News Release

CBSA and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority announce the planned expansion of the Automated Border Clearance Program

Toronto, Ontario, October 26, 2012 — Luc Portelance, President of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Howard Eng, President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), today announced the planned expansion of the Automated Border Clearance (ABC) Program at Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport.

"ABC technology is a secure and innovative service which demonstrates our commitment to making travel easier for Canadians. Smart border management includes border services that leverage technology to assist in reducing wait times and congestion at Canada's busiest airports," said President Portelance.

"We are excited to provide our passengers an improved experience when arriving at Toronto Pearson," said Howard Eng, President and CEO of the GTAA.  "As a major global hub, our airport is expecting continued significant increases in international traffic and ABC will help us meet that growing demand efficiently."

ABC is an innovative concept that uses self-service kiosk technology to partially automate the processing of eligible travellers (Canadian citizens with a valid passport and Canadian permanent residents with a valid permanent resident card) returning to Canada.

ABC offers a safe and viable alternative for the processing of eligible travellers by the CBSA. The self-service kiosks are easy to use and do not require preregistration or payment of any membership fees.

Eligible travellers who choose an ABC kiosk should have all of the necessary documents on hand when they approach the kiosk, including the CBSA Declaration Card, their Canadian passport or Canadian permanent resident card, and all receipts for purchases made abroad.

To use the kiosk, the traveller activates the kiosk touch screen, scans their travel document, inserts their completed Declaration Card and answers a few clarifying questions as required. Once finished at the kiosk, travellers present their printed kiosk receipt and travel document to a border services officer at the next checkpoint for verification. The ABC kiosk allows up to four travellers residing at the same address to be processed in a single transaction if they are all identified on the same CBSA Declaration Card.

While this innovative technology will be new to Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport this winter, it has already proven to be enormously successful in Vancouver and Montréal.

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For media information

Canada Border Services Agency Headquarters:
Media line
613-957-6500

Greater Toronto Airports Authority:
416-776-3709

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