2022 to 2023 Departmental Results Report: Canada Border Services Agency
Catalogue No. PS35-9E-PDF
ISSN 2560-9998
From the Minister
On behalf of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), I am pleased to present to Parliament our Departmental Results Report for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year.
The CBSA has a mandate to provide integrated border services that support national security and public safety priorities, while facilitating the free flow of legitimate trade and travel. The Agency is committed to protecting the safety and security of Canadians, as well as the stability and prosperity of our economy.
Under its Traveller Modernization initiative, the CBSA will expand the availability of digital technology and self-service tools to expedite the movement of travellers through the border. The Agency is also ensuring effective operations to manage large volumes of commercial traffic, with a focus on the continual rise in e-commerce volumes. Additionally, to strengthen law enforcement accountability, transparency and public trust, the Government is advancing its pledge to establish an independent review body for the CBSA via Bill C-20, which is currently before Parliament.
Throughout the past fiscal year, the team at CBSA directly supported public safety through actions like interdicting firearms and illicit drugs; combatting human trafficking through enhanced intelligence capabilities; and ensuring efficient security screening in the immigration context. The Agency also continued to improve Canada’s immigration detention system in line with its National Immigration Detention Framework; supported the Government’s humanitarian commitments such as resettling Afghan refugees in Canada and facilitating extended temporary status for Ukrainian nationals; and continued Reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples.
From an organizational perspective, the CBSA continued taking steps to improve its management practices, with a particular focus on people and procurement management.
I am honoured to serve as the Minister responsible for the CBSA. I look forward to working with the Agency as it continues to deliver on the Government’s priorities and strives to meet the expectations of Canadians.
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions
and Intergovernmental Affairs
Results at a glance
The CBSA operates in a complex and dynamic 24/7 environment where it must respond to emerging threats and global trends, while remaining steadfast and vigilant in its commitment to protect the security of Canada’s people, economy and infrastructure. To deliver on its mandate, the CBSA strives to be proactive, adaptive and innovative in responding to a constantly evolving operational environment, improving its technological capabilities, and mobilizing its resources to enhance the integrity of our borders and communities.
For the first half of the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSA maintained strong and effective border management to support trade and commerce, ensure traveller compliance with border measures, and provide up-to-date information to the public. The Agency protected critical supply chains, mitigated the risk of importation and transmission of the virus, and strengthened Canada’s ability to tackle pandemic-related challenges across the border management and enforcement continuum. Following the lifting of COVID-19 border measures in October 2022, the Agency continued working with partners to support recovery efforts and ensure operational agility in handling post-pandemic travel and trade patterns, with a focus on the resurgence of air travel, the continual rise in e-commerce volumes, and the arrival of asylum seekers.
Over the past fiscal year, the CBSA maintained Canada’s first line of defence for the security of our borders, focusing on interdicting high-priority contraband, human smuggling and inadmissible persons, particularly firearms, opioids and serious inadmissibility cases. The CBSA conducted numerous seizures of firearms, prohibited weapons and illicit drugs, including fentanyl and precursor chemicals, while also enforcing the removal of inadmissible persons and disrupting human trafficking and money laundering schemes. Refer to the CBSA services at a glance section of this report for details.
The CBSA’s Traveller Modernization initiative aims to ensure an efficient border experience for travellers and stakeholders, in line with other countries that are taking similar approaches to manage their borders. To that end, the Advance CBSA Declaration feature was introduced in 2022 to 2023, whereby travellers can save time at select airports by voluntarily submitting their customs and immigration information prior to their arrival in Canada. Dedicated express lanes for travellers who use this feature have been implemented at all airports enabled with Primary Inspection Kiosks.
Under the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project, the Agency is undertaking extensive business transformation to strengthen its ability to accurately assess duties and taxes owed on imported goods by automating the processes required to assess, collect, manage and report on revenue, while allowing importers to self-assess and comply with Canada’s trade requirements. In 2022 to 2023, the Agency took further steps toward Release 2 of the project, which is expected to be implemented in May 2024 and will expand the functionality of the CARM system, including the CARM Client Portal.
The CBSA supports the Canadian economy through streamlined border management to process large volumes of commercial traffic in an efficient manner, while taking steps to prevent inadmissible goods from entering the Canadian marketplace. The Agency also conducts anti-dumping and countervailing investigations under the Special Import Measures Act to guard against unfair trade practices, defend domestic producers, and protect Canadian jobs.
The CBSA is committed to supporting its workforce and strengthening its workplace culture so that it can continue performing at its best, including regular engagement between senior leaders, managers and employees to foster a shared sense of purpose, belonging and mutual respect. The Agency provides ongoing guidance to its workforce on the common hybrid work model to continue benefitting from flexible ways of working introduced during the pandemic.
A summary of results achieved for 2022 to 2023 is provided below, encompassing the Agency’s core responsibilities of border management and border enforcement, as well as its internal services.
Border management
Cross-border interdiction priorities
- Combatted the cross-border movement of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, opioids and precursor chemicals, through enhanced risk assessment, detection and enforcement tools, with over 30,800 drug seizures and 1,000 seizures of precursor chemicals in 2022 to 2023.
- Combatted the illegal importation of firearms through the Agency’s Firearms Strategy and Cross-Border Firearms Task Force, while also taking action against gun and gang violence by enhancing firearms detection capabilities, with over 1,000 firearms seized in 2022 to 2023.
- Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in March 2023 and a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in June 2023, allowing for the timely sharing of information with regard to border-related activities involving firearms and drugs.
- Combatted human trafficking through enhanced intelligence collection and analysis, as well as information sharing with key partners, for the purposes of identifying vulnerable persons and leads for criminal investigations.
- Worked closely with Employment and Social Development Canada to establish an enforcement strategy to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains through administering and enforcing the Customs Tariff and the Customs Act, and prohibiting the importation of goods mined, manufactured or produced wholly or in part by forced labour.
- Addressed the threat of African swine fever in collaboration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to prevent the importation of high-risk food, plant and animal products from overseas.
Cross-border facilitation priorities
- Took further steps toward Release 2 of the CARM project to expand the functionality of the CARM system, and prioritized business readiness for CARM implementation, including a nationwide trade risking approach under the Agency’s Trade Compliance Strategy.
- Facilitated commercial trade through effective border management, with 23 million commercial releases and 132.5 million courier shipments processed in 2022 to 2023.
- Continued to serve as the Government of Canada’s second-largest revenue collector behind the Canada Revenue Agency, with $39.7 billion in duties and taxes assessed in 2022 to 2023, which is more than 15 times the CBSA’s total expenditures of $2.6 billion.
- Continued preliminary efforts for Traveller Modernization, with a view to expanding the availability of digital technology and self-service tools to expedite the movement of travellers through the border.
- Launched and expanded the Advance CBSA Declaration feature as a foundational piece of Traveller Modernization, and integrated this feature within the ArriveCAN app.
- Completed the proof of concept for the E-Commerce Low Value Inspection System as part of the Agency’s E-Commerce Customs Strategy to keep pace with the continual rise in e-commerce importation volumes.
- Guarded against unfair trade practices through the administration of special import measures that directly helped to protect over 30,000 Canadian jobs and nearly $11 billion in Canadian production in 2022 to 2023.
- Supported facilitative border processes for trusted travellers by expanding capacity at NEXUS enrollment centres and advancing plans to deploy additional NEXUS eGates across the country. Efforts to expand capacity at NEXUS enrollment centers have resulted in a 20% reduction in the NEXUS interview inventory since its peak in the summer of 2022.
- Completed the deployment of Next Generation Handhelds for border services officers, replace existing wireless devices and enabling better processing capabilities.
- Signed a treaty-level Authorized Economic Operator agreement with the European Union, expanding the international network of customs-to-business partnerships aimed at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade.
Other key priorities
- Initiated the Agency’s 2022 to 2025 National Officer Recruitment and Outreach Strategy and Action Plan as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its workforce.
- Advanced the Land Border Crossing Project as part of ongoing efforts to improve border infrastructure, which included opening the newly constructed port of entry in Fraser, British Columbia.
- Continued the implementation of the Agency’s Indigenous Framework and Strategy in furtherance of ongoing efforts to improve relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
Border enforcement
- Advanced key aspects of the Agency’s policy agenda geared toward immigration facilitation and balanced enforcement through legislative and regulatory work to support public safety, immigration facilitation, and program integrity objectives.
- Supported the Government’s resettlement commitments for refugees from Afghanistan, with 30,000 refugees resettled by April 2023.
- Supported immigration measures for those affected by the unjustifiable and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, while working with federal partners to enforce sanctions in response to the Russian invasion and commission of human rights violations.
- Processed over 74,500 asylum seekers across all modes in 2022 to 2023 and piloted the Integrated Claims Analysis Centre with federal partners to support efficient processing of asylum cases.
- Issued over 391,800 study permits in 2022 to 2023 for foreign nationals attending designated learning institutions in Canada.
- Advanced joint efforts with federal partners to ensure the long-term sustainability of the in-Canada asylum system, including the modernized Safe Third Country Agreement that took effect in March 2023, thereby strengthening Canada’s ability to address irregular migration across our shared border with the United States.
