Investor note service Meyka flagged two developments on 3 January 2026 that could reshape transborder mobility: (1) the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s biometric photo rule, effective 26 December 2025 and expanding this year to more land and airport crossings, and (2) refreshed Government of Canada travel-advisory language urging passengers to budget extra time for screening.
Under the DHS rule, virtually all travellers—including Canadians and children—must pose for a facial photograph on exit and re-entry, adding minutes per passenger at peak periods. Early trials at Detroit–Windsor and Seattle–Blaine land crossings have already doubled car-queue times during holiday surges. Airlines fear the same could happen at airports if biometric machines malfunction or if travellers refuse scans and request manual processing.
![U.S. Biometric Exit-Entry Rule and Updated Travel Advisory Could Slow Cross-Border Traffic]()
For organizations and individuals looking for an extra layer of certainty, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) streamlines the paperwork behind these evolving border protocols. Its tools flag when biometric photos, updated passports, or ESTA renewals are due and can batch-notify travelling staff, reducing surprises at customs booths and keeping itineraries on schedule.
Meyka analysts warn that longer dwell times may depress discretionary weekend trips and squeeze Air Canada’s tight hub-and-spoke banks, potentially trimming yields on high-frequency business routes like Toronto–LaGuardia. Additional staff may be required to shepherd connecting passengers, inflating ground-handling costs just as winter storms stretch resources.
For mobility managers the practical advice is straightforward: alert employees to arrive earlier, keep Nexus and passport data up to date, and consider nonstop options to bypass U.S. connections. Meanwhile, companies tracking duty-of-care metrics should monitor biometric-related delays, as missed connections can trigger expensive hotel nights and overtime pay.
Under the DHS rule, virtually all travellers—including Canadians and children—must pose for a facial photograph on exit and re-entry, adding minutes per passenger at peak periods. Early trials at Detroit–Windsor and Seattle–Blaine land crossings have already doubled car-queue times during holiday surges. Airlines fear the same could happen at airports if biometric machines malfunction or if travellers refuse scans and request manual processing.
For organizations and individuals looking for an extra layer of certainty, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) streamlines the paperwork behind these evolving border protocols. Its tools flag when biometric photos, updated passports, or ESTA renewals are due and can batch-notify travelling staff, reducing surprises at customs booths and keeping itineraries on schedule.
Meyka analysts warn that longer dwell times may depress discretionary weekend trips and squeeze Air Canada’s tight hub-and-spoke banks, potentially trimming yields on high-frequency business routes like Toronto–LaGuardia. Additional staff may be required to shepherd connecting passengers, inflating ground-handling costs just as winter storms stretch resources.
For mobility managers the practical advice is straightforward: alert employees to arrive earlier, keep Nexus and passport data up to date, and consider nonstop options to bypass U.S. connections. Meanwhile, companies tracking duty-of-care metrics should monitor biometric-related delays, as missed connections can trigger expensive hotel nights and overtime pay.
