How are the lines at Pearson these days?

[DisneYE]

Arrivals I mean, immigration.
I'd assume because there's no ArriveCan or tests anymore, they should be ok, not as crazy?
Flying on the weekend and haven't been since the summer pandemonium.

Anyone flown to YYZ recently?
TIA

 

[Lesverts]

ArriveCan is still active as a basic CBSA app where you can make your immigration declaration from. So when you deplane you go straight to the officer desks instead of fiddling with those stupid machines. It is not currently available for every port of entry but it is for Pearson and highly recommend its use.

 

[DisneYE]

ArriveCan is still active as a basic CBSA app where you can make your immigration declaration from. So when you deplane you go straight to the officer desks instead of fiddling with those stupid machines. It is not currently available for every port of entry but it is for Pearson and highly recommend its use.

Thanks for this - good to know.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

So if we use the app, we don’t have to take our photo, etc at those machines because it is all in the app already? What do we have to show on our phone when we get to the desk?

 

[spewey]

ArriveCan is still active as a basic CBSA app where you can make your immigration declaration from. So when you deplane you go straight to the officer desks instead of fiddling with those stupid machines. It is not currently available for every port of entry but it is for Pearson and highly recommend its use.

I hope I'm wrong, but from reading the CBSA website, this does not seem to be true. My understanding is if you fill out your arrival documents/declaration on the app (up to 72 hours in advance) you still must use a kiosk to scan your passports, and then review and submit your final declaration. It will print a receipt which you can then take to the officer.

Still will save time - no more filling out the forms at the kiosk, and taking those frustrating photos - but (again, unless I'm missing something) you can't just go straight to the desks.

 

[DisneYE]

An update on this query:
Came and went thru Pearson and it was a BREEZE.
From MCO the arrival area was virtually empty, our flight was the only one in which was weird, it was around 2 pm, a usually super busy time. Went to the kiosks, got the little printout, gave it to the officer who only glanced at it and waved us thru. Whole thing was 5-10 minutes.

Flying out of Pearson, immigration area was also virtually empty, went thru in like 15 minutes, a new record. I'm used to 1-2 hour waits so I was in shock at how few people there were.

Seems this time of the year is a great time to fly in and out of Pearson. Making a permanent mental note of this as it was an amazing experience.

 

[jaceraden]

So you did have to do the machines with your passports and pictures and weren't able to use the arrivecan app?

This thread is so confusing to me.

 

[spewey]

So you did have to do the machines with your passports and pictures and weren't able to use the arrivecan app?

This thread is so confusing to me.

I think the gist of this is, if you use the ArriveCan app to upload your documents and fill out your declarations in advance, you still need to use the kiosk, but that process will be simplified greatly. You would just need to - from what I've heard - scan your passport, confirm your declarations, and I guess (?) have your picture taken to get your receipt. Then most times you just hand over the receipt and don't have to see anyone at the desks.

 

[dancin Disney style]

So you did have to do the machines with your passports and pictures and weren't able to use the arrivecan app?

This thread is so confusing to me.

If you use the ArriveCan app you go to the kiosk...scan your passport and take your picture. The kiosk gives you a paper that you then give to a CBSA officer. They either wave you through or send you to another officer who may ask you a couple of questions.

If you do not use the ArriveCan app (it's optional now) you have to go to the kiosk and do your entire declaration. It then gives you the paper and from there the process is the same.

I highly recommend using the app. It makes the process easier and faster. A lot of people seem to have issues using the kiosks so doing it on your phone ahead of time is better for everyone.

 

[DisneYE]

If you use the ArriveCan app you go to the kiosk...scan your passport and take your picture. The kiosk gives you a paper that you then give to a CBSA officer. They either wave you through or send you to another officer who may ask you a couple of questions.

If you do not use the ArriveCan app (it's optional now) you have to go to the kiosk and do your entire declaration. It then gives you the paper and from there the process is the same.

I highly recommend using the app. It makes the process easier and faster. A lot of people seem to have issues using the kiosks so doing it on your phone ahead of time is better for everyone.

This.
We had ArriveCan but since there were plenty of empty kiosks we just used them and they worked fine.
No one asked us about the app at all. We just gave the officer the ticket from the kiosk, he glanced at them and just waved us thru with a "you're good".
I think the app would be useful if there were huge lineups and/or the kiosks were having issues. Otherwise it's not needed.

 

[dancin Disney style]

This.
We had ArriveCan but since there were plenty of empty kiosks we just used them and they worked fine.
No one asked us about the app at all. We just gave the officer the ticket from the kiosk, he glanced at them and just waved us thru with a "you're good".
I think the app would be useful if there were huge lineups and/or the kiosks were having issues. Otherwise it's not needed.

The app is the same as the kiosk. The info is all the same. The difference is that by doing it on the app you do it at your leisure. Then you get through the process faster when you are actually on the ground. CBSA is not going to ask you about the app. By the time you get to the officers your info is printed on the paper you hand them…they don’t care how you did it.