Financial Note ArriveCAN (CBSA)

Issue

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is requesting funding of $12.37M for ArriveCAN in the Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22.

Response

• All travellers entering Canada by any mode must use ArriveCAN to submit their mandatory information before arriving in Canada. Since launch in April 2020, there have been 24 major releases of ArriveCAN, with an additional 25 iterations for issue fixes/updates.
• Over the course of the pandemic, this secure, easy to use application, has helped to lower border wait times and has made available vital information to support the ongoing assessment of public health measures.
• To date, the CBSA has covered the entire cost of ArriveCAN: its development, testing, implementation and maintenance, for both the mobile app and website.
• This funding transfer of $12.37M from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to the CBSA is to continue the development, implementation, policy/program management and support of ArriveCAN, and the hiring of additional forensic document examiners.
• More specifically, the funding will be used to
  • support the development and operation of the ArriveCAN mobile app and website, including ensuring all accessibility standards are met;
  • oversee the CBSA operational and technical components;
  • establish technical support for ArriveCAN’s mobile and website applications;
  • design, develop, deploy, maintain, operate, and improve the public mobile app, its supporting infrastructure, and back-end tools for PHAC staff;
  • collect, store and process data on PHAC’s behalf;
  • design, deploy, maintain, and improve tools for PHAC staff to analyze and use the data collected;
  • hire forensic document examiners to provide intelligence and enforcement on the validity of vaccine passports when they are presented at the border; and
  • develop a rollout strategy in partnership with PHAC, CBSA operational procedures and communications.

Background

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) created and launched ArriveCAN in April 2020 to support the Government of Canada’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The app is available as a free mobile app (available through the App Store or the Google Play store) in English, French and Spanish, as well as through a web application in English and French (canada.ca/ArriveCAN). The web version is accessible for individuals with disabilities.

All travellers entering Canada by air, land, rail or marine vessel, must use ArriveCAN to submit their mandatory information including proof of vaccination in English or French and a quarantine plan, within 72 hours before their arrival to Canada.

The app provides a quick, easy, and secure way for all incoming travellers to Canada to submit their mandatory information before they enter the country.

Since ArriveCAN’s launch in April 2020, and up to December 1, 2021, nearly 7.9 million travellers have submitted their mandatory information using ArriveCAN. As of
December 1, 2021, the ArriveCAN app has been downloaded nearly 4.5 million times.

The CBSA is requesting $8.54M in Vote 1 and $3.83M in Vote 5 for ArriveCAN in the Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22.

Funding Profile (in millions $):

Date modified:

2022-05-05