Canada Flagpoling Ban: What Is Flagpoling?

Flagpoling means leaving Canada for the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and coming straight back to get immigration services at a port of entry. CBSA ended it for work and study permits on December 23, 2024, at 11:59 pm ET. A few groups, such as US citizens, are exempt. Everyone else applies online before the permit expires and keeps maintained status.

Check the documents for an online application

Last verified: November 2026

What was flagpoling, and why did people do it?

Flagpoling was an informal practice where someone already living in Canada on a temporary permit would drive to a Canada-US land border crossing, briefly cross into US territory, and then immediately present themselves for re-entry to Canada at the CBSA booth.

The Regulations let a person who is exempt from the visitor visa apply for a work permit when entering Canada (IRPR s.198(1)). People already in Canada used that rule by leaving and coming straight back, to "bypass the normal wait times involved in applying for a work or study permit online" and "receive same-day immigration services" (IRCC, June 21, 2024).

The rule

CBSA formally ended flagpoling for work and study permits effective December 23, 2024 at 11:59 pm ET.

CBSA, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

What changed on December 23, 2024, and why?

CBSA acted under its authority in section 26.1 of the IRPR. From that point, work and study permits are generally no longer issued to flagpolers at a port of entry. Affected applicants are directed to apply online through IRCC instead.

IRCC had already ended post-graduation work permit applications at the border on June 21, 2024. CBSA framed the change as freeing up officer time for higher-priority border work and improving fairness for people applying through normal channels.

Three reasons were given for the change:

Flagpoling "contributed to wait times for cross-border travellers" at Canada-US land border crossings.
Processing flagpolers "has taken up significant resources at the border, diverting Canadian and American officers away from important enforcement activities," the CBSA says.
The change benefits Canada and the U.S. "by allowing both countries to effectively manage border operations," the CBSA says.

Who can still get a permit at the border?

IRCC lists four groups who can still apply for a work permit at a port of entry after leaving Canada and re-entering from the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon:

Citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Professionals and technicians under a free trade agreement with the United States/Mexico, Chile, Panama, Peru, Colombia or South Korea.
Spouses or common-law partners of professionals and technicians under the free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea.
International truck drivers who held a work permit, are required to leave Canada for their job, and kept maintained status by applying to renew their work permit before they left.

The CBSA's December 2024 announcement also listed people who already had an appointment booked with CBSA for permit processing. That group is not on IRCC's page today. The list can change, so confirm the current exceptions on canada.ca before relying on them.

Only US nationals and permanent residents, and residents of Greenland or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, may apply for a study permit on entry to Canada (IRPR s.214).

How do you extend or change a permit now?

The CBSA says applications and renewals for work or study permits are submitted through IRCC.

Work permit holders: Apply to extend or change your work permit online through the IRCC secure account. If you submit the extension or change-of-employer application before your current permit expires, you generally keep maintained status and can continue working under your existing conditions while it is processed. If you apply after the permit has expired, you do not have maintained status and would normally need to apply to restore your status.
Study permit holders: Apply to extend your study permit online through the IRCC secure account. Maintained status lets you keep studying under your existing conditions while the application is pending, but only if you applied before your current permit expired.
PR applicants: The CBSA's change covers work and study permits. A person approved for permanent residence from inside Canada follows the instructions IRCC sends with the approval.

For an application made inside Canada, IRCC sends the new permit, and no trip to a port of entry is part of it. The CBSA says a person who tries to flagpole for a work or study permit "will be told to submit their application to IRCC" unless they meet an exemption.

The work permit extension guide covers the online application.

Which free tool checks your own case?

Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.

What do people ask?

What is flagpoling in Canada?

Flagpoling is leaving Canada for the United States or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and re-entering right away, only to get immigration services at a port of entry. People used it to get a work or study permit issued the same day instead of waiting for online processing. Our Work Permit Extension guide explains the online route that replaces it.

Is flagpoling banned for work and study permits?

For most people, yes. Since December 23, 2024, CBSA no longer issues work or study permits to people who flagpole, apart from a few exempt groups. A person who tries will be told to submit the application to IRCC. Apply online before your permit expires so you keep maintained status. Our Maintained Status guide explains what you can do while you wait.

When did the flagpoling ban take effect, and does it cover Saint-Pierre and Miquelon?

CBSA ended flagpoling for work and study permits effective December 23, 2024, at 11:59 pm Eastern. Its definition covers leaving Canada and re-entering after a visit to the United States or the French territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon to get immigration services at a port of entry. Border policy can change, so confirm on canada.ca. Our Work Permit Extension guide covers the online process now used.

Are there any exceptions to the flagpoling ban?

Yes, but they are narrow. IRCC lists US citizens and lawful permanent residents, certain professionals and technicians under free trade agreements and some of their spouses or partners, and international truck drivers who held a work permit, must leave Canada for work and kept maintained status by applying to renew before they left. Our CUSMA work permit guide covers the free trade professional route.

I have a Port of Entry Letter of Introduction. Do I need to leave Canada to activate it?

Not by re-entering from the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, unless you meet an exemption. IRCC's instructions say the letter goes to people who apply from outside Canada, who show it at a port of entry, where a CBSA officer decides whether to issue the work permit. A person inside Canada who followed the outside-Canada instructions also gets a letter, but cannot collect the permit at a port of entry when re-entering from the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon unless they meet one of the exemptions. Our Maintained Status guide explains your status while an extension is processed.

What if I was planning to flagpole to switch employers quickly?

Apply for a new work permit through your IRCC secure account instead. You cannot start working for the new employer until the new permit is approved, unless you request and receive IRCC's authorization to work while it processes your application. Flagpoling to get an employer-specific permit change is no longer a working strategy for most people, since CBSA stopped same-day issuance for flagpolers. Our Work Permit Extension guide covers the change-of-employer application.

My status expired. Can flagpoling fix it?

No. Going to the border will not restore lost status, and flagpoling for work or study permits is closed to most people. If your status has expired, you may be able to apply to restore it from inside Canada within IRCC's time limit, generally without working or studying until restoration is approved. The deadlines are strict. Our Implied Status and Restoration guide explains the restoration rules.

Part of:Working in Canada

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.