information that you are required by law to provide. You are not obliged to answer any additional questions. The agents are trained to ask them, but if you decline to answer, they will tell you that you're not required to answer them.

I have this information from a CBSA Superintendent in Halifax (name available on request). Your declaration is the signed piece of paper in your hand, any other questions they ask are strictly for the purposes of gathering further information about you (I'm paraphrasing here). They ask the questions in order to help them make a decision on whether to validate your declaration and let you proceed to pick up your luggage and leave the airport or whether to detain you and ask more questions, scan/search your luggage.

During your interaction with the agents/inspectors they have the option of making comments in your file. Yes, there will be a file connected to your passport which will be available to the agents you meet on subsequent trips back to Canada. This file is for the purposes of pre-screening. The comments can help agents to decide more quickly whether to let you pass through or send you through the second stage of screening, searching etc. You can read more about this on the CBSA website.

If you want to view the contents of your file, you can make a request through the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator of the CBSA. You can download the form from their website and submit it by regular mail.

That's about it. Obviously there's a story behind this, but that's not important to this post. I just thought that I would pass on what I learned to others so they will be more aware of their rights and obligations when re-entering the country after an absence.

Looking forward to discussing some of the lighter and more pleasant aspects of travelling and living abroad with you all in the future.

Cheers!

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