Canada Border Services Agency
2024 to 2025 Departmental Plan
From the Minister
On behalf of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), I am pleased to present to Parliament our Departmental Plan for the 2024 to 2025 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.
Over the coming fiscal year, the CBSA will continue taking action to combat the cross-border movement of firearms and illicit drugs, including strengthened intelligence and enforcement capabilities and ongoing collaborations with federal partners. To enhance the integrity of Canada’s immigration system, the Agency will continue efforts to increase efficiencies in security screening processes, while working closely with federal partners to ensure a coordinated approach to irregular migration. The Agency will also continue to implement 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.
Under its Traveller Modernization initiative, the CBSA is working to expand the availability of digital technology and self-service tools in order to expedite the movement of travellers through the border. Concurrently, the Agency is ensuring effective operations to manage large volumes of commercial traffic, with a focus on the continual rise in e-commerce volumes. The Agency is also delivering the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project to transform the collection of duties and taxes for imported goods.
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. Additionally, from an organizational perspective, the Agency is focusing on efforts to improve its management practices and enhance internal controls, particularly in relation to people and procurement management.
I am honoured to serve as the Minister responsible for the CBSA and I have every confidence that the Agency will continue to serve Canadians well in the year ahead.
Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibilities and internal services:
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.
Quality of life impacts
This core responsibility contributes to the “Good Governance” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, particularly the “Safety and Security” and “Justice and Human Rights” subdomains, by safeguarding Canada’s borders and ensuring the fair and equal application of Canada’s border-related laws and requirements.
Results and targets
For each departmental result related to the CBSA’s core responsibility of border management, the following tables show the associated indicators; the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years; and the targets and target dates for 2024 to 2025.
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of air travellers targeted for examination that led to an intended result | 10.33% | 21.8% | 37% | At least 16% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of marine and air cargo targeted for examination that led to an intended result | 0.5% | 0.58% | 0.62% | At least 0.5% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of recommendations for admissibility provided/completed within relevant service standards | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 46% | At least 80% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of time the CBSA is meeting the Highway Border Wait Time (BWT) Service Standard | 99.4% | 97% | 93.7% | At least 95% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of travellers using Primary Inspection Devices (PID) at PID-enabled airports | 89.4% | 95.2% | 94.7% | At least 95% | March 2025 |
| Actual availability of Primary Inspection Devices as a percentage of planned availability | 99.1% | 99.7% | 99.8% | At least 99% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of traveller immigration examinations that produced a result (enforcement or facilitation action) | 71.2% | 68.4% | 66.2% | At least 40% | March 2025 |
| Traveller goods selective examination resultant rate is ‘X’ times higher than the traveller goods random examination resultant rate | 6.2 | 12.2 | 15.8 | At least 10 | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of time the CBSA met the commercial Highway Border Wait Time Service Standard | 99.4% | 97.4% | 97.8% | At least 90% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of eligible release decisions provided within established timeframes | 69% | 69% | 57% | At least 95% | March 2025 |
| Actual availability of Single Windows as a percentage of planned availability | 99.8% | 99.7% | 100% | At least 99% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of high-risk commercial goods targeted by the National Targeting Centre (NTC) that are examined at the border | 92.4% | 91.7% | 95.3% | At least 95% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of random commercial examinations that produced a result | 0.18% | 0.19% | 0.22% | At most 1% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of commercial examinations that produce a result related to non-compliance against a trader | 1.67% | 1.76% | 1.92% | At most 1.5% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of penalties applied against traders representing continued non-compliance | 16.1% | 34.4% | 6.9% | At most 5% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of importers not compliant with revenue requirements | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 6% | At most 5% | March 2025 |
