Parliamentary Committee Notes: Funding for Proof of Vaccination Credentials
Date: February 25, 2022
Classification: Unclassified
Branch / Agency: FCMB, ISTB, SPB, TB / CBSA
Proposed Response:
- The Government is committed to protecting Canada’s borders and to helping travellers remain safe, which is paramount in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
- Technology, such as the ArriveCAN app and proof of vaccination credentials, have been and will continue to be instrumental in protecting the health and safety of travellers and expediting processing at the border.
- The Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination credential (or PVC) is a reliable way for a traveller to show proof of their vaccination history when travelling internationally and within Canada.
- The credential:
- was developed by provinces and territories, with support from the Government of Canada;
- is a recognized, trusted document that has been shared with Canada’s international partners; and
- can be verified after being uploaded into ArriveCAN (on return to Canada).
- All travellers, with limited exceptions, must use ArriveCAN to submit their information within 72 hours before arrival to Canada.
Financial Implications:
- While the Public Health Agency of Canada now has overall responsibility for the PVC project, the CBSA is requesting $12.4 million in the Supplementary Estimates (C), 2021-22 to cover:
- expenses incurred so far as in support of the project; and
- the cost of sustaining the project until the end of 2021-22.
- More specifically, the funding will cover costs associated with a number of information technology activities including application design and architecture for PVCs, verification of PVCs issued by provinces and territories, cloud-related and security costs, project management, and will be used to support the ongoing development and operations of the ArriveCAN application.
Background:
In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken measures to close borders and drastically reduce international travel, in addition to many other heightened public safety measures. With current requirements for travellers to provide contact details and information on their plans for quarantine, border processing times will be longer unless modern tools in stakeholder data collection and analysis are leveraged.
About the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination
The Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination is a reliable way for a traveller to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination history when travelling internationally and within Canada.
The proof was developed by provinces and territories, with support from the Government of Canada, initially under the leadership of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and now under the stewardship of the Public Health Agency of Canada. The proof of vaccination is a recognized, trusted document that has been shared with Canada’s international partners; shows a traveller’s COVID-19 vaccination history; and can be verified after being uploaded into ArriveCAN (on return to Canada).
About ArriveCAN
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and CBSA have collaboratively developed new digital tools and are positioned to expand their use to enhance Canada’s border posture.
To support the administration and enforcement of the Quarantine Act and Emergency Orders made under it, CBSA and PHAC developed ArriveCAN, an integrated digital solution that enables real-time collection of information at Canadian ports of entry (POE) for all incoming travellers. ArriveCAN enables travellers to provide their information digitally as required by law under the Quarantine Act, to support compliance and enforcement, as well as public health measures.
ArriveCAN first launched in April 2020 and is available as a mobile app on the Apple App and Google Play stores or by signing in online at Canada.ca/ArriveCAN.
In November 2020, it became mandatory for air travellers to submit their information digitally in advance (i.e., before boarding the aircraft to Canada). In February 2021, use of ArriveCAN became mandatory in the other modes (e.g. land, marine).
Currently, all travellers, with limited exceptions, whether entering Canada by air, land, rail or marine vessel, must use ArriveCAN to submit their information within 72 hours before arrival to Canada, unless exempted from this requirement due to an accessibility need.
Travellers who do not submit their information through ArriveCAN may be denied boarding if arriving by air and may be denied entry into Canada if crossing at a land, rail or marine border crossing (if they are a foreign national travelling for discretionary purposes).
Canadian citizens, permanent residents, persons registered under the Indian Act and foreign nationals eligible to enter Canada under another entry exemption will not be denied boarding or entry, but:
- won't be eligible for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption;
- may face additional delays at the border for public health questioning; or
- may be subject to fines or enforcement action.
Once in Canada, requirements to quarantine and provide symptom information will differ depending the vaccination status of the traveller as confirmed at the time of entry to Canada.
Information provided through ArriveCAN is shared with provinces and territories and law enforcement agencies for public health follow-up and to verify compliance with the Quarantine Act. ArriveCAN is part of a broader suite of activities and tools supporting Canada’s evolving border policies through COVID-19.
With the increase of vaccination rates and the opening of the border, the flow of international travel is expected to eventually return to pre-pandemic levels. When that happens, it will be important that the CBSA has processes in place to support passenger flow while minimizing any virus transmission that can occur from routine actions, such as exchanging a travel document.
Contacts:
Approved by: Minh Doan, Vice-President, Information, Science and Technology Branch
Approved by: Denis R. Vinette, Vice-President, Travellers Branch
Approved by: Scott Millar, Vice-President, Strategic Policy Branch
Financials Approval: Andrew Francis, A/Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch
- Date modified: