‘We basically got to skip the entire line’: Toronto Pearson travellers can use this app when flying to the U.S.
People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, May 12, 2022. The organization that runs the airport is "urgently" calling on the federal government to help alleviate major delays affecting passengers at security and clearance points amid a shortage of staff. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Those travelling through Toronto Pearson International Airport to select U.S. destinations might be able to avoid long lines at customs by using this app.
U.S.Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app permits eligible travellers to submit all of their necessary travel information, like their passport and customs declaration form, before crossing the border.
According to CBP, travellers who use this app can also store their information “so it will be readily available for future international travel,” which could result in “less congestion” at customs.
As of Aug. 30, travellers at two Canadian airports–Pearson and Montreal Trudeau International Airport–can use the mobile app at preclearance at customs or when they land in the U.S.
Jade Horinga was flying to St. Louis, MO, on Sept. 6, when she found out about the app on TikTok.
“I didn’t really know what to expect [or] if it was even going to work, and it was amazing,” Horinga told CTV News Toronto. “There was nobody in the MPC line at Pearson and there was a huge line for customs, and we basically got to skip the entire line.”
How does it work?
According to CBP, as soon as the MPC app is downloaded, eligible travellers can digitally fill out their passport information.
Once everything is filled in, travellers can pick what airport and terminal they are arriving at, snap a selfie, and answer a series of questions. The mobile app can also be used at sea ports.
“It probably took me less than a minute to fill out the questions,” Horinga said. “Then we got a receipt and that receipt was valid for four hours. We just showed the receipt to the officer and went through.”
According to CBP, the receipt is an encrypted QR code that travellers can show to a customs officer for final inspection.
Up to 12 profiles can be created on the MPC app, so families from a single household can submit just one form.
“It also eliminates the need for a declaration form because travellers can answer the CBP inspection-related questions electronically via their smartphone or tablet prior to arriving at Customs,” a news release reads.
At the moment, the app can only be used at the following 31 U.S.airports:
- Baltimore/Washington International Airport
- Boston Logan International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
- Dulles International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Houston George Bush intercontinental Airport
- William P. Hobby Houston International Airport
- Kansas City International Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Miami International Airport
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Oakland International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Portland International Airport
- Sacramento International Airport
- San Diego International Airport
- San Francisco International Airport
- San Jose International Airport
- San Juan Airport
- Salt Lake City International Airport
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- Tampa International Airport
CBP says the program will expand to Vancouver on Sept. 19.
How secure is it?
According to the CBP, all travel documents submitted to the app are sent through “secure encryption protocols.”
“The information you enter on the authorized applications are securely transmitted to CBP which sends a response to the apps, generating the electronic receipt you display to the officer.”
Travellers can choose to store their profile on their phones for future travel, or they can choose to delete it after their vacation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73
Murray Sinclair, who was born when Indigenous people did not yet have the right to vote, grew up to become one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy.
India's Modi, Canada's Trudeau condemn violence at Hindu temple near Toronto
The prime ministers of India and Canada condemned violence that broke out on Sunday at a Hindu temple near Toronto at a time of escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
Frustration over Mideast war in America's largest Arab-majority city may push some away from Democrats
As an ongoing part of Omar on the Road: America Decides 2024, CTV National News visited the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus to talk to Arab-American students about why they’re feeling left out of the Democrats’ tent.
3 people arrested after incident during protest at Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont.: Peel police
Peel Regional Police say three people are in custody as they continue to investigate an incident during a demonstration at a Hindu temple in Brampton on Sunday.
Judge rules against Alberta casino, dinner theatre operator
An application to stay a receivership order of Mayfield Investments Ltd., a company that owns multiple businesses in Alberta including the Camrose Resort and Casino, Medicine Hat Lodge and Calgary's Stage West Dinner Theatre, has been denied by the court.
'Giving women agency over their health': How innovative solutions are filling the gaps in Canadian menopause care
In a 2022 survey conducted by Leger Canada for the Menopause Foundation of Canada, about 46 per cent of women said they don't feel prepared for menopause, even though they know it's coming. At a time when tech-savvy millennials are starting their menopausal journeys, some tech entrepreneurs are stepping up with potential solutions to long-standing health-care deficiencies.
Ikea will pay 6 million euros to East German prisoners forced to build their furniture in landmark move
Furniture giant Ikea has agreed to pay 6 million euros (US$6.5 million) towards a government fund compensating victims of forced labour under Germany's communist dictatorship, in a move campaigners hope will pressure other companies to follow.
Police arrest Netanyahu aide as opponents accuse him of leaking intelligence to thwart Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
Israeli police have arrested a top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegedly leaking classified information to foreign media.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Montreal
-
EMSB chair reelected in school board election
Hundreds of Montrealers cast their ballots in the English Montreal school board elections on Sunday. Polls closed at 8 p.m. and while results have begun to trickle in, officials said it will take some time for all of the votes to be counted.
-
New doctors must first practice in the public system: CAQ government
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube says he wants to introduce a bill that would require new family doctors and specialists trained in the province to practice in the public system for the first few years of their careers.
-
Concordia closes institute for genocide, human rights studies
The Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies is permanently ceasing operations, confirmed Concordia University.
Ottawa
-
Mother of Bobs Lake boat crash victim remembers daughter
170 days ago, Alison Côté lost her 22-year-old daughter, Juliette, in a tragic boat crash.
-
Scotiabank to eliminate tellers at some branches, including Carleton University
Scotiabank is eliminating tellers at some of its branches, including one at Carleton University, and switching to "advice services only."
-
Desjardins Ontario Credit Union closing four branches in eastern Ontario
Desjardins Ontario Credit Union is closing four branches in eastern Ontario this month, as fewer people visit tellers and use ATMs in branches.
Northern Ontario
-
Heavy police presence in Haileybury, Cobalt for investigation: OPP
One person has been arrested and provincial police in the Temiskaming area of northern Ontario are asking the public to stay away from two separate areas as the investigation continues.
-
Man killed, woman injured in Chelmsford rollover after doing donuts in open field
Greater Sudbury police say a man was killed and his female passenger injured when they were ejected from a vehicle in Chelmsford while he was doing donuts in an open field Sunday afternoon.
-
Trump says he 'shouldn't have left' the White House as he closes campaign with increasingly dark message
Donald Trump, who said in Pennsylvania on Sunday that he regrets leaving the White House in 2021, is ending the 2024 campaign the way he began it – dishing out a stew of violent, disparaging rhetoric and repeated warnings that he will not accept defeat if it comes.
Kitchener
-
4-month-old suffers serious injuries following alleged assault in Hanover, Ont., woman charged
The Hanover Police Service said they received a report in the early morning hours of Oct. 30 of an injured 4-month-old baby who was treated at the emergency department of the Hanover and District Hospital.
-
Jury deliberations begin in Erick Buhr’s second-degree murder trial
The jury has begun deliberations at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Viola Erb.
-
OPP investigating fatal rollover collision in Ariss
The Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police responded to a rollover collision reportedly involving a grey sedan on Wellington Road 51, just east of Wellington Road 86, in Ariss.
London
-
London man charged after breaking into a Dundas Street business
On the evening of October 8, a 43-year-old London man pried open a locked gate at a business in the 700 block of Dundas Street, entering an attached patio.
-
Baby in serious condition, investigation underway
The Hanover Police Service is investigating an assault after a baby was left in serious condition.
-
Delivery driver succumbs to injuries from collision
A delivery driver has died following a vehicle collision in Woodstock on Thursday.
Windsor
-
City of Windsor takes legal action against feds over costs from bridge blockade
They City of Windsor is taking legal action against the federal government.
-
Health care partners combining efforts to tackle increased hospital volumes
Windsor-Essex health care partners are working together in anticipation of increased hospital volumes heading into the winter.
-
Active investigation underway on Baseline Road
Windsor police have closed a section of Baseline Road for an active investigation.
Barrie
-
One dead in Springwater crash, 3 others hospitalized
Police are investigating a collision in Springwater Township that claimed the life of one individual and sent three other people, including a young teen, to the hospital over the weekend.
-
Increasing trend in porch piracy reported in Barrie
Police in Barrie warn residents about a rising trend in porch piracy after several reports in recent weeks.
-
Home invasion under investigation in Port McNicoll
Provincial police are investigating a report about a home invasion in Port McNicoll early Monday morning.
Winnipeg
-
'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73
Murray Sinclair, who was born when Indigenous people did not yet have the right to vote, grew up to become one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy.
-
Man bear sprayed, run over by vehicle during car jacking at Winnipeg intersection
Winnipeg police are investigating after a man was carjacked early Sunday morning.
-
'Feeling the loss': Manitoba Interlake community reflects on infant's death after RCMP identify remains
A community in Manitoba’s Interlake region is still in shock after RCMP identified the remains of a baby girl Friday.
Atlantic
-
Candlelight vigil held outside Halifax Walmart where employee was found dead
Hundreds of mourners took part in a candlelight vigil Sunday night for a young woman who was found dead at a Halifax Walmart last month.
-
RCMP investigating 'sudden deaths' of two people in Cole Harbour, N.S.
The RCMP says it is investigating the sudden deaths of two people in Cole Harbour, N.S.
-
N.S. Liberals release election platform, promise Atlantic carbon pricing plan
The Nova Scotia Liberals were the first provincial party to release their 2024 election platform in downtown Halifax Monday.
N.L.
-
Teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador say violence is on the rise, averaging 22 incidents per school day
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
-
Newfoundland and Labrador cautioned about growing debt as province touts success
Newfoundland and Labrador's auditor general has issued a warning about the province's financial position as the government announced it would finish the 2024-25 fiscal year with a higher-than-expected deficit.
-
Police charge off-duty Newfoundland RCMP officer with impaired driving
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have charged an off-duty RCMP officer for allegedly driving while impaired, following a crash on Sunday.
Edmonton
-
Alberta woman hit in the face by an egg on Halloween, police search for assailant
Police are looking for the person who threw an egg at a Grande Prairie woman on Halloween.
-
'Canada is watching': New northern Alberta police service trying to lead by example
Grande Prairie in northern Alberta is making the switch from RCMP to a new municipal police service. This is how it's going.
-
Bridge repairs at Stony Plain Road and Winterburn Road to last up to 2 months
Highway 16A/Stony Plain Road eastbound has been reduced to one lane from 231 Street to 215 Street while crews complete bridge repairs on the Winterburn Road overpass.
Calgary
-
'Red patches on the road': Alberta wildlife corridors reduce animal-car collisions
Almost every day when Blair Painter drives on the scenic Rocky Mountain highway near his home, the grey asphalt is stained red somewhere along the way.
-
Judge rules against Alberta casino, dinner theatre operator
An application to stay a receivership order of Mayfield Investments Ltd., a company that owns multiple businesses in Alberta including the Camrose Resort and Casino, Medicine Hat Lodge and Calgary's Stage West Dinner Theatre, has been denied by the court.
-
Mining company makes extra push by lobbying for coal mine in Crowsnest Pass
Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter said a vote later this month is looking to hear from residents to determine if they want to see the coal industry come back to the region.
Regina
-
Snowfall warning in place for parts of southwestern Sask.
A snowfall warning is in effect for parts of southwestern Saskatchewan with Environment and climate Change Canada (ECCC) calling for the potential of up to 15 centimetres of accumulation in some locations by Tuesday evening.
-
Rams moving on to Hardy Cup after victory against Bisons
The University of Regina Rams are moving on to the Hardy Cup – after defeating the Manitoba Bisons 28-25 in Winnipeg.
-
'Our right to be here': Metis Nation of Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly continues
Discussions regarding the Metis Constitution and recognizing the nation's culture were continued at day two of the annual Metis Nation of Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in Regina.
Saskatoon
-
Everything you need to know ahead of Saskatoon’s civic election
With advance polling underway, residents in Saskatoon are choosing who their mayor, city councillors, as well as public and separate school board trustees will be – in the lead up to election day on Nov. 13.
-
Roughriders advance to West Division final with 28-19 win over B.C. Lions
In their first Canadian Football League (CFL) playoff game at home since 2021, the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the B.C. Lions 28-19 on Saturday in the West Division semi-final.
-
Sask. father 'not satisfied' with autopsy report, believes son was murdered
A Saskatchewan father is disappointed with the results from an autopsy, conducted on his son's body.
Vancouver
-
Thousands without power as storm warnings blanket B.C.
Thousands of hydro customers on British Columbia's south coast were in the dark Monday morning as high winds and heavy rains downed power lines and prompted storm warnings across much of the province.
-
Rainstorm causes hazardous morning commute in Metro Vancouver
Heavy rainfall Monday morning made driving conditions treacherous in Metro Vancouver, with local authorities reporting a number of crashes.
-
B.C. port strike threatens billions in trade
British Columbia is bracing for another labour disruption at all ports.
Vancouver Island
-
Thousands without power as storm warnings blanket B.C.
Thousands of hydro customers on British Columbia's south coast were in the dark Monday morning as high winds and heavy rains downed power lines and prompted storm warnings across much of the province.
-
B.C. port strike threatens billions in trade
British Columbia is bracing for another labour disruption at all ports.
-
The hallways look the same and where are the bathrooms, say B.C.'s newly elected MLAs
A record number of first-time provincial politicians are about to descend on British Columbia's legislature, looking to make positive contributions for the province and trying to find the washrooms in the 127-year-old building.