| Return on investment (ROI) for compliance activities related to revenue requirements | 5:1 | 18:1 | 16:1 | At least 15:1 | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of imports potentially subject to anti-dumping or countervailing duties verified to ensure compliance | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 72% | At least 80% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of time the CBSA is meeting the NEXUS Highway BWT Service Standard | 99.98% | 95.6% | 94% | At least 95% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of kiosk processing time saving per trusted traveller passage at NEXUS air ports of entry | 37% | 47% | 51% | At least 40% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of active members who are compliant with program requirements and border legislation | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 99.97% | At least 99.9% | March 2025 |
| Ratio of conventional traders and their goods that are examined at the border compared to Trusted Traders and their goods | 6.0:1 | 6.1:1 | 3.7:1 | At least 3.5:1 | March 2025 |
| Percentage of trade by value of goods imported into Canada by participants in the CBSA’s Trusted Trader programs | 26% | 24% | 30% | At least 25% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of trade appeals received that are decided within established service standards | 82% | 76% | 70% | At least 70% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of enforcement appeals received that are decided within established service standards | 62% | 74% | 84% | At least 70% | March 2025 |
The financial, human resources and performance information for the CBSA’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
In 2024 to 2025, the CBSA plans to achieve 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 is combatting the cross-border movement of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, with a particular focus on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, through an array of measures to intercept illegal substances at ports of entry. These include targeting and intelligence development, enhanced controls in the postal stream, and enforcement tools and technology for the safe examination of goods suspected to contain highly toxic substances. The Agency is also collaborating with partners by sharing intelligence and information to identify and interdict illicit shipments.
The CBSA will continue to combat gun and gang violence by delivering the last of the planned technology to enhance detection capabilities by introducing large-scale x-ray technology in the air mode. This is the final component of the plan, which included the expanded use of x-ray technology for risk assessment of mail items in the postal stream, additional detector dog teams, specialized examination vehicles, and the deployment of handheld x-ray devices at select ports of entry.
To combat the illegal importation of firearms, the CBSA is following its Firearms Strategy and collaborating with partners through its Cross-Border Firearms Task Force. The Agency’s National Firearms Intelligence Desk and National Targeting Centre play a key role in sharing information across all regions and supporting firearm interdictions at ports of entry.
To address the threat of African swine fever, the CBSA works closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to prevent the importation of high-risk food, plant and animal products. These efforts include an ongoing public awareness campaign aimed at travellers and stakeholders in Canada and abroad, along with the deployment of 22 new detector dog teams specializing in the detection of food, plant and animal products.
In the immigration context, the CBSA is taking further steps to implement processing efficiencies in the Immigration National Security Screening Program to identify inadmissible persons seeking entry into Canada. In particular, the Agency has implemented inventory management strategies, such as focusing on cases that are not pending additional information, in order to ensure that officers action cases with complete information so that timely recommendations can be provided.
The CBSA is employing 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. In collaboration with federal partners, the Agency is continuing intelligence-led operational initiatives 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 protects 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 to identify instances of trade-based financial crime, including trade-based money laundering, and refers them to the appropriate law enforcement entities.
Admissible travellers are processed in an efficient manner
Through its wide-ranging, multi-year suite of Traveller Modernization initiatives, the CBSA is working toward the border of the future. The Agency is laying the groundwork for significant investments in technical 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. Following the completion of legislative amendments in 2023 to 2024, the Agency is planning to bring forward a suite of regulatory amendments that will establish the policy foundation for the integration of these new technologies to modernize the border experience.
The ultimate goal of Traveller Modernization is to provide travellers with options to expedite their border experience, while ensuring that privacy safeguards are in place, thereby enhancing the Agency’s ability to process travellers more efficiently.
Travellers and their goods are compliant with applicable legislation
Another goal of Traveller Modernization is to deliver a modern application for border services officers to process travellers, so that officers no longer have to use multiple separate systems. Over the coming years, the CBSA aims to combine traveller processing systems into a single solution that consolidates traveller information and makes use of data analytics to evaluate the probability of a traveller being compliant based on the characteristics of their current and previous passages.