- Focused inland investigative resources on high-risk immigration cases, while conducting investigatory activities and ongoing work with law enforcement partners to improve operational coordination with regard to irregular migration and the in-Canada refugee determination system.
- Supported the designation of the Iranian regime pursuant to subparagraph 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act through enforcement measures to identify and interdict senior officials who are inadmissible to Canada.
- Continued efforts to improve Canada’s immigration detention system in line with the CBSA’s National Immigration Detention Framework, with a focus on ensuring that detention is used as a measure of last resort and that alternatives to detention are always considered. In 2022 to 2023, of the total 5,248 persons detained, the CBSA released 1,813 persons (35%) on alternatives to detention, exceeding its target of 10%.
- Enhanced the national detention standards for the Agency’s three immigration holding centres, as well as for the limited use of provincial facilities, to ensure that detainees are treated in accordance with applicable domestic standards and international obligations.
- Enforced the removal of inadmissible persons from Canada, with a total of 10,180 removals in 2022 to 2023, and continued to prioritize removals with serious inadmissibility grounds.
Internal services
- Implemented a hybrid work model to ensure an effective balance of in-person and remote work, in line with operational needs and the common guidelines set out by the Treasury Board Secretariat.
- Successfully transitioned to a digital workplace through a variety of tools to enhance connectivity and secure remote working.
- Continued efforts to improve the Agency’s management practices, with a particular focus on procurement to address process gaps and strengthen oversight and assurance mechanisms.
- Continued the delivery of a wide array of initiatives under the Agency’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, Official Languages Action Plan, Indigenous Workforce Strategy, Anti-Racism Strategy, and Accessibility Plan to support an inclusive workplace and a diverse workforce that reflects Canada’s population.
- Launched the development of a comprehensive strategy to support employee wellness based on a deep-dive assessment of wellness across the Agency’s workforce.
- Took further steps to integrate analytics into business intelligence functions, while promoting data fluency and evidence-based decision-making across the Agency, as part of its Enterprise Data and Analytics Strategy.
- Provided clear, proactive and accessible communications to the public to support Canada’s national security and public safety priorities, and to facilitate trade and economic development.
For more information on the CBSA's plans, priorities and results achieved, refer to the Results: what we achieved section of this report.
CBSA services at a glance
The CBSA processes millions of travellers and shipments every year, while providing services at multiple points across Canada and abroad.
This diagram gives an overview of key CBSA services and volumes in 2022 to 2023
Images description
- 70.5 million travellers, including:
- 38 million in land mode
- 30 million in air mode
- 2.5 million in marine mode
- 23 million commercial releases, including:
- 17.2 million in land mode
- 4.4 million in air mode
- 1.3 million in marine mode
- 132.5 million courier shipments
- $39.7 billion in duties and taxes collected
Images description
- 10 Cruise ship operations
- 213 Commercial vessel clearance facilities
- 40 International offices
- 400 Small vessel reporting sites
- 27 Rail offices
- 10 Ferry terminals
- 277 Customs bonded warehouses
- 3 Mail processing centres
- 973 Sufferance warehouses
- 3 Immigration holding centres
- 107 Land border crossings
- 204 Airports
Images description
- 30,881 drug seizures
- 19,392 firearms and prohibited weapons seized
- 1,420 tobacco seizures
- 1,005 seizures of precursor chemicals
- $16,750,985 seizures of currency and monetary instruments
- 10,180 removals of inadmissible persons
Results: what we achieved
Border management
Description
The CBSA assesses risk to identify threats, manages the free flow of admissible travellers and commercial goods into, through and out of Canada, and manages non-compliance.
Results
In 2022 to 2023, the CBSA achieved the following results under its core responsibility of border management.
The CBSA’s intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities contribute to the identification, mitigation and neutralization of risks and threats to the safety, security and prosperity of Canadians and Canada
The CBSA combatted the cross-border movement of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, with a particular focus on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, through enhanced controls in the postal stream and safety measures in examination areas and regional screening facilities. The Agency equipped officers with risk assessment, detection and enforcement tools to strengthen their capacity to intercept illegal substances at ports of entry and take appropriate enforcement action. Additionally, the Agency collaborated with partnering organizations such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Post Corporation by sharing intelligence and information to identify illicit shipments, while engaging with international partners to prevent illicit shipments from reaching Canada.
The CBSA took action against gun and gang violence by enhancing its detection capabilities, including the expanded use of x-ray technology for risk assessment of mail items in the postal stream, and the use of detector dog teams at ports of entry. The Agency’s Canine Centre of Expertise, which opened in 2022 to 2023, provides specialized support for the training of detector dogs. The Agency also continued the deployment of handheld x-ray devices and specialized examination vehicles at select ports of entry, along with additional procurement efforts for large-scale imaging equipment. Additionally, the Agency delivered training on advanced automobile examination techniques at the land border to hone officer skills at detecting concealment compartments.
To combat the illegal importation of firearms, the CBSA continued to follow its Firearms Strategy and collaborate with partners through its Cross-Border Firearms Task Force. The Agency’s National Firearms Intelligence Desk and National Targeting Centre played a key role in sharing information across all regions and supporting firearm interdictions at ports of entry. The Joint Border Threat Assessment that was conducted in 2022 to 2023 will guide efforts aimed at preventing illicit firearms smuggling, addressing the threat of privately manufactured firearms, and supporting the disruption and prosecution of organized crime.
The CBSA addressed the threat of African swine fever by working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to prevent the importation of high-risk food, plant and animal products from overseas. These efforts included an ongoing public awareness campaign aimed at travellers and stakeholders in Canada and abroad, along with the deployment of detector dog teams specializing in food, plant and animal products.
As a result of joint efforts with Public Safety Canada, Transport Canada and Shared Services Canada, the CBSA successfully closed the project to enhance the Passenger Protect Program in March 2023, delivering a centralized solution for the screening of air passengers against the Secure Air Travel Act (SATA) list, which is commonly referred to as Canada’s “No Fly List.” This solution also helps to prevent SATA-related delays for travellers who have a similar name as someone on the SATA list through the option to apply for a uniquely assigned Canadian Travel Number.
With regard to its Air Passenger Targeting Program, the CBSA continued to engage with the United States and other like-minded partners to support the responsible collection and use of Passenger Name Record data, with a view to strengthening international consensus on the adoption and implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Standards and Recommended Practices.
In the immigration context, the CBSA took further steps to implement processing efficiencies in the National Security Screening Program to identify inadmissible persons seeking entry into Canada, together with federal partners including the RCMP, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. In particular, the CBSA continued the Security Screening Automation Project to automate security screening processes in order to expedite low-risk cases and better enable screening officers to focus attention on more complex cases involving persons who may pose a national security risk.
The CBSA enhanced intelligence and enforcement capabilities, with a focus on human trafficking and fraudulent immigration consultants, for the purposes of identifying vulnerable persons and leads for criminal investigations. The Agency also continued intelligence-led operational initiatives, in collaboration with partners in the intelligence community, to identify and interdict national security threat actors, such as those suspected of engaging in espionage, who may be inadmissible to Canada pursuant to section 34 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The CBSA kept working to protect the integrity of Canada’s participation in international trade by detecting efforts to abuse the customs process for the movement of illicit financial flows to and from Canada. The Agency works closely with domestic and international partners on an ongoing basis to identify instances of complex trade fraud and trade-based financial crime, including trade-based money laundering, and refer them to the appropriate law enforcement entities. Additionally, the CBSA is collaborating with the United States Department of Homeland Security to pursue a trade transparency solution that would support enhanced detection of trade fraud and trade-based financial crime through systematic data exchange and analytics-driven analysis.
Admissible travellers are processed in an efficient manner
Through its wide-ranging, multi-year suite of Traveller Modernization initiatives, the CBSA is taking further steps toward its vision for the border of the future. The Agency laid the groundwork in 2022 to 2023 for significant efforts over the coming years to invest in infrastructure and processes at Canada’s ports of entry, with a view to expanding the availability of digital technology and self-service tools that use biometric verification to expedite the movement of travellers through the border clearance process. The ultimate goal of Traveller Modernization is to provide travellers with options to streamline their border experience, complete with privacy safeguards, while enhancing the Agency’s ability to identify and address traveller non-compliance by focusing resources on higher risks.
As a foundational piece of Traveller Modernization, the Agency launched and expanded the Advance CBSA Declaration in 2022 to 2023, and successfully integrated this feature into the ArriveCAN app. This feature allows travellers to voluntarily submit their customs and immigration declarations up to 72 hours before their arrival in Canada. Participating travellers have access to dedicated express lanes upon arrival, along with more efficient processing at a kiosk or eGate.
The CBSA completed the deployment of Next Generation Handhelds in 2022 to 2023 to replace existing wireless devices for border services officers. These handhelds enable more flexible processing and enhanced capabilities to capture and risk-assess travellers and conveyances. In addition, the Agency advanced efforts to generate a Traveller Compliance Indicator for travellers entering Canada, with the goal of introducing a risk-based compliance model to support frontline decision-making when an officer is determining whether a traveller should be referred for secondary examination. In doing so, the Agency aims to reduce the likelihood of referrals for compliant travellers based on their history of compliance with border requirements.
