Eyes on quick customs clearance

2009-04-24

For thousands of Canadians travelling internationally, the eyes are the key to quick processing through Customs.

Since it became available in 2003, nearly 40,000 travellers have registered for the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA)’s Canpass Air program.

The program allows pre-approved travellers to clear Customs and Immigration when re-entering Canada, by simply looking into a camera located at a special kiosk. The camera then scans the unique pattern of the iris in the person’s eyes, and matches the pattern with files containing that person’s travel history and personal information.

The software used in the scanning is based on the international standard for iris image data (ISO/IEC 19794-6: 2005). The standard was developed by the Joint Technical Committee for Information technology’s subcommittee on Biometrics (ISO/IEC JTC 1, SC 37), of which the Standards Council of Canada is a participating member. The standard provides specifications for two different kinds of iris images and iris data exchange formats.

Tracie LeBlanc, a communications officer for CBSA, says the agency chose iris-recognition technology for the program because of its reliability and security.

“Iris recognition provides maximum security with a non-intrusive biometric that is easy to use,” she says. “Through research and consultation, it was determined that iris recognition technology is the only option that fulfils all the requirements of the Canpass Air program.”

Canpass Air is part of the larger CANPASS program, which also includes Canpass Corporate Aircraft, Canpass Private Aircraft, Canpass Private Boats, and CANPASS Remote Area Border Crossing.

So far, the Canpass Air program is available at Canada’s eight major Canadian airports. In the 2007/08 fiscal year, Toronto and Montreal were the airports with the most Canpass users, followed by Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa.

For the traveller, it saves time from having to wait in line to present a passport for inspection. For CBSA, it allows officers to focus their efforts on higher-risk travellers.

LeBlanc says the Canpass program is open to citizens and permanent residents of Canada, and citizens and resident aliens of the United States, who have resided in either country, for the last three years. These travellers can apply by filling out an application form and submitting it with the required identification and payment of $50 to the nearest Customs processing centre.

She says Canpass members coming in from other countries, though they don’t have to present their passports, still have to declare goods they are bringing into Canada, and may be subjected to random checks of their baggage.

LeBlanc says reception to the program has been relatively slow to catch on. Many people interested in becoming pre-screened for border clearance have instead opted for the more widely-used Nexus program, a frequent-traveller program offered jointly by Canada and the United States that uses an identification card for streamlined entry to either country. However, she says, CANPASS fills a particular need.

“CANPASS is an alternative to the NEXUS program,” LeBlanc says. “It typically appeals to travellers who do not want their personal data shared with the United States, as is done with NEXUS members; and individuals who do not qualify for a NEXUS membership as a result of not meeting the eligibility criteria.”

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