Effective March 10, 2026, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) joined nine other Canadian airports in offering U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance. The preclearance allows travelers to complete their U.S. immigration, customs, and agriculture inspection before departure. This is great news for travelers wishing to return to the U.S. in a quicker and smoother fashion.
Billy Bishop Preclearance will also include expedited screening for NEXUS card holders. This move is expected to allow airlines to expand flight plans into smaller cities in the United States that do not have CBP personnel on site.
Travelers returning to the U.S. from Billy Bishop should expect to first check in with their airline and check in any bags, if applicable. They will follow the same process of clearing airport security with the Canadia Air Transport Security Authority. Once cleared, they may proceed with completing the U.S. CBP preclearance inspection. After this step is completed, no further inspections will be required upon arrival. These passengers will be able to proceed to either a connecting flight or their destination.
Any passengers who will be undergoing preclearance should plan to arrive early to accommodate the preclearance into their schedule prior to boarding their flight. Canadian airport authorities also remind passengers that the airport is closed to the public between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. daily. Any passengers with morning flights scheduled should not arrive prior to 5:00 a.m. Check-ins open at 5:30 a.m.
Now, Canadian citizens would have the opportunity to process their TNs and L-1s at Billy Bishop. Previously, they could apply for their TNs only upon arrival at a U.S. airport and were unable to process any L-1 visa classification requests because the airport did not have the CBP inspection facilities.
Please contact a Jackson Lewis attorney with any questions or visit our Immigration practice page to explore our services.