by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 6:45 AM ET, Tue December 2, 2025
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has opened a 30-day public consultation on proposed regulatory amendments that would remove the requirement for international transit passengers to report to border officers when connecting through a Canadian airport.
The proposal, published in the Canada Gazette, would formalize the “Free Flow International-to-International Transit” process, which allows eligible passengers to move through designated Canadian airports without checking in with the CBSA.
The agency says the change would maintain border security while improving efficiency for travellers.
According to the CBSA, the Free Flow process “would continue to ensure a high level of security while providing travellers with a more efficient transit process.”
Under the proposed rules, air carriers would be required to collect and share additional information with the CBSA, including a traveller’s final foreign destination and the date and time they arrive in Canada.
The agency says this data would allow it to confirm that travellers have departed the country on their scheduled international flights.
The initiative is part of the federal government’s broader Red Tape Review.
“These proposed regulatory changes enable the CBSA to make its processes more efficient and services more effective, while maintaining the strength and security of our borders,” the agency stated.
The consultation period runs until December 29, 2025.
Quick Facts
- The Free Flow process is currently being piloted at Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver International Airport, and Toronto Pearson Terminal 1. More than 737,000 travellers used the program in 2023, and more than 744,000 in 2024.
- Travellers must still have the required immigration documents for their final destination when transiting through Canada.
- Free Flow International-to-International Transit is part of the CBSA’s Traveller Modernization initiative, designed to redirect frontline resources from known low-risk transiting travellers to higher-risk activities.
Feedback on the proposal can be submitted through the Canada Gazette until the end of the consultation period.
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