TRAVELLERS heading to Canada can now spend less time in immigration queues.
Canada Border Services Agency has created a new eDeclaration mobile app for visitors to use with the on-screen Primary Inspection Kiosks at major airports.
Travellers create a traveller profile, select My Declaration and answer the questions to create a Quick Response (QR) code. This code is then scanned along with travel documents at a Primary Inspection Kiosk, which takes a photo and confirms the declaration before printing out a receipt for the visitor to give to a border services official.
The new app can be operated safely in airplane mode while travellers are still flying. It is expected to halve processing time.
Most travellers can use the app, though anyone travelling with a non-machine readable passport will still need to be processed by a border services official.
The Primary Inspection Kiosks are available at Vancouver and Ottawa airports and will soon be rolled out at Toronto International Airport.
Australian and New Zealand passport holders visiting or transiting through a Canadian airport still need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before flying by filling out an online application.
The official eTA costs $7 Canadian dollars and is available from the official website.
ETAs are linked electronically to passports and are valid for five years or until the passport expires.
The eDeclaration app is available HERE.
