What is flagpoling? CBSA curtails immigration services at 12 border crossings

Ahead of the busy summer travel season, the Canada Border Services Agency is curtailing flagpoling, which allows temporary residents to bypass bureaucratic wait times and receive same-day immigration services at Canada-U.S. border crossings.

As of May 30, the CBSA has reduced the number of days and hours each week when flagpoling services will be available at 12 ports of entry in Quebec, southern Ontario and the Pacific region.

Rebecca Purdy, a senior spokesperson for the CBSA, said that while immigration services will remain available at all ports of entry, the agency was limiting hours at these 12 border crossings due to “high volumes of flagpolers.”

“This change was made to enable frontline officers to efficiently process large volume of travellers in peak periods and to focus on other key priorities, including high-risk travellers, trade facilitation, as well as asylum seekers and other critical immigration services,” Purdy told Global News in an email on Monday.

Even though flagpoling is legal, the immigration workaround has come under criticism down south, with U.S. senate majority leader Chuck Schumer recently calling on Ottawa to crack down on its use.

Here is what to know about flagpoling, why it’s become a popular option for many in Canada, and what potential risks are associated with it.

Flagpoling is when temporary residents of Canada leave the country and immediately re-enter within 24 hours to receive same-day immigration services at the border, according to the CBSA.

This service is not unique to Canada, but one that travellers can use in other countries, where it is available.

“The flagpoling term comes from literally swinging around the flagpole,” said Ravi Jain, founder of Jain Immigration Law and past