The great love-hate story between expats and the turn of the post is drawing to a close. This original tactic, which considerably facilitated visa renewals, will soon be banned in Canada. Since the re-election of Donald Trump, the federal government has been working hard to strengthen its collaboration with the United States. And this practice, which led many immigrants to customs offices, was considered too cumbersome. We’ll explain it to you.
A popular tip
When a French expat tells his Quebec friends that he has just gone around the pole, it almost always elicits the same reaction: wide eyes and a hint of astonishment. Why leave Canada to return immediately? For years, this method has allowed immigrants every day to bypass lengthy administrative processes.
The trick is to go to a land border crossing to officially leave the country, without actually entering the United States, and return immediately to request a visa renewal or modification directly from Canadian customs officials. This quick procedure is a godsend for avoiding the often long waits for online or mail requests.
This practice, well known in the immigrant community, also offers a certain flexibility: it allows you to reactivate visas or travel without getting stuck in Canada in implicit statusa situation which requires waiting for the new permit without leaving the territory.
But the federal government has just sounded its death knell.
Decongesting borders: a new political issue
Donald Trump will be in power again next month, and the Canadian government is trying to use new means to prepare for new relations with the United States. At the end of November, the American president-elect affirmed his intention to impose customs tariffs of 25% on Canadian products. He explains his decision by a desire to protect the United States from the opioid and immigration crises.
The federal government and the provinces and territories fear the worst for the country’s economy. In an attempt to deter Donald Trump, the Trudeau government has decided to increase security at the Canada-US border. It will invest $1.3 billion over six years to increase surveillance at the Canada-US border.
Inspection teams will soon be reinforced at ports, at land borders and in the air. With this Border Plan, the federal government wishes in particular to increase the fight against the entry of Fentanyl (an increasingly destructive drug) and to better equip law enforcement. But in this strategy, it is also a question of reducing passages deemed non-essential, such as those of immigrants using the turn of the post to speed up their visa procedures.
« This practice uses significant resources at the borders, diverts the attention of officers from control activities and slows down cross-border traffic », We can read in an official government press release.
Since the summer, a prior appointment was already required to go around the post. This first measure aimed to limit congestion at border services agencies. Today, Ottawa is going even further and completely bans this practice.
The details of this measure remain to be announced. The costed plan has been revealed, but not yet the timetable. But one thing is certain: the turn of the post will soon be a thing of the past. It is no longer possible to make an appointment to obtain the service at the border.
Towards an alternative option?
The end of the turn of the pole is not intended to make life more difficult for immigrants, but rather to relieve border agents.
An alternative solution could possibly emerge in the future, but for now, you will have to stick to traditional procedures, online and by mail. According to Nadia Barrou, immigration lawyer, the Trudeau government plans “ create service points near major urban centers so that visa holders can request their renewal in person, without leaving Canada ».
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