New Transit Rules for International Connections

Summary#

These are final amendments called Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Transit Between International Flights) (SOR/2026-149). They change rules about people who stay in airport transit areas and what information must be recorded. The regulations were registered (and so came into force) on June 22, 2026 and were published in the Canada Gazette on July 1, 2026.

What it does#

These changes update the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and do three main things:

• Add a definition for a “designated holding area” (linking it to an existing meaning in another regulation).
• Allow arriving passengers who are connecting to a flight to a country other than Canada to remain in a sterile transit area or designated holding area.
• Require that anyone who wants to leave a sterile transit area or designated holding area must appear immediately for examination.
• Change what passenger information must be recorded, explicitly adding:
  • whether the person is a passenger or crew member and whether they are in transit to a place outside Canada,
  • the traveller’s first destination outside Canada if they are in transit,
  • the unique passenger reference assigned by the commercial transporter, if any.

Who's affected#

• Travellers who arrive in Canada and are connecting to an international flight (transit passengers).
• Airlines and other commercial transporters, because the rules include recording a passenger reference they may assign.
• Airports and staff who manage sterile transit areas and any designated holding areas.
• Border and inspection officers who carry out examinations at exits from those areas.

Why it matters#

• Transit passengers could face an immediate examination if they try to leave the transit area. That can affect convenience and timing for connections.
• Airlines and airports may need to record and share more travel data, including a passenger reference and the traveller’s first destination outside Canada.
• The changes clarify how transit zones are handled at airports. That matters for both security checks and how travellers move through Canadian airports.