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Processing times


21 working days

The current estimated processing time of a complaint in calendar days.

Last updated: 2024-10-04

The Canada Border Services Agency would like to hear about your experience with us. Your feedback helps us to understand our clients and improve the delivery of our programs and services. Please send us your feedback, in the official language (English or French) of your choice, through the feedback form below.

Note: If you have a question or a request for information for the CBSA, and not feedback relating to your experience with the CBSA, please refer to our Contact Us page. You will have the option to use the client support contact form or if your general inquiry is time-sensitive, please contact us by phone at 1-800-461-9999 (toll-free in Canada and the USA).

How to submit your feedback

To receive the most efficient service, we encourage you to submit your feedback by completing our electronic feedback form. By selecting one of the feedback types identified below, we will redirect you to the correct form.

Online

Compliment

Praise in relation to any aspect of the Agency's delivery of services, performance, or processes.

Your experiences with the CBSA will be passed on to the responsible manager and/or employee for recognition. *The CBSA will not contact you for further information.

Submit a compliment

Complaint

Prior to submitting a complaint

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions to confirm that your request is within our scope in order to avoid delays in response. Examples of complaints that are most often erroneously associated to the CBSA are postal shipment inquiries, marine container status updates or complaints on other government department policies (Public Health Agency Canada). These will not be processed, nor redirected to the appropriate area.

An unmet expectation relating to the Agency's delivery of services, performance, or processes.

All complaints will be handled in an efficient, professional and impartial manner. You will be requested to provide some information about your complaint, including but not limited to your name and contact information. This information will be used to initiate contact with you to resolve the identified issue. The CBSA takes all complaints very seriously and will be advising you of the outcome of your complaint once completed.

Submit a complaint

By mail


Should submitting online not be possible, you can write to us. Be advised that mail submissions may take longer to process and impact the service standards outlined below. Please print and complete the feedback form and mail the completed form to:


Feedback

Recourse Directorate
Canada Border Services Agency
Ottawa, ON K1A 0L8


Communicating with our staff

The CBSA is committed to communicating with you in a respectful, professional and civil manner. Similarly, we ask clients to extend the same courtesy to our staff. We understand that the complaint process and the circumstances that give rise to complaints can be stressful. However, we will not accept threatening, discriminatory or harassing behaviour or profane communications. Please note that repeated behaviour of this kind may result in the CBSA restricting communications or no longer communicating with you beyond advising you of the outcome of your complaint.

Processing times and service standards

Processing times and service standards help you estimate how long it may take the CBSA to respond to your request. The length of time depends on a number of factors, including the number of complaints submitted and the complexity level required to provide a comprehensive response.


Service standards

Fiscal year , to

Feedback mechanism: complaints

1. Feedback mechanism: complaints: initial contact

Service description: Initial contact with the client is made in response to a complaint. The main purpose is to resolve the complaint at this stage.

Service standard: The CBSA will aim to contact the client within 14 calendar days after a written complaint is received.

Performance target: 85%

Performance result: To be reported on , for fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

2. Feedback mechanism: complaints: final response

Service description: The CBSA provides a final written response to the complaint.

Service standard: The CBSA will aim to provide a final written response to the client within 40 calendar days after a written complaint is received.

Performance target: 90%

Performance result: To be reported on , for fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

For more information on all service standards and performance results for previous years, consult the CBSA service standards.

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