Shore Leave for Canadian Crew Members on Canadian Flag Ships
Memorandum D2-3-5

Ottawa, March 22, 2010

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In Brief

  1. This memorandum has been revised to update terminology and contact information at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) offices.
  2. Contact information for the Beauharnois/St. Lambert system has been removed as the CBSA is no longer providing services at this location.

This memorandum outlines and explains the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) clearance procedures to allow shore leave for crew members, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada, on Canadian flag ships that are passing through the Welland Canal and the Beauharnois/St. Lambert System, or one of the specified ports east of Montréal, before the ships are cleared by the CBSA. Crew members who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada are not permitted to take shore leave under the provisions of this memorandum.

Guidelines and General Information

1. Captains of Canadian flag ships travelling from the Great Lakes and passing through the Welland Canal with crew members wishing to take shore leave in the Welland Canal or the Beauharnois/St. Lambert System or at one of the CBSA ports east of Montréal listed in paragraph 10, must notify the CBSA by telephone at least eight hours before the ship arrives at the Welland Canal.

2. Service is not provided by the CBSA in the locks. Canadian flag ships with crew members wishing to take shore leave in the Welland Canal or the Beauharnois/ St. Lambert System, must notify the CBSA's Hamilton office within the timeframe specified in paragraph 1. The captain must be prepared to stop for examination if required.

3. In cases where ships wish to conduct crew activities at one of the CBSA ports east of Montréal listed in paragraph 10, the captain must notify the specific port of entry in advance as per the timeframe specified in paragraph 1 and prepare to stop for examination if required.

4. The captain must provide the CBSA with the following information:

5. The CBSA will give the captain an alphanumeric authorization code to be indicated, along with the time and date, on each copy of Form BSF552, Crew's Effects Declaration (see Appendix). The captain will then be permitted to allow shore leave for the identified members.

6. If the CBSA decides to attend the ship, the captain must submit a completed Form BSF552, in duplicate, to account for all crew members. The CBSA will date-stamp both copies of the form, record the time, keep one copy, and return the other to the ship's captain. In addition, the captain must be prepared to present a completed Form IMM200, Crew List, if requested by the CBSA.

7. All goods purchased or acquired abroad must be reported, including returning persons exemptions declarations. If any goods are over the allowed exemptions, the CBSA must be provided with faxed copies of receipts, so that a casual entry can be completed. Any applicable duties and taxes will be collected at that time. Therefore, persons declaring goods over the allowed exemptions must provide the CBSA with their Visa or MasterCard number and card expiry date.

8. Clearance granted under this process remains valid even though the ship may subsequently transit international waters in proceeding through the Eisenhower and Snell Locks. However, should the ship be diverted to the United States for any reason, or take on goods or people in these locks, the clearance is considered revoked. Before disembarking in Canada, the crew must be again cleared by the CBSA as they did at the time of first arrival. For more information, please refer to the Memorandum D3-5-1, Commercial Vessels in International Service. It is the captain's responsibility to advise the CBSA of such an eventuality.

9. The CBSA's ports of entry, hours of service, and contact telephone and facsimile numbers are as follows:

Appendix

Crew's Effects Declaration

Sample of Crew's Effects Declaration - Page 1
Sample of Crew's Effects Declaration - Page 2

References

Issuing office:
Air and Marine Division
People Programs Directorate
Admissibility Branch
Headquarters file:
N/A
Legislative references:
N/A
Other references:
D3-5-1
D3-5-2
Superseded memorandum D:
D2-3-5, January 31, 2006
Date modified: