Before the summer tourist season arrives, Canada Border Services Agency Reduction flagpoleThe program allows temporary residents to bypass bureaucratic wait times and receive same-day immigration services at Canada-U.S. border checkpoints.
As of May 30, CBSA has reduced the number of days and hours per week that flagpole services are provided. 12 ports of entry Located in Quebec, southern Ontario and the Pacific.
Rebecca Purdy, a senior spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency, said that while immigration services will still be available at all ports of entry, the agency will limit operating hours at those 12 border crossings due to the “high volume of flaggers.”
“This change is intended to allow frontline officers to efficiently process high volumes of travelers during peak periods and focus on other key priorities, including high-risk travelers, trade facilitation, asylum seekers and other critical immigration services,” Purdy told Global News in an email on Monday.
Although flag-crossing is legal, the immigration workaround has been criticized in the South, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently calling on Ottawa to crack down on the practice.
Here’s what you need to know about flagpoles, why they’re a popular choice for many Canadians, and the potential risks associated with them.
According to the Canada Border Services Agency, Flagpoling is when a temporary resident of Canada immediately re-enters the country within 24 hours after leaving the country in order to receive same-day immigration services at the border.
This service is not unique to Canada; travelers can also enjoy this service in other countries.
“The term flagpole movement literally means swinging around a flagpole,” said founder Ravi Jain. Jain Immigration Law He is also a former co-president of the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association.
Essentially, Jain explained, when a flagging investigation is conducted, a person leaves Canada and reports to U.S. border officials, indicating that they intend to return to Canada, not remain in the United States.
Once at the Canadian point of entry, the CBSA will consider the person’s application for immigration services that he or she wishes to receive.
A car crosses the International Rainbow Bridge between Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York
The Canadian Press/Aaron Lynett
Who is eligible to serve as a flagpole?
Anyone with a valid Canadian visa or status can flagpole.
Jain said that while a U.S. visa is not necessarily required, if U.S. border officials deny them entry for tagging purposes, it could have “significant consequences for the future.”
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He added: “If you travel to the United States on a valid visa and do spend some time there, it is not considered a flagpole.”
Jain said temporary residents use the tag pole solution to avoid long waits for things like work permits, which can be as long as 100 days.
“We do use it in certain situations,” he said, such as if someone gets a new job and needs to start right away, and the employer insists on seeing an actual work permit.
Typically, people seek a graduate work permit, an international mobility program permit, an open work permit or a treaty-based work permit, Jain said.
“It’s frustrating when people can’t get the basic services they need,” he said.
“They have to wait 100 days to do it online from within Canada, so they are frustrated.”
As of May 28, the processing time for temporary residents to obtain a work permit in Canada is 93 days. According to the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Is the flagpole movement on the rise?
Thousands of people are flagged at Canadian ports of entry every year, and the number has increased every year since 2021, according to statistics shared with Global News by the Canada Border Services Agency.
This year alone, as of June 2, 32,410 people have raised the flag.
Last year, a total of 61,561 people used the service, a 90% increase from 2022, when 32,394 people registered at the U.S.-Canada border.
In 2021, the number of markers fell 34% as the coronavirus pandemic restricted non-essential travel across the U.S.-Canada border.
What are the hidden dangers of flagpoling?
There are some potential risks associated with tagging, including being denied re-entry into Canada.
“If you decide to go to a port of entry for immigration services, you may find that the lines are long and your turn may not be reached before the end of the service hours,” the Canada Border Services Agency warns on its website.
Instead, the agency strongly recommends people use IRCC's online services.
“Temporary residents do not need to go through a flagpole to access immigration services,” said the CBSA's Purdy.
“Temporary residents who need to renew their work or study permit should complete an online application on the IRCC website before their permit expires,” she said.
Jain said he generally does not recommend clients take the tagging option because they may face difficulties at the border, including the duty of candour required by Canadian law.
“That opens your customers up to all kinds of vulnerabilities,” he said.
Especially for fresh graduates who are applying for work permits, Jain said there is “really no reason to put yourself in danger” by applying for flagpolting.
However, in some rare cases involving senior citizens and U.S. visa-waiver individuals, he may advise them to take flagpole action.
In the United States, some officials worry that flagpoles will impede the flow of traffic, hamper trade and cause unnecessary delays at the border.
Schumer, In a May 28 letter to Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller“Flagstaff controls disrupt normal travel and increase the unpredictability of wait times at our busiest border crossings,” the department said.
“I urge Canada to work with the United States to end flagpole controls to ensure smooth travel across our border,” he wrote.
Global News reached out to IRCC and Miller's office regarding the letter but had not received a response by press time.