Through its Entry/Exit Program, the CBSA collects 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 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 is developing a proof-of-concept pilot for the establishment of Canadian land preclearance in a co-located facility in the United States, with a view to facilitating border processes for legitimate travellers and preventing the entry of inadmissible travellers into Canada prior to their arrival. The pilot will provide an opportunity to assess the feasibility of the operational approach and will inform the Agency’s future efforts on preclearance. During this period, the Agency will also undertake studies to assess the viability of Canadian preclearance operations at different locations in the United States.
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 is transitioning to a larger-scale pilot of the E-Commerce Low Value Inspection System, with the aim of enhancing risk targeting in the courier low value stream, using automation and analytics to intercept contraband, and facilitating legitimate trade. The Agency will continue to assess the extent to which legislative and regulatory changes are needed to support these efforts. In addition, the Agency is working with the Canada Post Corporation to ensure streamlined and strengthened operations at international mail centres in order to manage postal volumes on a daily basis and during peak periods.
The CBSA will continue the development of a cargo preclearance proof-of-concept in the air mode to inform the potential future expansion of commercial preclearance operations in the United States.
In response to a decision by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and in light of significant increases in e-commerce goods imported into Canada, the CBSA will implement a 2022 amendment to section 17 of the Customs Act in order to clarify liability for duties and taxes owing on these goods. This amendment, which received Royal Assent as part of Bill C-19, clarifies that when entities identify themselves as the importer of record through accounting documents, they share liability for duties and taxes owing with the importer or owner of those goods.
Traders are compliant with applicable legislation and requirements
To prevent the importation of goods believed to be produced by forced labour, the CBSA works closely with the Labour Program within Employment and Social Development Canada to identify goods that may have been produced by forced labour in order to prevent their entry into Canada. The CBSA is currently engaged with other government departments and trade chain partners on an approach to address forced labour in supply chains.
To improve commercial examination capacity in the marine mode, the CBSA is equipping its marine container examination facilities with enhanced imaging technology at key locations to inspect marine containers and large conveyances targeted for examination. The Agency continues to collaborate with Transport Canada on the Port Modernization Review to support efficiency and facilitation priorities at Canada’s marine ports, as well as the Supply Chain Task Force recommendations to address security threats associated with organized crime, smuggling and internal conspiracies. The Agency will continue to pursue amendments to the Customs Act and additional regulatory work as needed in support of these Transport Canada initiatives.
Importers comply with revenue requirements
The CBSA will implement Release 2 of the CARM project in May 2024, which will expand the functionality of the CARM system, including the CARM Client Portal. Ultimately, CARM 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.
Canadian producers are protected from unfairly dumped and subsidized imports
The CBSA continues to conduct anti-dumping and countervailing investigations through its administration of the Special Import Measures Act 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. Moreover, the Agency’s anti-circumvention of trade remedies policy framework brings greater predictability and efficiency to its investigations of industry complaints that Special Import Measures Act duties are being unfairly circumvented.
To expand trade remedy advisory services, the CBSA has established a new Trade Remedies Advisory Services Unit that helps non-traditional users, such as small- and medium-sized enterprises, to generate and navigate new anti-dumping investigations.
In support of Canada’s obligations under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the CBSA will prioritize its E-filing Solution project to digitalize its Anti-dumping and Countervailing Program, in line with the CUSMA requirement to implement a web-based access point by July 2025.
Trusted Traveller and Trader programs increase processing efficiency of low-risk, pre-approved travellers and traders
The CBSA is continuing to expand interview capacity at existing NEXUS enrollment centres in order to provide new interview opportunities for current and prospective members. The Agency is also advancing the necessary program requirements for the deployment of 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, making it easier to process increased traveller volumes.
Travellers and the business community have access to timely redress mechanisms
The Recourse Program provides travellers and businesses with an accessible mechanism to seek a review of CBSA decisions and to provide any feedback or complaints, in accordance with legislation and policies administered by the Agency. The program is implementing improvements to business processes and client communications through a secure portal, while also supporting key priorities, such as CARM implementation and the creation of an independent review body for the CBSA.
