News Release

Greater Toronto Area Region

Automated Border Clearance now expanded to Terminal 1 at the Toronto Pearson International Airport

Mississauga, Ontario, May 21, 2013 — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that the Automated Border Clearance (ABC) program is now available at Terminal 1 of the Toronto Pearson International Airport. While this innovative technology is new to Terminal 1, it has already proven to be enormously successful at Terminal 3 where qualifying arriving passengers have been able to choose an ABC kiosk to streamline a portion of their border clearance process.

ABC uses self-service kiosk technology to partially automate the processing of Canadian citizens (with a valid Canadian passport) and permanent residents of Canada (with a valid permanent resident card) returning to Canada. The self-service kiosks are easy to use and do not require preregistration by travellers or payment of any membership fees. Eligible travellers, who choose to use 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.

"The technology has proven to reduce wait times and congestion as the ABC usage rate at Terminal 3 has averaged 52 percent of qualifying arriving passengers," said Goran Vragovic, Regional Director General of the CBSA in the Greater Toronto Area Region. "I am pleased to announce the expansion to Terminal 1 and I anticipate similar successful results."

To use the kiosk, travellers activate the kiosk touch screen, scan their travel document, insert their completed CBSA Declaration Card and answer 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 a verification of their identity and validation of their travel documents. 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.

The Automated Border Clearance kiosks are already operational at the Vancouver International Airport and the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport in Montréal. The expansion of ABC to Terminal 1 in Toronto continues to contribute to the Canada Border Services Agency's vision of service excellence.

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For media information:

GTA Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
905-803-2800

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