CANPASS
Corporate Aircraft - Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program?
The CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program is an alternative method of reporting to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). It allows pre-approved, low-risk travellers on a corporate aircraft with no more than 15 passengers (including the crew) to report to the CBSA by telephone before arriving in Canada.
2. What are the benefits of joining the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program?
Members of the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program can:
- land at any airport of entry (AOE) in Canada;
- land at an AOE any time the airport is open for landing, regardless of the hours of business of the local CBSA office;
- land at a CANPASS only airport (CPO), which may be nearer to their destination;
- transport up to four non-members who are integral to the business operation;
- receive expedited clearance; and
- proceed to their final destination if there is no CBSA officer waiting for the aircraft at the reported time of arrival, without making a second call to the CBSA after landing.
3. Who qualifies for membership in the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program?
Employees of the corporation or consultants engaged in the business's operations, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada or citizens or resident aliens of the United States, may qualify for membership.
4. If I had a criminal conviction, would I qualify for the program?
If you have been convicted of a criminal offence, you might not qualify for the program.
For U.S. citizens and permanent residents: alcohol-related driving offences, such as driving while intoxicated, driving while ability-impaired, and driving under the influence are criminal offences in Canada. You may want to contact a Canadian embassy or consulate in the United States to discuss immigration admissibility and legislative requirements.
5. How do I apply for membership?
Individuals cannot apply for membership in the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program. The corporation that you work for must sponsor your application for membership. You can download the application form E672 from the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft Web site. You should give the completed and signed application form to your corporation's representative, who will send all applications from the company and the applicable processing fees to the appropriate processing centre. Do not send the application directly to the processing centre.
6. What is the membership fee?
The corporation will pay a non-refundable processing fee of CAN$40 for each applicant. Fees are waived for applicants who are under 18 years of age.
7. For how long will my membership be valid?
Your membership will be valid for five years, unless you no longer work for the corporation or your business relationship has been terminated.
8. Does the corporation have to fill out an application form or pay a processing fee?
No. The corporation does not have to complete the application form E672, CANPASS Application Form or pay a processing fee to participate in the program and register its employees. However, it must fill out a billing authority form E679, CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft, to provide the CBSA with a valid credit card number and permission to bill charges such as processing fees or charges related to temporarily authorized passengers to that account.
9. Who has to call the CBSA to report the plane's arrival?
The pilot must call the CBSA 2 to 48 hours before the plane's arrival in Canada.
10. Who is responsible for the information provided to CBSA?
Although the pilot is required to call CBSA with the information on each person on board the aircraft, including the declarations of goods, each individual is ultimately responsible for complying with customs and immigration legislation.
11. Can a dispatcher make the call to the CBSA on behalf of the pilot?
No. A dispatcher can set up a flight by sending a fax to the telephone reporting centre, but the final responsibility for making the call rests exclusively with the pilot.
12. What should the pilot do if they cannot reach 1-888-CANPASS?
If you cannot reach 1-888-CANPASS, you should call the telephone reporting centre directly, using the numbers posted on the CBSA Web site at www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel/canpass/airprogram-eng.html.
13. Why do I have to inform the CBSA whether a flight will be a CANPASS or non-CANPASS passage?
You have to inform the CBSA during the first telephone call whether or not the flight will be a CANPASS passage to ensure that you comply with the CANPASS program.
14. What are the requirements for carrying unregistered travellers on a CANPASS corporate flight?
You can take up to four unregistered travellers with you on any CANPASS corporate flight only if:
(i) they meet the citizenship and residency requirements for CANPASS participation;
(ii) they meet the eligibility criteria for enrolment in the program;
(iii) they are travelling for purposes related to your company's business; and
(iv) they are accompanied by at least one registered CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program member.
15. How much does it cost to take four temporarily authorized travellers on a CANPASS corporate flight?
There is a CAN$25 fee per entry to Canada for each temporarily authorized person. This fee is charged every time an aircraft lands at an airport of entry (AOE) or a CANPASS only airport (CPO), regardless of the hours of business of the CBSA at that airport.
16. When will passengers not qualify for temporary authorization?
Passengers will not qualify for temporary authorization if they are:
- foreign nationals, other than U.S. citizens or residents;
- persons who are not integral to the business or who cannot demonstrate a work-based relationship with the corporation;
- family or friends not enrolled in the CANPASS program.
17. Do membership privileges apply to CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program members who use a rented or leased aircraft?
Yes. There is nothing to stop members from using a rented or leased aircraft.
18. Can small charter airlines obtain CANPASS status and expedite the passage of non-registered passengers?
No. For customs purposes, charter airlines are treated in the same way as regularly scheduled airlines. The CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program was not designed to allow a charter airline to become a member and extend its business to a diverse non-registered passenger base. The program is intended for corporate businesses that operate an aircraft to transport passengers for business purposes.
19. Can corporate aircraft fly directly from Mexico to Canada and use CANPASS privileges to report to the CBSA?
No. The pilot has to follow general aviation procedures.
20. How does the legislation on cross-border currency reporting affect me?
You must declare currency or monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN$10,000 to the CBSA during the first telephone call.
21. Can I apply for membership in the CANPASS - Corporate Aircraft program if I own a small family business?
You can apply for membership if your family business is incorporated. If not, you might qualify for a membership in the CANPASS - Private Aircraft program.
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