Additional initiatives
The CBSA is improving frontline recruitment and retention efforts through a renewed strategy that focuses on strategic recruitment in support of Agency priorities and workforce renewal. The Agency is focused on ensuring a high-performing, adaptable and diverse workforce that is representative of the population it serves. Additionally, the Agency is working to better align the placement of recruits with its operational needs and official language requirements.
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen border infrastructure, the CBSA is continuing the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project together with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority to support the design and construction of the Canadian port of entry in line with its vision for a modern, state-of-the-art border crossing. The CBSA is also continuing the Land Border Crossing Project to rebuild multiple land ports of entry over the next several years.
In support of the Government’s commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, the CBSA is guided by several frames of reference, including its Indigenous Framework and Strategy; the CBSA Policy on its Relationship with Indigenous Peoples; the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; the Calls for Justice of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls; and historic and modern treaties. The CBSA remains committed to ensuring that Indigenous culture, interests and issues are reflected in its operations. Additionally, in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the CBSA is collaborating with Indigenous partners to find solutions to longstanding border crossing mobility issues in support of the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024 to 2025
- Planned spending: $1,776,503,392
- Planned full-time resources: 12,243 full-time equivalents
Related government priorities
- Gender-based analysis plus: For details on how the CBSA is implementing GBA Plus across the organization, please refer to the Agency’s GBA Plus supplementary information table.
- United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals: For details on how the CBSA is contributing to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, please refer to the Agency’s 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
Program inventory
The CBSA’s core responsibility of border management is supported by the following programs in its program inventory:
- Targeting
- Intelligence Collection and Analysis
- Security Screening
- Traveller Facilitation and Compliance
- Commercial Facilitation and Compliance
- Trade Facilitation and Compliance
- Anti-dumping and Countervailing
- Trusted Traveller
- Trusted Trader
- Recourse
- Force Generation
- Buildings and Equipment
- Field Technology Support
Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CBSA’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.
Border enforcement
In this section
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.
Quality of life impacts
This core responsibility contributes to the “Good Governance” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, particularly the “Safety and Security” and “Justice and Human Rights” subdomains, by safeguarding Canada’s borders and ensuring the fair and equal application of Canada’s border-related laws and requirements.
Results and targets
For each departmental result related to the CBSA’s core responsibility of border enforcement, the following tables show the associated indicators; the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years; and the targets and target dates for 2024 to 2025.
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of immigration investigations concluded that result in a person being identified as inadmissible to Canada | 89% | 84% | 78% | At least 55% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons released from detention on alternatives to detention as a percentage of all persons detained | 65% | 31% | 35% | At least 25% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of individuals detained in appropriate facilities based on their assessed risk profile | 75% | 89% | 91% | At least 85% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of admissibility hearings, detention reviews and appeals where the Minister’s position is upheld by the Immigration Division and the Immigration Appeal Division | 76% | 84% | 83% | At least 70% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of refugee hearings where the Minister’s position is upheld by the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division | 69% | 77% | 75% | At least 70% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of high-priority foreign nationals removed (i.e., on grounds of serious inadmissibility such as criminality, war crimes, security) | 100% | 83% | 89% | At least 80% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of removals with no known impediments | 96% | 54% | 66% | At least 80% | March 2025 |
| Indicator | 2020 to 2021 result | 2021 to 2022 result | 2022 to 2023 result | Target | Date to achieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referrals for prosecution accepted by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) as a percentage of all referrals made to PPSC | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | N/A (introduced in 2022 to 2023) | 94% | At least 85% | March 2025 |
| Percentage of prosecutions concluded that result in a conviction | 85% | 84% | 82% | At least 80% | March 2025 |
The financial, human resources and performance information for the CBSA’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
In 2024 to 2025, the CBSA plans to achieve the following results under its core responsibility of border enforcement:
Immigration investigations identify persons inadmissible to Canada
The CBSA is focusing inland investigative resources on high-risk cases, with the highest priorities being criminality, organized criminality, human and international rights violations, and national security. Concurrently, the Agency is conducting investigatory activities and ongoing work with federal partners to improve operational coordination with regard to irregular migration and the in-Canada refugee determination system. The Agency is also maintaining its warrant management strategy to support immigration enforcement operations, with a focus on supporting administrative removals.
