Implementation of the Pilot Project for the Travellers in Remote Areas – Quebec
Customs Notice 14-017

1. This notice is to inform you that the Pilot Project for the Travellers in Remote Areas – Quebec (PPTRA-Q) will be implemented on July 14, 2014.

2. The pilot will facilitate the entry of travellers and commercial drivers into Canada along the Quebec/Maine border during specified hours at local Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) offices by allowing telephone reporting at a land border.

3. The fee for the issuance of a two year membership in the PPTRA-Q will be CAN$50.

Pilot Project for the Travellers in Remote Areas – Quebec

4. The PPTRA-Q will replace the current Q-19 program and is designed to facilitate border crossings into Canada at designated border crossings along the Quebec/Maine border for eligible citizens and permanent residents of Canada and the United States (U.S.) by allowing telephone reporting during times when offices are not staffed. Those designated border crossings are St. Zacharie, Sainte-Aurélie, Saint-Just-de-Bretenières, Saint-Pamphile, and Pohénégamook. The PPTRA-Q will be available to commercial drivers in the logging industry and other travellers.

5. Applicants will be risk-assessed by the CBSA against criminal, immigration and customs databases. Once approved, members will be allowed to enter Canada during specified hours (when the ports are not staffed) by reporting at time of entry using telephones that are installed at those designated border crossings along the Quebec/Maine border.

6. PPTRA-Q members may not use the designated border crossings during the hours that telephone reporting is permitted if importing goods which violate the conditions of their membership.

Eligibility Requirements

7. To be eligible for membership in the PPTRA-Q, an applicant must:

• (a) Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) or be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident in the U.S.;
• (b) Not be inadmissible to Canada under IRPA;
• (c) Not have a criminal conviction or if there are criminal convictions, the applicant must have received a pardon or meet the applicable exceptions which can be found on the PPTRA-Q page on the CBSA Web site;
• (d) Not have contravened provisions of program legislation administered and/or enforced by the CBSA (e.g. a Customs Act seizure). However, exceptions exist based on time elapsed or seriousness of the contravention as set out on the PPTRA-Q page on the CBSA Web site;
• (e) Provide their consent in writing to having a photograph of themselves taken for identification purposes and authenticating the use of their authorization at any border crossing; and
• (f) Provide true, accurate and complete information in respect to their application for the authorization.

8. For leisure travellers who are permanent residents of either Canada or the United States only, an additional criterion is that they must meet the three-year residency requirement at the time of application until receipt of the membership, except if otherwise exempted. Exemptions can be found on the PPTRA-Q page on the CBSA Web site.

Note: Children under the age of 18 require the consent of a parent or a person who has custody of the children to enrol in PPTRA-Q. Children can be enrolled in PPTRA-Q even if their parents or guardians are not members. For further information about the enrolment of children, please visit the PPTRA-Q page on the CBSA Web site.

Application and Enrolment Process

9. Future applicants from the current Q-19 program were sent a PPTRA-Q application form and transitional letter. In addition, application forms will be available at different ports of entry and can be requested via TrustedTPs-PVFiables@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca. Once completed, the form is to be sent to

Canadian Processing Centre
400 Place d’Youville, 1st floor
Montréal, Quebec
H2Y 2C2

along with a fee of CAN$50 in the form of a certified check or money order in Canadian funds made payable to the Receiver General of Canada or credit card information (Visa, MasterCard and American Express). Each applicant, including children, must complete a separate form; however, children are enrolled for free.

10. Applicants will be risk-assessed by the CBSA against criminal, immigration and customs databases before being accepted into the program. Once conditionally approved, prospective members will be asked to have their photograph taken and their documents verified at Armstrong, Sainte-Aurélie or Saint-Pamphile. Once the enrolment is finalized and a membership card is issued, the member will be allowed to enter Canada during specified hours by presenting and reporting using accessible telephones at the designated border crossings. At the time of passage, all persons aboard the conveyance must be a member of the PPTRA-Q.

11. Membership in the PPTRA-Q is valid for two years provided the member maintains their program membership by continuing to meet the program eligibility criteria, complying with the conditions associated with the authorization, and presenting in the authorized manner upon arrival at a designated border crossing.

12. Failure to comply with the conditions of the authorization may result in the immediate cancellation of the membership and any other applicable enforcement actions. It is a condition of the PPTRA-Q authorization that, at the time of passage, there are none of the following goods aboard the conveyance:

• (a) commercial goods (with the exception of wood and articles of wood described in tariff items 44.01 and 44.03 of the Schedule of the Customs Tariff that are aboard a commercial highway conveyance),
• (b) alcohol, tobacco products, or ammunitions,
• (c) goods that were acquired outside of Canada and that have not previously been released within the meaning of the Customs Act (with the exception of goods that are imported by a member who is not a resident of Canada for their personal use),
• (d) goods for which a permit, licence or similar document is required to be provided to the Agency before they are released.

13. Members may refer to the CBSA Web site for more information regarding the conditions of the PPTRA-Q authorization.

14. At any given time when crossing the border, members must carry, in addition to their membership card, any other documentation required by law.

15. During the grace period from July 14 to October 14, 2014, all persons crossing the border during the hours when no officer is on site, including persons who are not members of PPTRA-Q but are still valid member of Q19, must report by using the telephone installed at each location.

16. Members are encouraged to apply for a renewal of their membership in advance of its expiry to ensure there is no lapse in their PPTRA-Q privileges.

17. Members who are not accepted into the program or have their membership suspended or cancelled may seek recourse through the CBSA’s Recourse Directorate.

Proposed Regulatory Changes

18. This notice also announces proposed regulatory amendments to the Presentation of Persons (2003) Regulations (Regulations). The proposed amendments include the following:

• (a) An amendment to clarify that s. 4 of the Regulations does not apply to persons who are authorized by the Minister under section 11.1 of the Customs Act to present in an alternative manner and who present in that manner.
• (b) An amendment to add a new alternative manner of presentation for arrival in Canada at a land border crossing. A person authorized to present in this new manner will be able to present themself by means of the person in charge of the conveyance if that person presents themself and all persons aboard by telephone at a designated customs office to an officer at a designated customs office and all persons aboard the conveyance are authorized to present themselves in that manner.
• (c) An amendment to add a requirement that every authorized person notify the Minister without delay of any changes to the information that they provided to the Minister to demonstrate that they met the requirements for the issuance of their authorization.
• (d) An amendment specifying restrictions on what goods may be aboard a conveyance for an authorization to present in the manner described in b) to be valid on the authorized person’s arrival in Canada at a land border crossing. Subject to certain exceptions, none of the following goods should be aboard: commercial goods, alcohol, tobacco products or ammunition, any goods that were acquired outside of Canada and that have not previously been released (within the meaning of the Customs Act), and any goods for which a permit, license or similar document is required to be provided to the Agency before they are released. The authorization remains valid if there are aboard the conveyance goods that are classified under tariff item No. 9803.00.00 in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff that are in the actual possession or baggage of a person who is not a resident of Canada and are for their personal use, other than alcohol or tobacco products, ammunition or goods for which a permit, license or similar document is required to be provided to the Agency before they are released. In the case of a person arriving in Canada aboard a commercial highway conveyance, the authorization remains valid if there are wood or articles of wood aboard the conveyance that are classified under heading No. 44.01 or 44.03 in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff.

Additional Information

19. More information on the PPTRA-Q, including detailed information on eligibility requirements and additional conditions of membership, can be found on the PPTRA-Q page of the CBSA Web site.

20. The Customs Act and the Presentation of Persons (2003) Regulations provide the legislative and regulatory framework for the administration of the PPTRA-Q.

21. Inquiries about the PPTRA-Q should be directed to the CBSA by email at TrustedTPs-PVFiables@cbsa.gc.ca.

Effective date

22. The PPTRA-Q will be implemented on July 14, 2014.

23. The regulatory amendments giving effect to this announcement are to come into force on July 14, 2014.

24. Inquiries about this proposed regulatory change should be directed to: TrustedTPs-PVFiables@cbsa.gc.ca.

Date modified:

2014-07-14