Travellers and their goods are compliant with applicable legislation
Through its Entry/Exit Program, the CBSA continued to ensure the systematic collection of exit data on outbound travellers, allowing the Agency to verify a more complete travel history to support decision-making, and to focus attention on individuals of higher or unknown risk. The collection of exit data is limited by law to basic biographic information that is already routinely collected from all travellers entering Canada, and privacy protections are in place for information sharing with federal partners and United States counterparts.
The CBSA continued to develop a proof-of-concept pilot for the establishment of Canadian land preclearance in a co-located facility in the United States. This will provide an opportunity to assess the feasibility of the operational approach with the goal of pushing out the border, facilitating travel processes for legitimate travellers, and preventing the entry of inadmissible travellers into Canada prior to their arrival. This pilot will allow Canada to gain reciprocal benefits of preclearance by implementing Part Two of the Preclearance Act, 2016 regarding Canadian preclearance in the United States, and will also inform the Agency’s future efforts on preclearance. The Agency’s collaboration with United States Customs and Border Protection highlights our mutual dedication to preclearance.
The CBSA is also developing an approach to automate the reporting of cross-border currency and monetary instruments, with the goal of eventually providing travellers with the ability to electronically declare the import or export of currency and monetary instruments to the CBSA. This is envisioned to increase the overall efficiency of reporting, processing and data transfer to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, while promoting compliance with cross-border requirements related to currency and monetary instruments.
Admissible commercial goods and conveyances are processed in an efficient manner
As part of its E-Commerce Customs Strategy to keep pace with the continual rise in e-commerce importation volumes, the CBSA completed the E-Commerce Low Value Inspection System proof of concept. This mobile application will transition to a larger-scale pilot, with the aim of enhancing risk targeting in the courier low value stream, leveraging automation and analytics to intercept contraband, and facilitating legitimate trade. In addition, the Agency worked collaboratively with the Canada Post Corporation on postal modernization efforts to set the foundation for future streamlined and strengthened operations at international mail centres in order to manage postal volumes on a daily basis and during peak periods. To further streamline commercial processing, the CBSA continued its Electronic Longroom initiative, which allows clients to submit certain commercial documentation via email and thereby minimizes in-person interactions and decreases processing times.
Traders are compliant with applicable legislation and requirements
To prevent the importation of goods believed to be produced by forced labour, the CBSA worked closely with Employment and Social Development Canada to identify goods coming into the country that are suspected to have been produced by forced labour.
The CBSA continued to collaborate with Transport Canada on the Marine Port Modernization Review and introduced amendments to the Customs Act in an effort to address security threats associated with organized crime, smuggling and internal conspiracies, while supporting efficiency and facilitation priorities at Canada’s marine ports. The Agency also undertook extensive engagement with marine industry stakeholders to address the significant growth in international marine container arrivals. Additionally, to improve commercial examination capacity in the marine mode, the Agency continued efforts to equip its Marine Container Examination Facilities with enhanced imaging technology at key locations to inspect marine containers and large conveyances targeted for examination.
Importers comply with revenue requirements
Under the CARM project, the Agency took further steps toward Release 2, which is expected to be implemented in May 2024 and will expand the functionality of the CARM system, including the CARM Client Portal. Ultimately, the CARM project will strengthen the Agency’s ability to accurately assess duties and taxes owed on imported goods by automating the processes required to assess, collect, manage and report on revenue, while further enabling importers to self-assess and comply with Canada’s trade requirements.
Concurrently, the CBSA prioritized business readiness for CARM implementation, including a nationwide approach to trade risking as part of the Agency’s Trade Compliance Strategy. This strategy guides operational efforts to encourage compliance based on the relative risk represented by importers and their transactions.
Return on investment for trade compliance activities
In the context of its trade compliance activities, the CBSA measures return on investment by comparing the total duties assessed versus the total expenditures for such activities. In 2022 to 2023, the Agency achieved a return on investment ratio of 16:1, doubling its target of 8:1.
Concurrently, the CBSA prioritized business readiness for CARM implementation, including a nationwide approach to trade risking as part of the Agency’s Trade Compliance Strategy. This strategy guides operational efforts to encourage compliance based on the relative risk represented by importers and their transactions.
Canadian producers are protected from unfairly dumped and subsidized imports
Guarding against unfair trade practices
In 2022 to 2023, the CBSA oversaw the administration of special import measures that directly helped to protect over 30,000 Canadian jobs and nearly $11 billion in Canadian production.
The CBSA conducted anti-dumping and countervailing investigations through its administration of the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) to guard against unfair trade practices, defend domestic producers, and protect Canadian jobs. These investigations are conducted in parallel with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal’s investigations into injury to Canadian industry caused by dumping and subsidizing.
Additionally, the CBSA developed and implemented an anti-circumvention of trade remedies policy framework, in order to bring greater predictability and efficiency to CBSA investigations of industry complaints that SIMA duties are being unfairly circumvented.
Trusted Traveller and Trader programs increase processing efficiency of low-risk, pre-approved travellers and traders
The CBSA signed an Authorized Economic Operator mutual recognition arrangement with Peru in 2022 to 2023, as well as a treaty-level agreement with the European Union, thereby expanding the international network of customs-to-business partnerships aimed at securing the supply chain and facilitating legitimate trade. The Agency also began talks with the United Kingdom toward mutual recognition.
The CBSA advanced the Secure Corridor and Commercial Lane Enhancement Project, with procurement efforts underway to implement trusted lanes at Canada’s largest commercial land ports of entry. The Agency also prioritized the continued enrollment of Free and Secure Trade (FAST) applicants by organizing enrollment blitzes focused on key locations based on industry feedback.
The CBSA reopened eight NEXUS/FAST enrollment centres at Canadian airports in an effort to restore pre-pandemic enrollment capacity, and expanded capacity at existing enrollment centres with extended hours of operation. In addition, two new enrollment centres were opened in the United States, providing more interview opportunities for current and prospective members. The Agency also advanced the necessary program requirements to deploy additional NEXUS eGates across the country. Already in place at several land-based locations, NEXUS eGates allow the CBSA to process NEXUS travellers remotely from a command centre located within the port of entry, streamlining passage for low-risk travellers and enhancing operational flexibility to process increased traveller volumes. The NEXUS interview inventory has seen a 20% reduction since its peak in the summer of 2022. As of September 1, 2023, the inventory stands at approximately 273,000 applicants awaiting an interview, compared to 340,000 in the summer of 2022.
Travellers and the business community have access to timely redress mechanisms
The Recourse Program provides travellers and businesses with an accessible mechanism to seek an impartial review of CBSA decisions and to voice any feedback or complaints, in accordance with legislation and policies administered by the Agency.
In 2022 to 2023, the Agency enhanced its Recourse Program through ongoing improvements to business processes and the development of a secure e-portal for electronic communications with external clients, while maintaining the delivery of core services to clients within established performance targets. Additionally, the Recourse Program continued business readiness activities in preparation for Release 2 of the CARM project, along with efforts to support the Government’s pledge to establish an independent review body for the CBSA.
Additional border management initiatives
Taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Under the Federal Greening Government Strategy, the Government of Canada has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2025. The CBSA continued making progress toward this goal in 2022 to 2023, with a 17% decrease in its overall greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2005 to 2006 baseline data, through the following key activities:
- Completing an Energy Performance Contract and procuring renewable natural gas for the CBSA College, Main Campus in Rigaud, Quebec.
- Beginning a clean electricity procurement initiative in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
- Advancing the Agency’s Fleet Replacement Plan and, for the first time, procuring more green vehicles than internal combustion engine vehicles.
The CBSA continued to enhance officer recruitment, training and development as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its workforce, including the implementation of its 2022 to 2025 National Officer Recruitment and Outreach Strategy and Action Plan to enhance recruitment and retention efforts through a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace. The Agency placed focus on employment equity objectives to increase the representation of equity-seeking groups, along with efforts to enhance job satisfaction and productivity by better aligning the placement of recruits with the Agency’s operational needs and official language requirements. Additionally, the Agency continued reviewing its Force Generation Program, with a view to enhancing pathways for career mapping and talent development, as part of its broader strategy to ensure program sustainability in meeting operational needs going forward.
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its infrastructure, the CBSA worked with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority on the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project to support the design and construction of the Canadian port of entry (POE). In 2022 to 2023, the Agency commenced resourcing and procurement activities to staff and fit-up the POE facility, in line with its vision for a modern, state-of-the-art border crossing.
The CBSA also continued the Land Border Crossing Project, which aims to rebuild multiple land POEs over the next several years. In 2022 to 2023, the Agency installed a mobile prototype to replace the decommissioned POE in Bloomfield, New Brunswick, using an innovative approach that supports the Government of Canada’s environmental sustainability priorities. Made with recycled materials, the prototype features enhanced thermal performance, solar power and rainwater recycling, and is towable to allow for rapid deployment during emergencies or as a flexible alternative for low-volume remote border crossings. Additionally, the Agency opened the newly constructed POE in Fraser, British Columbia, including an Indigenous cultural display in partnership with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation.