Persons are placed on alternatives to detention whenever possible, or placed in the most appropriate detention facility according to their risk profile
The CBSA remains committed to continually improving Canada’s immigration detention system after successes achieved through the implementation of 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. The Agency continues to use and expand alternatives to detention that are founded on consistent, risk-based decisions for individuals whose risk can be appropriately mitigated while being released into the community. In cases where detention is required, the Agency has updated its National Immigration Detention Standards to improve the conditions of detention, and has maintained ongoing engagement with the Canadian Red Cross to provide documented detention monitoring services. These two initiatives serve to ensure that detainees are treated in accordance with applicable domestic and international obligations.
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 continues to ensure effective management of its hearings-related activities, including the implementation of updated guidelines for detention reviews in respect of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Agency also continues to support faster triage and review processes to expedite IRB decisions, including ongoing participation with IRCC in the Integrated Claim Analysis Centre situated in the Greater Toronto Area.
Inadmissible foreign nationals are prioritized and removed expeditiously from Canada
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 is enhancing its removal operations by using a national triage model, focusing on high-priority removals, increasing travel document applications, and operating the Removals Help Line to encourage more voluntary removals. The Agency is also collaborating 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
The CBSA is 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 communities. 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 is continuing efforts to strengthen the governance and enforcement framework applicable to those who offer consultant services to persons seeking to enter or remain in Canada.
Additional initiatives
Under its policy agenda, the CBSA is advancing an array of 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, 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
In line with commitments under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the CBSA is assessing 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 governmental 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 continues to support immigration measures for those affected by the unjustifiable and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, while also working with federal partners to enforce sanctions in response to the Russian invasion and commission of human rights violations. The Agency also continues to support 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 implemented 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.
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024 to 2025
- Planned spending: $365,361,907
- Planned full-time resources: 2,011 full-time equivalents
Related government priorities
Gender-based analysis plus: For details on how the CBSA is implementing GBA Plus across the organization, please refer to the Agency’s GBA Plus supplementary information table.
Program inventory
The CBSA’s core responsibility of border enforcement is supported by the following programs in its program inventory:
- Immigration Investigations
- Detentions
- Hearings
- Removals
- Criminal Investigations
Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CBSA’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.
Internal services
In this section
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- Management and oversight services
- Communications services
- Legal services
- Human resources management services
- Financial management services
- Information management services
- Information technology services
- Real property management services
- Materiel management services
- Acquisition management services
Plans to achieve results
In 2024 to 2025, the CBSA plans to achieve the following results in relation to its internal services:
Improving the CBSA’s management practices and supporting a modern workplace
The CBSA is strengthening its procurement practices by conducting internal audits to identify and address oversight and monitoring gaps. This has resulted in the development of 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.
The CBSA continues to take steps in furtherance of a modern, healthy and enabling workplace where employees are valued and engaged, and are supported by investments in learning, leadership and talent development. The CBSA’s People Management Strategy focuses on the delivery of high-quality human resources programs and services aligned to Agency priorities. To that end, strengthened policies, programs, processes and tools are laying the foundation for excellence in people management now and into the future.
The CBSA is taking further steps to strengthen organizational resilience through various programs and services aimed at building the capability and accountability needed to foster and sustain a modern, healthy and enabling workplace. These include a robust recognition framework; a commitment to continuous learning through strategic investments in training, learning and development; and accessible tools and training to support the Agency’s current and future workforce while fostering and maintaining a respectful and psychologically healthy workplace.
To support wellness throughout its workforce, the CBSA is focused on actions driven by its newly released 2024 to 2028 Wellness Strategy, which sets the Agency on a path of leadership in organizational wellness. This strategy focuses on four strategic priorities: improving wellness on the front line; ensuring that managers are supported and empowered to create healthy workplaces; adjusting to a continually evolving work reality; and implementing a wellness management system.
The CBSA remains committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects Canada’s population. To that end, the Agency is reviewing its multi-year Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to ensure that it incorporates the recommendations of the Office of the Auditor General’s Report on Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees, as well as the recommendations of the Many Voices, One Mind report. The Agency is also reviewing its Official Languages Action Plan to ensure that it incorporates new initiatives that support official languages reforms resulting from the modernized Official Languages Act. 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.
The CBSA is taking steps to align with the Clerk of the Privy Council’s priority on values and ethics. The CBSA Code of Conduct is the main information source for workplace ethics at the Agency. The Code sets out the expected behaviours for employees at all levels and serves as a guide for interacting with others, making decisions, and working in a professional, values-based environment. Following a review of the Code that was recently conducted to ensure alignment between CBSA values and those of the public sector, the Agency is planning a series of targeted sessions to be held across the organization, including facilitated discussions that make use of real examples.
Supporting an effective organization through information technology and analytics
The CBSA’s Information Technology Accessibility Plan is the starting point for implementing accessibility by design, ensuring that clients have meaningful options for interacting with the Agency and that employees have access to adaptive technologies. This promotes attraction and retention of employees who can perform at their fullest potential, while building a sense of inclusiveness across the organization. The Agency is developing an action plan to improve the accessibility of information technology programs and services, including the development of an Information Technology Accessibility Competency Centre, to enhance information management and provide information technology professionals with tools, guidance and training for the development of accessible applications and services.
The CBSA is committed to strengthening the overall health of the Government’s application portfolio through a large initiative focused on rationalizing the Agency’s application portfolio, hardware and processes. This includes enhancements to systems and applications, strengthening cybersecurity defence mechanisms, and advancing Cloud adoption to modernize the handling of information assets and services to Canadians, while also reducing technology debt.
Under its Enterprise Data and Analytics Strategy, the CBSA is enhancing the use of analytics throughout the organization, while undertaking activities aimed at ensuring the horizontal integration of data and improving data quality, availability and accessibility. The strategy will allow the Agency to better enable evidence-based decision-making; strengthen policy compliance and performance monitoring; identify opportunities for efficiency; and enhance transparency through data to the public.
Ensuring effective communications to support CBSA activities
The CBSA provides clear, concise, proactive and accessible communications to the public 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 employs 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 the CBSA. Additionally, from an organizational perspective, the Agency uses innovative, compelling and proactive communications to support information sharing, community building and engagement with its workforce, comprising roughly 16,000 employees and representing diverse backgrounds and locations across Canada and around the world.
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024 to 2025
- Planned spending: $507,741,063
- Planned full-time resources: 2,118 full-time equivalents
Related government priorities
Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses: The CBSA continues to strengthen its relationship with Indigenous entrepreneurs and communities through the federal procurement process, and is committed to the government-wide requirement to ensure that a minimum of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually. The Agency currently exceeds the 5% target. Moreover, the Agency is developing Indigenous procurement guidelines in line with the Government of Canada’s Indigenous Procurement Policy.
| 2022 to 2023 actual result | 2023 to 2024 forecasted result | 2024 to 2025 planned result |
|---|---|---|
| 9,12% | 5% | 5% |
Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of the CBSA’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years, and compares planned spending for 2024 to 2025 with actual spending from previous years.
