published on 9 January 2025 @ 4:11 pm · COMMENT

CBSA Now Prohibiting “flagpoling” for Most Foreign Nationals

Effective as of December 23, 2024, significant prohibitions have been placed on “flagpoling,” the practice in which a foreign national exits and re-enters Canada at a land border to access immigration services at the port of entry. Under these new policy directives, most foreign nationals are no longer eligible to apply for work or study permits at land border ports of entry if they are flagpoling. Exemptions to this ban are available for US citizens and permanent residents, professionals and technicians under certain Free Trade Agreements, truck drivers, and applicants with pre-scheduled CBSA appointments. Additionally, travellers entering Canada by air are not considered to be flagpoling.

CBSA officers are considering flagpoling to be any instance of leaving and returning Canada by land for the purpose of making an immigration application upon re-entry. Because of this broad definition, most foreign nationals that would have previously opted to renew their permits by flagpoling must now be prepared to submit their applications online.

This policy change aims to streamline border operations, reduce congestion, improve fairness for applicants, and allow CBSA officers to focus on other critical enforcement activities. However, with the elimination of flagpoling, applicants should now be prepared to renew their permits up to six months in advance to avoid extended periods of maintained status, as leaving Canada without the option to flagpole results in the loss of maintained status and the inability to resume working or studying until their new permit is processed.

filed under: IMMIGRATIONPERMANENT RESIDENCE