China Transit Program: Participate as an airport authority or air carrier
The China Transit Program (CTP) allows eligible Chinese nationals to transit through Canada without a visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA).
Canadian airport authorities
Current Canadian airport participants
The China Transit Program (CTP) currently operates at the following Canadian airports
- Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1 only (Ontario)
- Vancouver International Airport (British Columbia)
- Montréal International Airport, Air Canada flights only (Quebec)
- Calgary International Airport (Alberta)
- Winnipeg International Airport (Manitoba)
Eligibility criteria
A Canadian airport authority must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for the CTP
- It has a functioning U.S. in-transit pre-clearance (USITPC) facility at the airport
- It has the required facilities to allow passengers under the CTP to go from the airplane directly to a USITPC facility or to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) area for examination, or to a designated transit area for Fifth Freedom RightFootnote * flights whose passengers are to be examined upon arrival in the United States
- It has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the CBSA, which sets out the terms and conditions of the program
Notice: To exercise the Fifth Freedom RightFootnote *, the airline’s home country must have obtained the necessary Fifth Freedom Right in its air agreements with both the bilateral partner country and the third country involved. For more information, contact Transport Canada.
Air Carriers
Current air carrier participants
The following air carriers are currently eligible to transport passengers under the CTP
- Air Canada
- Air Canada Rouge
- Air China
- Cathay Pacific
- China Airlines
- China Eastern
- China Southern
- Hainan Airlines
- Jazz Air
- Philippines Airlines
- WestJet
- Xiamen Airlines
Eligibility criteria
An air carrier must meet specific criteria in order to be eligible for the CTP. These include, but are not limited to, the following
- It meets all requirements to fly into Canada and to operate in Canadian airspace
- It flies to a CTP-approved airport
- It has access to USITPC facilities at the airport or a designated transit area for Fifth Freedom Right flights
- It holds a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the CBSA that is in good standing as per section 280 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (this MOU outlines the requirements for transporting passengers to Canada)
- It has signed a CTP MOU with IRCC and the CBSA
Important: Participating airlines must collect and report CTP passenger data to the Government of Canada, as identified in the CTP MOU, for statistical and program evaluation purposes.
Application process
Airport authorities and air carriers that meet the minimum eligibility criteria are invited to apply directly to IRCC and the CBSA.