In further support of the Government’s commitments to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, the CBSA continued to be guided by its Indigenous Framework and Strategy to ensure that Indigenous culture, interests and issues are reflected in CBSA operations. Notable achievements in 2022 to 2023 include:
- Initiating work to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA), including engagement with Indigenous partners and other government departments, as well as engagement with the Department of Justice on the development of Measure 52 in their UNDA Action Plan
- Engaging frequently with Indigenous partners through various forums to address their unique and complex Indigenous border crossing issues, including the Haudenosaunee External Relations Committee, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (Border Collaboration Initiative), and the White River First Nation (Borders Side Table on the Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination)
- Supporting a joint leadership commitment to address longstanding Indigenous border mobility challenges on the occasion of the State Visit of the President of the United States to Canada in March 2023
- Facilitating the Indigenous delegations returning from the Papal visit in Rome and the repatriation of Indigenous cultural items for a number of communities in Canada
- Supporting the Minister of Public Safety in launching the Jay Treaty Border Alliance – Collaboration Initiative in partnership with the Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. This included providing leadership on the Strategic Plan for the initiative, including key elements such as right of entry, border crossing experience, identification and travel documents, and entry of goods
- Initiating consultation with Inuit organizations (Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.) and the Government of Nunavut to develop regulations on access to Tartupaluk (Hans Island)
- Continuing to strengthen Indigenous cultural competency across the Agency by promoting online and in-person learning opportunities, such as the KAIROS blanket exercise and Indigenous Sacred Bundle workshops
- Supporting the implementation of a CBSA-specific Many Voices, One Mind exercise to begin identifying and addressing barriers that Indigenous employees may experience throughout their careers at the CBSA
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
Taking steps to ensure environmental compliance
As part of its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy, the CBSA made progress on environmental compliance commitments, including:
- Developing management plans for the control of Legionella bacteria in CBSA facilities, and continuing to monitor water systems in sites wre CBSA workers operate.
- Completing designated substance reports for CBSA facilities to ensure there are no materials containing excessive levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, while also ensuring the timely disposal of any non-compliant materials.
The CBSA advanced efforts to ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability through its 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy, which supports the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including:
- Greening Government, supporting goals such as Affordable Clean Energy; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Procurement; and Climate Action.
- Details on key results can be found in the Reporting on green procurement supplementary information table.
- Healthy Wildlife Populations and Sustainable Food, supporting goals such as Zero Hunger; Life Below Water; and Life on Land. Key results include:
- Taking steps to protect Canada’s biodiversity by officially recognizing the CBSA College, Main Campus as an Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure, and by conducting a three-phase wildlife study at the campus site that will include engagement with local Indigenous communities to gain knowledge on the flora and fauna that reside in the surrounding forest.
- Delivering a training module for border services officers on aquatic watercraft inspections to support increased effectiveness in preventing invasive species from entering Canada.
- Safe and Healthy Communities, supporting goals such as Good Health and Well Being; and Responsible Consumption and Production. Key results include:
- Dedicating more than $2.1 million in funding from 2020 to 2023 for the identification, remediation and monitoring of contaminated sites within the Agency’s real property portfolio, surpassing its target of $1.5 million by 2025.
- Advancing a wide array of efforts to ensure health and safety across CBSA work sites, including radon testing, potable water monitoring, asbestos assessment and management plans, replacement of equipment containing potentially harmful refrigerants, and auditing of storage tanks with continued monitoring and corrective actions to meet compliance requirements.
Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) in border management
The CBSA took steps to improve its GBA Plus governance and data collection practices; apply the GBA Plus lens to inform policy and program decisions impacting service delivery; and mature organizational data literacy to better enable GBA Plus going forward. The Agency also continued to implement the Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices to ensure that its services are designed and delivered to be inclusive of all Canadians. For more information, please consult the GBA Plus supplementary information table
Innovation in border management
Under its core responsibility of border management, the CBSA pursued an array of innovative solutions, including:
- E-Commerce Low Value Inspection System
- The CBSA successfully concluded the proof-of-concept in 2022 to 2023, with a pilot expected in 2023 to 2024. The prototype system includes a cloud-based solution, with web and mobile applications for officers to access shipment information, as well as enhanced capabilities for automatic processing and assessment of shipments.
- Advance CBSA Declaration
- The CBSA is offering this feature through web and mobile applications for air travellers seeking entry at any of the ten major international airports in Canada. Using this feature, travellers can submit advance declarations to be confirmed upon arrival, with the benefit of streamlined processing.
- E-filing Solution
- In line with commitments under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the CBSA is undertaking efforts to establish an online portal whereby interested parties in anti-dumping or countervailing duty proceedings can submit documents electronically. This is an important step toward digitalizing the Agency’s Anti-dumping and Countervailing Program.
- Accelerated Radio Deployment Project
- This project was completed in 2022 to 2023, involving work at 228 sites and resulting in the deployment of nearly 4,000 radios over a 30-month period across all CBSA regions.
Key risks in border management
Under its core responsibility of border management, the CBSA has faced a rapidly evolving risk environment. In the wake of the easing and eventual lifting of COVID-19 border measures, travel volumes have continued their resurgence toward pre-pandemic levels. The Agency has responded adaptively to this shifting landscape through the ongoing implementation of its border modernization initiatives to enhance processing efficiency and operational agility, while also refining its staffing processes and developmental programs. These efforts are expected to have a positive impact on the Agency’s ability to meet operational needs across the travel and trade continuum.
Table of results achieved in border management
For the CBSA’s core responsibility of border management, the following table shows the performance indicators, targets and results achieved for 2022 to 2023, as well as historical results for the two previous fiscal years.
Departmental result | Performance indicator | Target | Date to achieve target | 2020–21 actual result | 2021–22 actual result | 2022–23 actual result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The CBSA’s intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities contribute to the identification, mitigation and neutralization of risks and threats to the safety, security, and prosperity of Canadians and Canada | Percentage of air travellers targeted for examination that led to an intended result | At least 16% | March 2023 | 10.33% | 21.8% | 37% |
Percentage of marine and air cargo targeted for examination that led to an intended result | At least 0.5% | March 2023 | 0.5% | 0.58% | 0.62% | |
Percentage of recommendations for admissibility provided/completed within relevant service standards | At least 80% | March 2023 | N/A (introduced in 2022–23) | N/A (introduced in 2022–23) | 46%Footnote 1 | |
Admissible travellers are processed in an efficient manner | Percentage of time the CBSA is meeting the Highway Border Wait Time (BWT) Service Standard | At least 95% | March 2023 | 99.4% | 97% | 93.7%Footnote 2 |
Percentage of travellers using Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIK) at PIK-enabled airports | At least 95% | March 2023 | 89.4% | 95.2% | 94.7%Footnote 3 | |
Actual availability of Primary Inspection Kiosks as a percentage of planned availability | At least 99% | March 2023 | 99.1% | 99.7% | 99.8% | |
Travellers and their goods are compliant with applicable legislation | Percentage of traveller examinations that produced a result (enforcement or facilitation action) | At least 40% | March 2023 | 71.2% | 68.4% | 66.2% |
Traveller goods selective examination resultant rate is "X" times higher than the random examination resultant rate in the air mode | At least 10% | March 2023 | 6.2% | 12.2% | 15.8% | |
Admissible commercial goods and conveyances are processed in an efficient manner | Percentage of time the CBSA met the commercial Highway Border Wait Time Service Standard | At least 90% | March 2023 | 99.4% | 97.4% | 97.8% |
Percentage of eligible release decisions provided within established timeframes | At least 70% | March 2023 | 69% | 69% | 57%Footnote 4 | |
Actual availability of Single Windows as a percentage of planned availability | At least 99% | March 2023 | 99.8% | 99.7% | 100% | |
Traders are compliant with applicable legislation and requirements | Percentage of high-risk commercial goods targeted by the National Targeting Centre (NTC) that are examined at the border | At least 95% | March 2023 | 92.4% | 91.7% | 95.3% |
Percentage of random commercial examinations that produced a result | At most 1% | March 2023 | 0.18% | 0.19% | 0.22% | |
Percentage of commercial examinations that produce a result against a trader | At most 1.5% | March 2023 | 1.67% | 1.76% | 1.92%Footnote 5 | |
Percentage of penalties applied against traders representing continued non-compliance | At most 5%Footnote 6 | March 2023 | 16.1% | 34.4% | 6.9%Footnote 7 | |
Importers comply with revenue requirements | Percentage of importers not compliant with revenue requirements | At most 5 | March 2023 | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 6%Footnote 8 |
Return on investment (ROI) for compliance activities related to revenue requirements | At least 8:1 | March 2023 | 5:1 | 18:1 | 16:1 | |
Canadian producers are protected from unfairly dumped and subsidized imports | Percentage of imports potentially subject to anti-dumping or countervailing duties verified to ensure compliance | At least 80% | March 2023 | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 72%Footnote 9 |
Trusted Traveller and Trader programs increase processing efficiency of low-risk, pre approved travellers and traders | Percentage of time the CBSA is meeting the NEXUS Highway Border Wait Time (BWT) Service Standard | At least 95% | March 2023 | 99.98% | 95.6% | 94%Footnote 10 |
Percentage of increase in NEXUS passages | At least 2.5% | March 2023 | -95.6% | 241% | 257%Footnote 11 | |
Percentage of kiosk processing time saving per trusted traveller passage at NEXUS air ports of entry | At least 40 | March 2023 | 37% | 47% | 51% | |
Percentage of active members who are compliant with program requirements and border legislation | At least 99.9% | March 2023 | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 99.97% | |
Ratio of conventional traders and their goods that are examined at the border compared to Trusted Traders and their goods | At least 3.5:1 | March 2023 | 6.0:1 | 6.1:1 | 3.7:1 | |
Percentage of trade by value of goods imported into Canada by participants in the CBSA’s Trusted Trader programs | At least 25% | March 2023 | 26% | 24% | 30% | |
Travellers and the business community have access to timely redress mechanisms | Percentage of trade appeals received that are decided within established service standards | At least 70% | March 2023 | 82% | 76% | 70% |
Percentage of enforcement appeals received that are decided within established service standards | At least 70% | March 2023 | 62% | 74% | 84% | |
Budgetary financial resources for border management (dollars)
The following table shows the budgetary spending for 2022 to 2023, as well as the actual spending for that year, to fulfill the CBSA’s core responsibility of border management.
2022 to 2023 Main Estimates | 2022 to 2023 planned spending | 2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use | 2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1,619,861,283 | 1,619,861,283 | 1,996,619,306 | 1,693,523,022 | 73,661,739 |
Human resources for border management (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows the human resources for 2022 to 2023 to fulfill the CBSA’s core responsibility of border management.
2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 difference (actual full time equivalents minus planned full time equivalents) |
---|---|---|
11,476 | 10,591 | (885) |
Financial, human resources and performance information for the GC InfoBase.
Border enforcement
Description
The CBSA contributes to Canada’s security by supporting the immigration and refugee system when determining a person’s admissibility to Canada, taking the appropriate immigration enforcement actions when necessary, and supporting the prosecution of persons who violate our laws.
Results
Under its policy agenda, the CBSA advanced initiatives geared toward immigration facilitation and balanced enforcement through legislative and regulatory work to support public safety, immigration facilitation, and program integrity objectives, including:
- Expanding officer authorities to issue removal orders for straightforward inadmissibility cases
- Reviewing Stay of Removal regulations related to public policy considerations
- Streamlining the cancellation of certain immigration documents in cases where a removal order has been issued
- Updating the transborder criminal inadmissibility framework
- Updating the recovery of removal costs framework
- Advancing work on the designation of regimes, including the first designation in 20 years, as well as continuing to review the senior official regulations associated with the designation of regimes
- Reviewing serious inadmissibility grounds, including security and organized criminality membership provisions
- Supporting a number of bills related to strengthening immigration enforcement, including the Royal Assent and coming into force of Bill S-8, which modernizes the inadmissibility provisions, and Bill S-223, which strengthens the inadmissibility framework for persons involved in trafficking of human organs
Concurrently, the CBSA advanced joint efforts with federal partners on other aspects of border enforcement, with a focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the in-Canada asylum system. In particular, the Agency worked with IRCC and other federal partners to modernize the Safe Third Country Agreement, with the changes taking effect in March 2023, thereby strengthening Canada’s ability to address irregular migration across our shared border with the United States.
In line with commitments under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the CBSA assessed the differential impacts of gender-based violence, including human trafficking, throughout its immigration enforcement and inadmissibility policy frameworks. Legislative and regulatory policy proposals are under development to address identified gaps, which will be subject to Government and Parliamentary approvals. The goal is to improve existing immigration enforcement and inadmissibility policies to account for specific considerations relating to people who have experienced human trafficking and gender-based violence, and to avoid inadvertently re-traumatizing victims and survivors.
The CBSA supported the Government’s resettlement commitments for refugees from Afghanistan, with 30,000 resettled by April 2023, as well as immigration measures to support those affected by the unjustifiable and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Agency also worked with the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada to enforce sanctions in response to the Russian invasion and commission of human rights violations.
To support Canada’s No Safe Haven policy and assert Canadian values on the world stage, the CBSA refined its multi-year plan for country reviews aimed at renewing and maintaining the designation of regimes framework. This ongoing work supports the Minister of Public Safety in exercising the authority to designate a regime as having engaged in international human rights violations, terrorism or war crimes, thereby rendering prescribed senior officials of the regime inadmissible to Canada. For example, the Agency immediately began enforcement measures following the designation of the Iranian regime pursuant to subparagraph 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, in order to identify and interdict senior officials who are inadmissible to Canada.
In addition, the CBSA achieved the following results in 2022 to 2023 under its core responsibility of border enforcement.
Immigration investigations identify persons inadmissible to Canada
Investigating and identifying inadmissible persons
In 2022 to 2023, the CBSA concluded 30,746 immigration investigations, with 78% of persons identified as inadmissible to Canada.
The CBSA continued to focus inland investigative resources on high-risk cases, with criminality and national security being the highest priorities, while conducting investigatory activities and ongoing work with IRCC and the RCMP to improve operational coordination with regard to irregular migration and the in-Canada refugee determination system. The Agency also took steps to improve the management of immigration warrants in line with the Auditor General’s Spring 2020 Report on Immigration Removals, with a focus on supporting administrative removals, while maintaining its warrant management strategy to support immigration enforcement operations.
Persons are placed on alternatives to detention whenever possible, or placed in the most appropriate detention facility according to their risk profile
Expanding alternatives to detention
In 2022 to 2023, of the total 5,248 persons detained, the CBSA released 1,813 persons (35%) on alternatives to detention, exceeding its target of 10%.
The CBSA continued efforts to improve Canada’s immigration detention system in line with the National Immigration Detention Framework, with a focus on ensuring that detention is used as a measure of last resort and that alternatives to detention are always considered. In particular, the Agency continued the use of alternatives to detention founded on consistent, risk-based decisions, enabling individuals whose risk can be appropriately mitigated to be released into the community. In October 2022, the new Immigration Holding Centre (IHC) in Laval, Quebec was opened, marking the completion of the last major infrastructure project originally announced under the framework. This will allow the Agency to further reduce its reliance on provincial correctional facilities.
Concurrently, the CBSA enhanced its National Immigration Detention Standards for its three IHCs, as well as for the limited use of provincial facilities, while maintaining its contract with the Canadian Red Cross to provide detention monitoring services in order to ensure that detainees are treated in accordance with applicable domestic standards and international obligations. The standard on detainee care was updated to provide direction on the care and management of vulnerable persons, while the standard on security was updated to provide additional guidance on managing admission and discharge, prohibited items, and personal property within IHCs. The Agency also reviewed risk assessments under the National Risk Assessment for Detention framework to ensure that risks are accurately assessed and that persons are appropriately managed using the most suitable approach, including alternatives to detention.
The Minister’s positions are appropriately represented in immigration and refugee decision-making processes
In collaboration with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), the CBSA made further improvements to the management of its hearings-related activities, including the use of virtual hearings prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with updated guidelines for detention reviews in respect of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Additionally, in partnership with IRCC, the CBSA piloted the Integrated Claims Analysis Centre in the Greater Toronto Area to support efficient processing of asylum cases and improved communication channels with IRCC and the IRB. Collectively, the Integrated Claims Analysis Centre and the other triage units operated by the CBSA in Montreal and Vancouver triaged over 46,500 refugee claims in 2022 to 2023.
Inadmissible foreign nationals are prioritized and removed expeditiously from Canada
Ensuring the removal of inadmissible persons
The CBSA enforced a total of 10,180 removals in 2022 to 2023, representing an increase of 37% over last fiscal year. The CBSA continues to prioritize removals for serious inadmissibility cases (637 cases in 2022 to 2023) such as national security, criminality, human rights violations, and organized crime, as well as failed irregular migrant asylum seekers.
To ensure the timely departure from Canada of inadmissible persons subject to removal, such as foreign national criminals, failed refugee claimants, and other inadmissible persons, the CBSA continued to enhance its removal operations in line with the recommendations of the Auditor General’s Spring 2020 Report on Immigration Removals. These efforts include using a national triage model, prioritizing high-priority removals, increasing travel document applications, and operating the Removals Help Line to encourage more voluntary removals. The Agency also worked with federal partners to address challenges in obtaining required travel documents from countries that may be uncooperative with removal operations, as this remains the most common impediment to removal.
People and businesses that are referred to Crown counsel for prosecution are convicted
Prosecution for violating border legislation
In 2022 to 2023, the CBSA supported the prosecution of multiple cases involving violations of border legislation, with convictions secured in:
- 4 cases involving human smuggling;
- 13 cases involving fraudulent immigration consultants;
- 27 cases involving firearms and weapons smuggling;
- 3 cases involving trade fraud.
Note that a case usually entails multiple charges and may involve more than one type of offence.
The CBSA continued building capacity to investigate and prosecute people and businesses that violate Canada’s border-related legislation, with a focus on complex cases of fraud involving individuals and organizations posing a threat to Canada’s immigration system, economy, and the safety and security of Canadians. Operational priorities are primarily focused on cases of fraud by organizers and facilitators of serious immigration offences, including human smuggling, employment fraud, and offences involving immigration consultants, as well as serious customs offences, including firearms and weapons smuggling, trade fraud, and trade-based money laundering.
In collaboration with IRCC and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, the CBSA continued efforts to strengthen the governance and enforcement framework applicable to those who offer consultant services to persons seeking to enter or remain in Canada. To better protect applicants and newcomers from fraudulent consultants, the Agency is working to augment its criminal investigative capacity, while supporting the implementation of enhanced compliance, enforcement and disciplinary measures within the revised framework.
Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) in border enforcement
The CBSA took steps to improve its GBA Plus governance and data collection practices; apply the GBA Plus lens to inform policy and program decisions impacting service delivery; and mature organizational data literacy to better enable GBA Plus going forward. The Agency also continued to implement the Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices to ensure that its services are designed and delivered to be inclusive of all Canadians. For more information, please consult the GBA Plus supplementary information table.
Innovation in border enforcement
Under its core responsibility of border enforcement, the CBSA pursued an array of innovative solutions, including:
- Alternatives to detention
- The CBSA is implementing solutions for remote monitoring and reporting to support the release of individuals in cases where detention may be mitigated within the community. In 2022 to 2023, there were 6,730 new enrollments in alternatives to detention and a total of 15,887 active participants.
- Asylum modernization
- The CBSA is piloting the Integrated Claims Analysis Centre in the Greater Toronto Area and the Integrated Case Tracking and Prioritization Unit at National Headquarters, along with the implementation of a new refugee processing model, to support efficient processing of asylum cases and improved communication channels with IRCC and the IRB.
Key risks in border enforcement
Under its core responsibility of border enforcement, the CBSA has faced an evolving risk environment coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the lifting of COVID-19 border measures, there was a pressing need to ensure that officers and travellers were aware of and compliant with the latest entry requirements, which posed operational challenges at ports of entry and led to increased processing times and complexities in enforcement activities.
From an immigration perspective, the CBSA has maintained focus on geopolitical events posing challenges to its operations, such as the unjustifiable and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the collapse of the former Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. These events have exerted pressure on border operations through increased volumes of refugees, in addition to persisting pressures on the asylum system through increased irregular migration. Moreover, the CBSA is enforcing the Designation of the Iranian Regime pursuant to subparagraph 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in order to identify and interdict senior officials who are inadmissible to Canada. Concurrently, removal processes for inadmissible persons have been increasingly complex due to the lack of cooperation from some foreign governments in the issuance of travel documents to repatriate their foreign nationals in a timely manner.
Table of results achieved in border enforcement
For the CBSA’s core responsibility of border enforcement, the following table shows the performance indicators, targets and results achieved for 2022 to 2023, as well as historical results for the two previous fiscal years.
Departmental result | Performance indicator | Target | Date to achieve target | 2020–21 actual result | 2021–22 actual result | 2022–23 actual result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Immigration investigations identify persons inadmissible to Canada | Percentage of immigration investigations concluded that result in a person being identified as inadmissible to Canada | At least 55% | March 2023 | 89% | 84% | 78% |
Persons are placed on alternatives to detention whenever possible, or placed in the most appropriate detention facility according to their risk profile | Persons released from detention on alternatives to detention as a percentage of all persons detained | At least 10% | March 2023 | 65% | 31% | 35% |
Percentage of individuals detained in appropriate facilities based on their assessed risk profile | At least 85% | March 2023 | 75% | 89% | 91% | |
The Minister’s positions are appropriately represented in immigration and refugee decision-making processes | Percentage of admissibility hearings, detention reviews and appeals where the Minister’s position is upheld by the Immigration Division and the Immigration Appeal Division | At least 70% | March 2023 | 76% | 84% | 83% |
Percentage of refugee hearings where the Minister’s position is upheld by the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division | At least 70% | March 2023 | 69% | 77% | 75% | |
Inadmissible foreign nationals are prioritized and removed expeditiously from Canada | Percentage of high-priority foreign nationals removed (i.e., on grounds of serious inadmissibility such as criminality, war crimes, security) | At least 80% | March 2023 | 100% | 83% | 89% |
Percentage of removals with no known impediment | At least 80% | March 2023 | 96% | 54% | 66%Footnote 1 | |
People and businesses that are referred to Crown counsel for prosecution are convicted | Referrals for prosecution accepted by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) as a percentage of all referrals made to PPSC | At least 85% | March 2023 | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 94% |
Percentage of prosecutions concluded that result in a conviction | At least 80% | March 2023 | 85% | 84% | 82% | |
Budgetary financial resources for border enforcement (dollars)
The following table shows the budgetary spending for 2022 to23, as well as the actual spending for that year, to fulfill the CBSA’s core responsibility of border enforcement.
2022 to 2023 Main Estimates | 2022 to 2023 planned spending | 2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use | 2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
---|---|---|---|---|
318,963,184 | 318,963,184 | 363,643,125 | 356,671,921 | 37,708,737Footnote 1 |
Table note |
Human resources for border management (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows the human resources for 2022 to 2023 to fulfill the CBSA’s core responsibility of border enforcement.
2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 difference (actual full time equivalents minus planned full time equivalents) |
---|---|---|
1,953 | 1,984 | 31 |
Financial, human resources and performance information for the GC InfoBase.
Internal services
Description
Internal services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. These refer to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the delivery model. The 10 service categories are:
- Acquisition Management Services
- Communication Services
- Financial Management Services
- Human Resources (HR) Management Services
- Information Management Services
- Information Technology (IT) Services
- Legal Services
- Material Management Services
- Management and Oversight Services
- Real Property Management Services
Results
-
Supporting a healthy, diverse and inclusive workforce
To steer its transition to new ways of working coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSA implemented a hybrid work model to achieve an effective balance of in-person and remote work, in line with operational needs and the common guidelines set out by the Treasury Board Secretariat. The Agency also ensured alignment with the latest guidance from public health authorities to address the emergence of COVID-19 variants of concern.
The CBSA took further steps to strengthen organizational resilience through various programs and services aimed at building the capability and accountability needed to foster and sustain a healthy culture. These include focused culture efforts with senior leaders and managers, as well as employee engagement efforts to create and embed trusted feedback loops within the organization. The Agency’s overall objective is to ensure a well-supported, high-performing workforce founded on trust.
To support wellness throughout its workforce, the CBSA began the development of a comprehensive strategy in 2022 to 2023 based on a deep-dive assessment of wellness across the Agency, encompassing four themes: implementing a robust wellness management system; increasing wellness support for and capacity of people managers; improving wellness on the front line; and proactively adjusting to an evolving work reality. The Agency also established a dedicated team to provide wellness support to managers and executives; developed a program to support employees who have had their defensive equipment removed; and delivered over 500 wellness-related events to promote positive mental health, resilience and self-care.
The CBSA remains committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects Canada’s population. To that end, the Agency is pursuing a wide array of initiatives under its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, Official Languages Action Plan, Indigenous Workforce Strategy, Anti-Racism Strategy, and Accessibility Plan to promote the representation of equity-seeking groups at all levels. The results of these efforts will foster a climate of equity and inclusion in which all employees are treated with respect and have equal opportunities for career advancement, development and recognition.
To further support a safe and respectful workplace, the Agency has ensured that measures are in place for the prevention and resolution of harassment, workplace violence and discrimination, including the streamlining of processes as a way to lessen the burden felt by the parties to a complaint. Moreover, in-class and virtual learning opportunities for people managers are delivered through the Agency’s Leadership and Management Induction Program, which strives for a national approach in leadership and management. This program ensures that managers have clear expectations of leadership behaviours and management accountabilities, while developing leader character across the Agency to reinforce a healthy culture and respectful workplace.
-
Refining the CBSA’s management practices
The CBSA is supporting the Government’s efforts to strengthen public sector procurement practices by launching internal process reviews and audits to identify and respond to oversight and monitoring gaps in its procurement practices. This has resulted in the development of a revised governance process; increased oversight mechanisms when selecting procurement methods; and greater focus on maximizing value for money when using external consulting services. The Agency will continue to improve its procurement practices to assure Parliament and Canadians that it demonstrates sound stewardship of public resources.
From an information, science and technology perspective, the CBSA has made great strides in transitioning to a digital workplace, including increased bandwidth, robust security, and greater connectivity with partners and stakeholders, along with a variety of tools to enhance collaboration and remote working. The Agency continues to position itself as a leader in digital transformation, while supporting a cohesive team-oriented culture, enhancing business continuity, and attracting and retaining the best and brightest through a strong hybrid work environment. Notably, the Agency implemented robotic process automation in 2022 to 2023 to help increase the efficiency of personnel security screening.
Additionally, the Agency is implementing information technology enhancements through ongoing efforts to optimize systems and applications, strengthen cybersecurity defence mechanisms, and advance its Cloud Strategy to modernize the handling of information assets and services to Canadians, while also participating on Canada’s behalf in international forums to ensure sharing of best practices.
Under its Enterprise Data and Analytics Strategy, the CBSA took steps to enhance the use of analytics within business intelligence functions, and to promote data fluency and evidence-based decision-making throughout the organization. The Agency also undertook activities aimed at ensuring the horizontal integration of data, addressing data debt and data quality issues, and improving data availability and accessibility. This involved integrating the CBSA Data Frame into investment planning processes, establishing a race-based data framework, beginning cloud migration activities, and developing data visualization tools to support operational planning. Additionally, the CBSA endorsed its Data Strategy 2.0, which focuses on embedding analytics as a cornerstone of all business lines to deliver data-driven insights for decision-makers in a timely, consistent and reliable way.
-
Ensuring effective communications to support the CBSA’s activities
The CBSA provided clear, proactive and accessible communications to the public in 2022 to 2023 to support Canada’s national security and public safety priorities, and to facilitate trade and economic development. To reach audiences in Canada and abroad, the Agency employed a variety of communications tactics, including traditional media relations activities and social media outreach, in order to promote border compliance, counter misinformation, and highlight the exceptional work of CBSA officers. In recognition of its 2022 Border Services Officer Recruitment Campaign, the Agency received the Platinum Award of Communications Excellence in April 2023 from the Privy Council of Canada’s Communications Community Office.
Additionally, from an organizational perspective, innovative and proactive communications were used to support information sharing and engagement with the Agency’s workforce, comprising roughly 16,000 employees and representing diverse backgrounds and locations across Canada and around the world.
-
Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
The CBSA is committed to strengthening its relationship with Indigenous entrepreneurs and communities through the federal procurement process, including the government-wide requirement to ensure that a minimum of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually. In 2022 to 2023, the Agency continued the development of an Indigenous Procurement Policy, along with preparations for regional outreach activities to further encourage procurement opportunities with Indigenous suppliers going forward.
Budgetary financial resources for internal services (dollars)
The following table shows the budgetary spending for 2022 to 2023, as well as the actual spending for that year, to carry out the CBSA’s internal services.
2022 to 2023 Main Estimates | 2022 to 2023 planned spending | 2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use | 2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
---|---|---|---|---|
405,261,441 | 405,261,439 | 499,396,829 | 544,347,508 | 139,086,069Footnote 1 |
Table note |
Human resources for border management (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows the human resources for 2022 to 2023 to carry out the CBSA’s internal services.
2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 difference (actual full time equivalents minus planned full time equivalents) |
---|---|---|
2,367 | 3,142 | 775Footnote 1 |
Table note |
Spending and human resources
Spending for 2020 to 2021 through 2025 to 2026
The following graph shows trends in the CBSA’s spending over time, comprising actual spending for 2020 to 2021 through 2022 to 2023, and planned spending for 2023 to 2024 through 2025 to 2026.Footnote 1
Departmental spending trend graph (in millions of dollars)
Text description
2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 | 2025-2026 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Voted | 1,962 | 2,252 | 2,353 | 2,490 | 2,397 | 2,167 |
Statutory | 205 | 227 | 241 | 228 | 225 | 217 |
Total | 2,167 | 2,479 | 2,594 | 2,718 | 2,622 | 2,384 |
Note
Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
The following table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for the CBSA’s core responsibilities and internal services.
Core responsibilities and internal services | 2022 to 2023 Main Estimates | 2022 to 2023 planned spending | 2023 to 2024 planned spending | 2024 to 2025 planned spending | 2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use | 2020 to 2021 actual spending (authorities used) | 2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used) | 2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Border Management | 1,619,861,283 | 1,619,861,283 | 1,765,249,471 | 1,806,844,795 | 1,996,619,306 | 1,452,822,132 | 1,665,443,159 | 1,693,523,022 |
Border Enforcement | 318,963,184 | 318,963,184 | 445,531,244 | 342,337,543 | 363,643,125 | 251,133,356 | 303,098,988 | 356,671,921 |
Subtotal | 1,938,824,467 | 1,938,824,467 | 2,210,780,716 | 2,149,182,338 | 2,360,262,431 | 1,703,955,488 | 1,968,542,147 | 2,050,194,944 |
Internal Services | 405,261,441 | 405,261,439 | 507,087,682 | 472,675,940 | 499,396,829 | 463,482,360 | 510,175,844 | 544,347,508 |
Total | 2,344,085,908 | 2,344,085,906 | 2,717,868,397 | 2,621,858,278 | 2,859,659,261 | 2,167,437,848 | 2,478,717,991 | 2,594,542,452 |
In 2022 to 2023, the Agency’s appropriation increased by $510.0 million. Of this amount, $293.3 million increased by way of the Supplementary Estimates, which is mainly attributable to funding for the following initiatives:
- Modernizing travel and trade at Canadian borders (Budget 2021)
- Supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees (Budget 2022)
- Advancing the Security Screening Automation Project
- Implementing immigration activities, resettlement measures, temporary accommodations, and income support for Ukrainian refugees
- Automating cross-border currency reporting
- Improving processing times and reducing inventory backlogs for temporary resident applications (Budget 2022)
- Supporting the 2022 to 2024 Immigration Levels Plan (Budget 2022)
- Contracting of security guards to provide care and control for detainees within the Agencyʼs immigration holding centres
- Supporting the stability and integrity of Canadaʼs asylum system (Budget 2022)
- Supporting the federal framework for the legalization and regulation of cannabis
- Addressing irregular migration
- Supporting the response to African swine fever
In addition to this increase, the Agency also received $178.5 million of the previous year’s unused authorities for projects as per the Agency’s two-year appropriation. The Agency received transfers of $38.3 million from Treasury Board Secretariat central votes for the reimbursement of costs related to severance payments, parental benefits, vacation credits and collective agreements. Over the next three years, the Agency’s spending will fluctuate due to the realignment of funding to meet revised project timelines, as well as changes in funding for government-wide initiatives.
In 2022 to 2023, the Agency’s actual spending was $265.1 million less than the total authorities available, of which $117.4 million is deemed lapsed and the remaining balance of approximately $147.7 million is available for use in 2023 to 2024:
- Of the $117.4 million lapsed amount:
- $103.1 million has been re-profiled into future years through the Annual Reference Level Update
- $9.2 million represents lapsed funding, the largest portion of which is related to the Land Border Crossing Project for $7.6 million, which is seeking a re-profile request into 2025 to 2026 and beyond
- $5.1 million is related to conversion costs from non-salary to salary, and frozen funding with pending conditions
- Of the $147.7 million carry-forward amount:
- $94.5 million relates primarily to specified purpose accounts
- $20.5 million is the operating budget carry-forward
- $15.7 million is the capital budget carry-forward
- $16.5 million is related to frozen funding with pending conditions, of which $14.9 million is attributed to Asylum funding
- $0.5 million is related to surplus of crown assets
- The vote breakdown of the $147.7 million carry-forward amount is:
- $96.0 million in operating expenditures (Vote 1)
- $51.2 million in capital expenditures (Vote 5)
- $0.5 million in surplus of crown assets
Budgetary actual gross spending summary (dollars)
The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net spending for 2022 to 2023. This table helps to present the full scope of the Agency’s operations that are materially funded through revenues or special purpose accounts.
Core responsibilities and internal services | 2022 to 2023 actual gross spending | 2022 to 2023 actual revenues netted against expenditures | 2022 to 2023 actual net spending (authorities used) |
---|---|---|---|
Border Management | 1,666,424,753 | 27,098,270 | 1,693,523,022 |
Border Enforcement | 356,671,921 | 0 | 356,671,921 |
Subtotal | 2,023,096,674 | 27,098,270 | 2,050,194,944 |
Internal Services | 544,347,508 | 0 | 544,347,508 |
Total | 2,567,444,182 | 27,098,270 | 2,594,542,452 |
Human resources
Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services (full-time equivalents)
The following table presents the full-time equivalents (FTEs) allocated for the CBSA’s core responsibilities and internal services.
Core responsibilities and internal services | 2020 to 2021 actual full time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 actual full time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 planned full time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 actual full time equivalents | 2023 to 2024 planned full time equivalents | 2024 to 2025 planned full time equivalents |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Border Management | 10,023 | 10,210 | 11,476 | 10,591 | 11,502 | 11,594 |
Border Enforcement | 1,647 | 1,735 | 1,953 | 1,984 | 1,892 | 1,902 |
Subtotal | 11,670 | 11,945 | 13,429 | 12,574 | 13,394 | 13,496 |
Internal services | 2,762 | 3,112 | 2,367 | 3,142 | 2,418 | 2,441 |
Total | 14,396 | 15,057 | 15,796 | 15,717 | 15,812 | 15,937 |
In 2022 to 2023, through the Supplementary Estimates and Budget process, the Agency expects to continue increasing its FTEs over the next few years to support initiatives such as:
- Modernizing travel and trade at Canadian borders (Budget 2021)
- Supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees (Budget 2022)
- Advancing the Security Screening Automation Project
- Implementing immigration activities, resettlement measures, temporary accommodations, and income support for Ukrainian refugees
- Automating cross-border currency reporting
- Improving processing times and reducing inventory backlogs for temporary resident applications (Budget 2022)
- Supporting the 2022 to 2024 Immigration Levels Plan (Budget 2022)
- Contracting of security guards to provide care and control for detainees within the Agencyʼs immigration holding centres
- Supporting the stability and integrity of Canadaʼs asylum system (Budget 2022)
- Supporting the federal framework for the legalization and regulation of cannabis
- Addressing irregular migration
- Supporting the response to African swine fever
Expenditures by vote
For information on the CBSA’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.
