What do they see when CBSA scan your passport?

[vherpunzalan]

This might be a weird but helpful question to everyone? What does CBSA see when they scan your passport? Was it just your personal information in the passport? Do they see criminal records right away? Thanks!

 

[jairichi]

This might be a weird but helpful question to everyone? What does CBSA see when they scan your passport? Was it just your personal information in the passport? Do they see criminal records right away? Thanks!

Criminal records for sure.

 

[Bs65]

Some travel history and possibly any previous border or customs warnings/ violations plus whether PR or not. Depends what you have to hide in asking the question

 

[Ponga]

Criminal records for sure.

Not always. It's only when the traveller is sent to Secondary Inspection that his/her criminality is fully checked.

 

[Bs65]

Seems things are going to tighten up even more entering/exiting http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/canada-to-begin-collecting-exit-passport-data-1.2947418

 

[mf4361]

Not always. It's only when the traveller is sent to Secondary Inspection that his/her criminality is fully checked.

If they have federal / provincial conviction it will be an auto red flag at primary.

At secondary, CBSA people will also check (with their level of accessibility) criminal history in other countries.

 

[Becikl007]

I've heard they share their databases with the US? So I would say they see your records if you are a US citizen. And any violations done in Canada? What about for citizens of other countries? Is the database connected to European countries also? Or Australia?

 

[Bs65]

I've heard they share their databases with the US? So I would say they see your records if you are a US citizen. And any violations done in Canada? What about for citizens of other countries? Is the database connected to European countries also? Or Australia?

unlikely unless on some watch list. Europe for example has some pretty strict data privacy laws that would prohibit sharing much at all which tends to irk the US.

For sure I expect there is some sharing of flight manifests as has been known for people to be denied boarding at the gate but that is likely more to do with no fly lists not whether someone has a criminal record.

Ultimately though who really knows what governments share that they do not admit in the public domain.