Spending
The following table shows information on spending for the CBSA’s core responsibilities and internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2021 to 2022 actual expenditures | 2022 to 2023 actual expenditures | 2023 to 2024 forecast spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Management | 1,665,443,159 | 1,693,523,022 | 1,814,034,827 |
| Border Enforcement | 303,098,988 | 356,671,921 | 410,300,356 |
| Subtotal | 1,968,542,147 | 2,050,194,944 | 2,224,335,183 |
| Internal Services | 510,175,844 | 544,347,508 | 511,856,131 |
| Total | 2,478,717,991 | 2,594,542,452 | 2,736,191,314 |
In 2023 to 2024, the Agency has an increase of $141.7 million in funding over the forecast spending in 2022 to 2023 due to new and sunsetting funding. New funding includes:
- funding for modernizing travel and trade at Canadian borders (Budget 2021)
- funding for supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees (Budget 2022)
- funding for advancing the Security Screening Automation Project
- funding for implementing immigration activities, resettlement measures, temporary accommodations, and income support for Ukrainian refugees
- funding for automating cross-border currency reporting
- funding for improving processing times and reducing inventory backlogs for Temporary Resident applications (Budget 2022)
- funding for supporting the 2022 to 2024 Immigration Levels Plan (Budget 2022)
- funding for contracting of security guards to provide care and control for detainees within the Agencyʼs immigration holding centres
- funding for supporting the stability and integrity of Canada’s asylum system (Budget 2022)
- funding for supporting the federal framework for the legalization and regulation of cannabis
- funding for addressing irregular migration
- funding for supporting the response to African swine fever
The following table shows information on spending for the CBSA’s core responsibilities and internal services for the upcoming three fiscal years.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024 to 2025 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) | 2024 to 2025 planned spending | 2025 to 2026 planned spending | 2026 to 2027 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border Management | 1,776,503,392 | 1,776,503,392 | 1,616,255,435 | 1,533,683,362 |
| Border Enforcement | 365,361,907 | 365,361,907 | 349,985,596 | 342,257,787 |
| Subtotal | 2,141,865,299 | 2,141,865,299 | 1,966,241,031 | 1,875,941,149 |
| Internal Services | 507,741,063 | 507,741,063 | 499,026,382 | 455,544,281 |
| Total | 2,649,606,362 | 2,649,606,362 | 2,465,267,413 | 2,331,485,430 |
As previously mentioned, the Agency has increased funding in 2023 to 2024 and subsequent years through the following initiatives:
- funding for modernizing travel and trade at Canadian borders (Budget 2021)
- funding for supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees (Budget 2022)
- funding for advancing the Security Screening Automation Project
- funding for implementing immigration activities, resettlement measures, temporary accommodations, and income support for Ukrainian refugees
- funding for automating cross-border currency reporting
- funding for improving processing times and reducing inventory backlogs for Temporary Resident applications (Budget 2022)
- funding for supporting the 2022 to 2024 Immigration Levels Plan (Budget 2022)
- funding for contracting of security guards to provide care and control for detainees within the Agencyʼs immigration holding centres
- funding for supporting the stability and integrity of Canada’s asylum system (Budget 2022)
- funding for supporting the federal framework for the legalization and regulation of cannabis
- funding for addressing irregular migration
- funding for supporting the response to African swine fever
As part of the 2024 to 2025 Main Estimates Budget exercise, the Agency has been funded for the following initiatives:
- implementing Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
- stabilizing resources available for Temporary Resident processing
- strengthening Canada’s Trade Remedy and Revenue System
- supporting the 2023 to 2025 Immigration Levels Plan
- strengthening frontline capacity
- supporting the National Security Intelligence Review
- modernizing travel and trade at Canadian borders
The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for 2024 to 2025.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024 to 2025 gross planned spending | 2024 to 2025 planned revenues netted against spending | 2024 to 2025 planned net spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Management | 1,800,533,392 | (24,030,000) | 1,776,503,392 |
| Border Enforcement | 1,800,533,392 | (24,030,000) | 1,776,503,392 |
| Subtotal | 2,165,895,299 | (24,030,000) | 2,141,865,299 |
| Internal Services | 507,741,063 | 0 | 507,741,063 |
| Total | 2,673,636,362 | (24,030,000) | 2,649,606,362 |
The purpose of this table is to help present the full scope of the Agency’s operations that are materially funded through revenues or special purpose accounts.
