Flagpoling for work and study permits in Canada has ended effective December 23 at 11:59 pm. This has been announced by the Government of Canada in the latest changes to its immigration structure.
According to a statement that was released by the government, the practice of flagpoling had taken up significant resources at the border. “Flagpoling has diverted Canadian and American officers away from important enforcement activities and has contributed to wait times for cross-border travelers,” the government stated.
According to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), flagpoling occurs when foreign nationals who hold temporary resident status in Canada, leave Canada and, after a visit to the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon, re-enter to access immigration services at a port of entry.
Normally, an individual who is flagpoling goes to a land border between Canada and the US. They state that their intention is to exit Canada for the purposes of flagpoling. After leaving Canada, they walk to the US side of the border where the US border officers deny them entry to the United States (if they don’t have a visa). They then walk back to the Canadian border where they present their case and are given work or study permits they have applied for.
“This change will enable us to further streamline activities at our ports of entry and allow Canadian and American border officers to focus on what they have been expertly trained to do – border enforcement,” said David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety.
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According to the statement, between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, the CBSA processed over 69,300 flagpolers across Canada. Most of these requests occurred in the Pacific, Southern Ontario, and Quebec regions.
Additionally, the Canada has announced that it is removing points that candidates in the Express Entry pool earned for having a job offer. According to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller, Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional points for having a job offer.
“This will reduce fraud by removing the incentive to illegally buy or sell labour market impact assessments to improve a candidate’s chances of being selected to come to Canada as a permanent resident. This change will come into effect in spring 2025,” said Miller.
