The federal government closed out the year by releasing “A Safer, Stronger Border: Year-in-Review 2025,” a sweeping stock-take of border and immigration enforcement measures. The 18-page report confirms that Ottawa poured CA$1.3 billion into new technology, staffing and enforcement tools during 2025 and claims measurable results: asylum claims down 33 %, illegal south-bound crossings down 98 % from their June 2024 peak, and more than 1,000 lb. of fentanyl intercepted.
For corporate mobility managers, the document is more than a victory lap. It lays the groundwork for 2026 policy. Ministers quote pending Bills C-2 and C-12 that will expand search powers and create stiffer penalties for immigration fraud. The plan also confirms 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers and 1,000 new RCMP investigators, suggesting that business travellers can expect continued scrutiny of work-permit validity, admissibility and contraband.
On the facilitation side, Ottawa touts expanded Advance Declaration and new large-scale x-ray imagers designed to speed passenger flows. But the report makes clear that “secure borders are the pre-condition for streamlined crossings,” hinting that trusted-traveller pilots will only proceed if enforcement metrics hold steady. Organisations moving talent across the U.S.–Canada frontier should therefore invest in compliance audits and be ready for more targeted secondary inspections.
![Ottawa Publishes 2025 Border Security Review, Signals Tighter Mobility Controls in 2026]()
In that context, many organisations are turning to expert providers for help. VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) delivers real-time visa checks, eTA processing and corporate dashboards that highlight expiring documents before travellers reach the checkpoint. By automating paperwork and sending compliance alerts, VisaHQ can keep cross-border teams moving smoothly even as Canadian enforcement tightens.
The New Year focus will shift from construction to deployment: procurement of mobility scanners, Raman chemical analysers and mobile backscatter units is already under way, and the CBSA must demonstrate early wins to justify its budget. Employers that rely on just-in-time cross-border shipping or short-notice technical visits should build extra transit time into Q1 schedules.
Finally, the review links border integrity to Canada’s broader immigration strategy. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab underscores that Express Entry fraud crack-downs and forthcoming “Bill C-12” reforms are part of the same security architecture. Mobility teams should watch for faster removals of non-genuine temporary residents and stricter screening of electronic travel authorisations in 2026.
For corporate mobility managers, the document is more than a victory lap. It lays the groundwork for 2026 policy. Ministers quote pending Bills C-2 and C-12 that will expand search powers and create stiffer penalties for immigration fraud. The plan also confirms 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers and 1,000 new RCMP investigators, suggesting that business travellers can expect continued scrutiny of work-permit validity, admissibility and contraband.
On the facilitation side, Ottawa touts expanded Advance Declaration and new large-scale x-ray imagers designed to speed passenger flows. But the report makes clear that “secure borders are the pre-condition for streamlined crossings,” hinting that trusted-traveller pilots will only proceed if enforcement metrics hold steady. Organisations moving talent across the U.S.–Canada frontier should therefore invest in compliance audits and be ready for more targeted secondary inspections.
In that context, many organisations are turning to expert providers for help. VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) delivers real-time visa checks, eTA processing and corporate dashboards that highlight expiring documents before travellers reach the checkpoint. By automating paperwork and sending compliance alerts, VisaHQ can keep cross-border teams moving smoothly even as Canadian enforcement tightens.
The New Year focus will shift from construction to deployment: procurement of mobility scanners, Raman chemical analysers and mobile backscatter units is already under way, and the CBSA must demonstrate early wins to justify its budget. Employers that rely on just-in-time cross-border shipping or short-notice technical visits should build extra transit time into Q1 schedules.
Finally, the review links border integrity to Canada’s broader immigration strategy. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab underscores that Express Entry fraud crack-downs and forthcoming “Bill C-12” reforms are part of the same security architecture. Mobility teams should watch for faster removals of non-genuine temporary residents and stricter screening of electronic travel authorisations in 2026.
