Travellers
Pilot Project for Travellers in Remote Areas: Quebec

About the pilot

The Pilot Project for Travellers in Remote Areas – Quebec (PPTRA-Q) provides members with access to five Canada/United States (U.S.) ports of entry (POEs) in the Beauce-Kamouraska Region in Quebec during specified hours of operation when no officer is onsite. You do not require PPTRA-Q membership to cross through one of these ports of entry during regular hours of operation. The ports of entry are:

• Pohénégamook, QC / Estcourt Station, ME
• Sainte-Aurélie, QC / Ste. Aurelie Station, ME
• Saint-Just-de-Bretenières, QC / St. Juste Station (Daaquam), ME
• Saint-Pamphile, QC / St. Pamphile Station, ME
• Saint-Zacharie, QC / St. Zacharie Crossing, ME

This pilot project is intended for travellers and commercial drivers who have no commercial goods (with the sole exception of logs and wood shavings as described in tariff items 44.01 and 44.03 of the Schedule of the Canadian Customs Tariff in the cargo of commercial drivers).

You will not be allowed to enter Canada during specified hours when no officer is onsite:

• if, as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you have any casual goods bought or received while outside Canada; or
• if, as an American citizen or permanent resident, you have goods other than those that are for your personal use; or 
• You are in possession of any controlled or regulated goods, including any goods that require a permit to enter Canada.

Refer to the locations for the hours of operation when members may take advantage of PPTRA-Q.

How does it work?

Each of the border crossings has been equipped with a telephone, on the Canadian side, for travellers and commercial drivers entering Canada outside staffed hours.

• Step 1: Pick up the phone located onsite. You will automatically be connected to a border services officer so that you may present and report in accordance with legal obligations. If you are not able to connect with the border services officer immediately, continue calling until you are connected. If you are unable to connect after repeatedly attempting to call, follow the instructions posted near the telephone.
• Step 2: Provide the unique identification number located on your membership card to the officer. The information will be entered into an automated system to verify that you are a valid member and that you are compliant with PPTRA-Q.
• Step 3: Answer the border service officer's questions and follow his or her directions.
• Step 4 (for commercial drivers only): Deposit the cargo manifest in the designated box.

Contact information

If you have questions about the PPTRA-Q application, contact the Canadian Processing Centre during regular business hours:

Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 16:00 ET (except holidays)
Telephone:  1-866-399-5887

Join PPTRA-Q

Who can apply

To be eligible for the PPTRA-Q, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or the U.S.  If you are a permanent resident, you must have resided in either Canada or the United States for three years preceding the date of your application, and until the day you receive your membership. Certain permanent residents are exempt from the three-year residency requirement.

You may qualify if all of the following applies:

• You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) or a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident in the U.S.; and
  • You are admissible to Canada as per IRPA;
  • You do not have a criminal conviction or, if there are criminal convictions, you must have received a pardon/record suspension or meet the applicable exceptions available here;
  • You have not contravened provisions of program legislation administered and/or enforced by the CBSA (e.g. a seizure under the Customs Act). However, exceptions exist based on time elapsed or seriousness of the contravention;
  • You have provided your consent in writing to having a photograph taken for identification purposes and authenticating the use of this authorization at any border crossing; and
  • You provide true, accurate and complete information with respect to your application for the authorization.

You must continue to meet the eligibility criteria and conditions of membership throughout the duration of your membership.  If you are from the U.S., you will also need to continue to meet the requirements for admissibility to Canada.

How to apply

The CBSA has updated the PPTRA-Q application form. New applications and existing applicants with expired memberships should submit a new PPTRA-Q application using the new form. PPTRA-Q members who wish to continue to use the program must submit a new renewal application as soon as possible. If you submitted an application after March 2020, you do not need to re-submit a new application.

Once you have submitted an application, the Canadian Processing Centre will contact you and will ask you security questions based on the content provided in your application. That is how both parties will authenticate the call.

Applicants should submit their applications early, as there may be significant processing delays due to the accumulated backlog.

Participation in PPTRA-Q is voluntary. To apply, you must complete, sign and submit the application form. The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility throughout your membership. Review the "Certification", "Consent" and "Privacy Statement" on the application form.

Alternately, if you wish to receive a paper application form by mail, send us an email at the following address, provide your home mailing address and specify how many application forms you require: que_mtl-canpass_nexus@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.

Each applicant, including children, must complete a separate form. There is no fee for applicants under the age of 18, but they require the consent of a parent or the person who has custody/tutorship to enrol in PPTRA-Q.  Children can be enroled in PPTRA-Q even if their parents or guardians are not members.

The person applying on behalf of a child under 18 years of age must either be a parent or the person who has custody or tutorship of the child under a court order. In addition, every parent and every other person who has custody or tutorship must consent to the application. For example, a letter of consent from the other parent and other person who has custody or tutorship is required. In addition, a court document stating the custodial or tutorship agreement must be provided in order to verify custody/tutorship and to confirm there are no restrictions on removal from the custodial/tutorship jurisdiction.

The application process normally takes approximately four to six weeks, but there are currently significant processing delays.

The non-refundable fee for the membership is CAN$50 for each applicant 18 years or older. Do not send cash. Payments can be made by:

• credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express);
• certified cheque or money order in Canadian funds made payable to the Receiver General of Canada.

Send completed application forms, along with your payment (per application) to:

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

Once your eligibility has been confirmed, you will receive a conditional approval letter.  You must then visit one of the three following locations: Armstrong, Sainte-Aurélie or Saint-Pamphile from 9:00 to 17:00, from Monday to Friday, to have a photo taken for your membership card. You must bring your conditional approval letter, along with the original documents you provided in your application. Your identity, as well as your original documents, will be verified.  A photo is also required for children under the age of 18 participating in this pilot.

PPTRA-Q membership is valid for two years.

Conditions

As an approved traveller or commercial driver, you agree to comply with Canadian laws and regulations, as well as the border clearance process of the PPTRA-Q.

If you are a resident of the United States, you cannot work in Canada without proper authorization from  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Ensure that you verify that you meet this requirement before applying to the PPTRA-Q.

In addition, the following conditions also apply to all members for the duration of their membership:

• Only PPTRA-Q members are authorized to cross the border during specified hours of operation at the five locations identified. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that all accompanying travellers in the vehicle are carrying their membership card (including children).
  • Should a member have unauthorized travellers with them in the vehicle, they must present and report at the nearest open designated CBSA port of entry or wait until the Port of Entry is open.
• Members must not transfer their card to another individual.
• Members must carry their membership card with them, as well as any required travel and identification documents, including:
  • Immigration or citizenship documents; and
  • Any other documentation that is required to enter Canada (e.g. a letter of consent from the parent/legal guardian not travelling with their child).

Importing goods

Change of information or loss of PPTRA-Q identification card and related documents

You must notify the Canadian Processing Centre or one of the PPTRA-Q ports of entry immediately if:

• your PPTRA-Q membership card is lost or stolen;
• your personal information changes (including citizenship, address, telephone  number or driver's license);
• personal circumstances change that may affect your PPTRA-Q membership or admissibility to Canada (such as a conviction under the Criminal Code); or
• you are a U.S. participant and your purpose for coming to Canada changes (for instance, you are no longer a commercial driver).

Penalties

You must comply with the PPTRA-Q conditions and border clearance process. If you fail to comply, your membership privileges may be cancelled and you may be subject to an enforcement action / monetary penalty.

Locations

Below is a list of ports of entry that offer PPTRA-Q benefits (all times local).  

For information on Canadian ports of entry, such as locations and hours of operation, refer to the Directory of CBSA Offices and Services. 

For information on U.S. ports of entry, refer to the U.S Customs and Border Protection website:

• Jackman, Maine (Sainte-Aurélie, Saint-Just-de-Bretenières, Saint-Pamphile, and St. Zacharie)
• Fort Kent, Maine (Pohénégamook)