Government of Canada spending and activities
Information on the alignment of the CBSA’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in the GC InfoBase.
Financial statements
The CBSA’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 are available. For financial reporting purposes, the Agency’s activities are divided into two sets of financial statements:
- Agency activities, comprising the operational revenues and expenses that are managed by the CBSA and utilized in operating the organization
- Administered activities, comprising tax and non-tax revenues, assets and liabilities administered on behalf of the federal, provincial and territorial governments
One reason for the distinction between Agency Activities and Administered Activities is to facilitate the assessment of the CBSA’s administrative efficiency in delivering on its mandate.
Financial statements highlights
The Departmental Financial Statements are prepared on an accrual accounting basis in accordance with the Treasury Board Directive on Accounting Standards: GC 4500 Departmental Financial Statements, and include non-cash transactions. Financial information provided in other sections of this report is cash-based (planned and actual spending) and is tied to annual parliamentary appropriations (authorities).
Agency activities: Condensed statement of operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (dollars)
Financial information | 2022 to 2023 planned results | 2022 to 2023 actual results | 2021 to 2022 actual results | Difference (2022 to 2023 actual results minus 2022 to 2023 planned results) | Difference (2022 to 2023 actual results minus2021 to 2022 actual results) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses | 2,505,628,000 | 2,755,110,000 | 2,636,054,000 | 249,482,000 | 119,056,000 |
Total revenues | 24,030,000 | 27,091,000 | 17,790,000 | 3,061,000 | 9,301,000 |
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 2,481,598,000 | 2,728,019,000 | 2,618,264,000 | 246,421,000 | 109,755,000 |
Total expenses in 2022 to 2023 were $119.1 million (4.5%) more than in 2021 to 2022 as professional services increased by $55.8 million; transportation and telecommunication increased by $22.1 million; provision for contingent liability increased by $16.8 million; and repairs and maintenance increased by $9.0 million.
Total revenue in 2022 to 2023 was $9.3 million (52.3%) higher than in 2021 to 2022 due to the lifting of restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of the increase in total revenue compared to the previous fiscal year is attributable to a $6.8 million increase in NEXUS program revenue and a $0.9 million increase in food inspection fees.
Agency activities: Condensed statement of financial position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2023 (dollars)
Financial information | 2022 to 2023 | 2021 to 2022 | Difference (2022 to 2023 minus 2021 to 2022) |
---|---|---|---|
Total net liabilities | 461,799,000 | 451,235,000 | 10,564,000 |
Total net financial assets | 287,110,000 | 265,427,000 | 21,683,000 |
Departmental net debt | 174,689,000 | 185,808,000 | (11,119,000) |
Total non-financial assets | 1,130,155,000 | 1,075,645,000 | 54,510,000 |
Departmental net financial position | 955,466,000 | 889,837,000 | 65,629,000 |
The increase of $10.6 million (2.3%) in total net liabilities is mainly attributable to a $10.4 million increase in accounts payable to external parties.
The increase of $21.7 million (8.2%) in total net financial assets is attributable to an increase of $12.6 million due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). This increase, in turn, is attributable to timing differences between the charging of authorities and the actual cash payments for employee salaries and other payables, as well as an $8.3 million increase in receivables from other government departments.
The decrease of $11.1 million (6.0%) in departmental net debt is mainly due to a $5.5 million increase in amortization of tangible capital assets and a $4.9 million increase in net loss on disposal and tangible capital assets.
The increase of $54.5 million (5.1%) in total non-financial assets is mainly due to a $45.9 million increase in net book value of buildings and a $9.9 million increase in assets under construction.
The increase of $65.6 million (7.4%) in net financial position reflects the changes in assets and liabilities.
Administered activities: Condensed statement of administered revenues (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (dollars)
Financial information | 2022 to 2023 | 2021 to 2022 | Difference (2022 to 2023 minus 2021 to 2022) |
---|---|---|---|
Tax revenues | 40,158,053,000 | 34,231,224,000 | 5,926,829,000 |
Non-tax revenues | 74,270,000 | 103,605,000 | (29,335,000) |
Bad debt expenses | 82,378,000 | 226,705,000 | 144,327,000 |
Net results | 40,149,945,000 | 34,108,124,000 | 6,041,821,000 |
Note that, unlike the condensed statement of operations for agency activities, the condensed statement of administered Revenues for administered activities does not include planned results as it is not subject to the Treasury Board Directive on accounting standards: GC 4500 Departmental financial statements.
Total revenues reported within the administered activities financial statements were $40.1 billion for 2022 to 2023, representing an increase of $6 billion (17.6%) over the total revenues of $34.1 billion for 2021 to 2022. The significant increase in tax revenues recorded this year compared to last year is mainly due to a combination of improved economic conditions and inflation that led to the rise in value for duty of taxable products in Canada.
Administered activities: Condensed statement of administered assets and liabilities (unaudited) as at March 31, 2023 (dollars)
Financial information | 2022 to 2023 | 2021 to 2022 | Difference (2022 to 2023 minus 2021 to 2022) |
---|---|---|---|
Total administered assets | 4,356,767,000 | 4,169,708,000 | 187,059,000 |
Total administered liabilities | 51,447,000 | 469,997,000 | 81,450,000 |
Net amount due to the CRF | 3,805,320,000 | 3,699,711,000 | 105,609,000 |
Total administered liabilities and net amount due to the CRF | 4,356,767,000 | 4,169,708,000 | 187,059,000 |
Total administered assets in 2022 to 2023 showed an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous fiscal year, which is attributable to a combination of economic activities and the timing of the collection of accounts receivable from external parties and related deposits to the CRF.
Total administered liabilities in 2022 to 2023 showed an increase of 17.3% compared to the previous fiscal year, which is mainly attributable to an increase in accounts payable to other government departments and agencies.
Corporate information
Organizational profile
- Appropriate minister
- The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
- Institutional head
- Erin O’Gorman
- Ministerial portfolio
- Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Enabling instruments
- Year of incorporation/commencement
- 2003
Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
Operating context
For details on the CBSA's operating context, refer to the Results at a glance section of this report.
Reporting framework
The CBSA's Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2021 to 2022 are shown below.
Core responsibility: Border management
Results | Indicators |
---|---|
The CBSA's intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities support CBSA programs in the identification and interception of high-risk people, goods, and conveyances that pose a threat to the security of Canadians |
|
Admissible travellers are processed in an efficient manner |
|
Travellers and their goods are compliant with applicable legislation |
|
Admissible commercial goods and conveyances are processed (including the collection of revenues) in an efficient manner |
|
Trade partners are compliant with applicable legislation, requirements and measures |
|
Trusted Traveller and Trader programs increase processing efficiency of low-risk, pre-approved travellers and trade partners |
|
Travellers and the business community have access to timely redress mechanisms |
|
Program inventory
- Targeting
- Intelligence Collection and Analysis
- Security Screening
- Traveller Facilitation and Compliance
- Commercial-Trade Facilitation and Compliance
- Trusted Traveller
- Trusted Trader
- Anti-dumping and Countervailing
- Recourse
- Force Generation
- Buildings and Equipment
- Field Technology Support
Core responsibility: Border enforcement
Results | Indicators |
---|---|
Immigration investigations identify persons inadmissible to Canada |
|
CBSA detention decisions are risk-based and detention is used as a measure of last resort |
|
CBSA admissibility recommendations and appeals are upheld at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
|
Inadmissible foreign nationals are prioritized and removed expeditiously from Canada |
|
People and businesses that are referred to Crown counsel for prosecution are convicted |
|
Program inventory
- Immigration Investigations
- Detentions
- Hearings
- Removals
- Criminal Investigations
Supporting information on the program inventory
Financial, human resources and performance information for the CBSA's Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on the CBSA's website:
Federal tax expenditures
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations and GBA+ of tax expenditures.
Organizational contact information
Appendix: definitions
- Appropriation (crédit)
- Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- Budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
- Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
- Core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
- An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
- Departmental plan (plan ministériel)
- A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
- Departmental priority (priorité)
- A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.
- Departmental result (résultat ministériel)
- A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
- Departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
- A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
- Departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
- A framework that connects the department's core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
- Departmental results report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
- A report on a department's actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
- Experimentation (expérimentation)
- The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.
- Full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
- A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person's collective agreement.
- Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])
- An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives; and to understand how factors (such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture, and disability) impact experiences and outcomes, and can affect access to and experience of government programs.
- Government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
- For the purpose of the 2021 to 2022 Departmental Results Report, these are the high-level themes outlining the Government's agenda in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, namely: Protecting Canadians from COVID-19; Helping Canadians through the Pandemic; Building Back Better – A Resiliency Agenda for the Middle Class; The Canada We're Fighting For.
- Horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
- An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
- Non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
- Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
- Performance (rendement)
- What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
- Performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
- A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
- Performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)
- The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.
- Plan (plan)
- The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
- Planned spending (dépenses prévues)
-
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
- Program (programme)
- Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
- Program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
- Identifies all the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's core responsibilities and results.
- Result (résultat)
- A consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization's influence.
- Statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
- Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
- Target (cible)
- A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
- Voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
- Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
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