Funding
The following graph presents the CBSA’s planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time. Note that amounts may not exactly add up due to rounding.
Figure 1: Departmental spending 2021 to 2022 to 2026 to 2027 (in $ millions)
| to | to | to | to | to | to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory | 227 | 241 | 251 | 215 | 207 | 203 |
| Voted | 2,252 | 2,353 | 2,486 | 2,435 | 2,258 | 2,128 |
| Total | 2,479 | 2,594 | 2,736 | 2,650 | 2,465 | 2,331 |
Estimates by vote
Information on the CBSA’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024 to 2025 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the CBSA’s operations for 2023 to 2024 to 2024 to 2025.
The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.
A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on the CBSA’s website.
| Financial information | 2023 to 2024 forecast results | 2024 to 2025 planned results | Difference (2024 to 2025 planned results minus 2023 to 2024 forecast results) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | 2,916,579,000 | 2,752,821,000 | (163,758,000) |
| Total revenues | 27,030,000 | 24,030,000 | (3,000,000) |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 2,889,549,000 | 2,728,791,000 | (160,758,000) |
The total expenses in 2024 to 2025 are projected to be $2,753 million, representing a decrease of $164 million compared to the $2,917 million forecasted in 2023 to 2024.
Human resources
The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents, for the CBSA’s core responsibilities and internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2021 to 2022 actual full time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 actual full time equivalents | 2023 to 2024 forecast full time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Management | 10,210 | 10,591 | 11,502 |
| Border Enforcement | 1,735 | 1,984 | 1,892 |
| Subtotal | 11,945 | 12,574 | 13,394 |
| Internal Services | 3,112 | 3,142 | 2,418 |
| Total | 15,057 | 15,717 | 15,812 |
The Agency has increased its full-time equivalents over the years (through the Supplementary Estimates and Budget process) 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 2022-2024 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 Canada’s 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.
The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents, for the CBSA’s core responsibilities and internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024–25 planned full time equivalents | 2025–26 planned full time equivalents | 2026–27 planned full time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Management | 12,243 | 11,844 | 11,814 |
| Border Enforcement | 2,011 | 1,992 | 2,001 |
| Subtotal | 14,254 | 13,836 | 13,815 |
| Internal Services | 2,118 | 2,032 | 2,011 |
| Total | 16,372 | 15,868 | 15,826 |
As previously mentioned, the Agency has increased its full-time equivalents over the years (through the Budget process) 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 2022-2024 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 Canada’s 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.
As part of the 2024–25 Main Estimates Budget exercise, the Agency has been funded full-time equivalents for the following initiatives:
- Implementing Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
- Stabilizing resources available for Temporary Resident processing.
- Strengthening Canada’s Trade Remedy and Revenue System.
- Supporting the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan.
- Strengthening frontline capacity.
- Supporting the National Security Intelligence Review.
- Modernizing travel and trade at Canadian borders.
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: | Canada Border Services Agency Act Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act |
| Year of incorporation/commencement: | 2003 |
Organizational contact information
The CBSA’s contact information is available on its website.
Supplementary information tables
The CBSA’s GBA Plus supplementary information table is available on its website.
The CBSA’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy is also available on its website.
Federal tax expenditures
The CBSA’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.
Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.
This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.
Definitions
List of terms
- 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 document that sets out a department’s priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
- departmental result (résultat ministériel)
- A change that a department seeks to influence. 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 factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.
- departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
- A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.
- Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
- A report on a department’s actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.
- 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. Full time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
- gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
- An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
- government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
- For the purpose of the 2024 to 2025 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighting harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
- horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
- An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
- Indigenous business
- As defined on the Indigenous Services Canada website in accordance with the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually.
- 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.
- 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 up to the expected result.
- planned spending (dépenses prévues)
- For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the 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 a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
- program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
- An inventory of a department’s programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department’s core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.
- result (résultat)
- An external 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.
- Date modified: