You’re expecting a delivery from Canada Post and have received an “International Item Has Left Originating Country and is En Route to Canada” tracking update.
What does this mean exactly? How long is your parcel from delivery and is there anything you need to do?
Let’s take a look…
Summary: International Item Has Left Originating Country and is En Route to Canada
This update simply means that the international shipment has left the country of origin and is on its way to Canada. Upon arrival in Canada, it will be subject to customs clearance before being dispatched to the area of the recipient for delivery.
International Item Has Left Originating Country – Guide
While this tracking update from Canada Post may be self-explanatory, it is still worth breaking down to clarify what it means, as well as look at what happens next.
Essentially, you will see this alert once the international package has left the origin country.
In other words, the parcel is now inside the hull of a plane (or, more commonly on a shipment between the USA and Canada, the container of a truck).
The package is therefore in transit (en route) to Canada.
- Related Content: Shipment Received at Originating Postal Facility – Canada Post
How Long Until the Next Update?
The length of time it takes for your package to arrive in Canada varies on factors such as the speed of postal service used, and the distance between the origin country and Canada.
An expedited delivery from the USA into Canada will arrive within 24hrs, at which point you will receive an alert such as: “Item has arrived in Canada”.
(Note, if you receive an “Item has arrived in Canada and has presented for review” update, it means that customs staff will be physically checking the item. Read more on that here).
An eCommerce package arriving from China will take much longer than 24hrs.
More likely than not, this will have been shipped by an economy carrier and may even be traveling via cargo ship.
If this is the case, it could be several weeks before the consignment arrives in Canada and triggers a new update.
- Related Content: Tracking Guide: Shipment Picked up by Canada Post
Trading Stuck on “International Item Has Left Originating Country and is En Route to Canada”
So, you may have reached this article because your tracking is seemingly stuck on this update.
First, it is important to consider the point I made above.
If yours is a snail mail international shipment from China, it is not uncommon for the tracking to be “stuck” for multiple weeks on this alert.
Your package is making slow transit from the far east and will not receive another scan until it reaches the import location at the Canadian border.
In light of this, you will need to be patient.
However, if yours is an expedited delivery, or a simple shipment traveling from the USA and you have been waiting multiple days, you will understandably be concerned.
On a shipment such as this, I recommend waiting between 3 to 5 days (unless it was a 24/48hr delivery service), before contacting Canada Post.
You may also choose to contact the sender too, in case inquiries can be made on their end.
However, the fact the item is currently in transit to Canada, often means that the originating postal service has very little control of the shipment.
It is currently with the line-haul service responsible for cross-border transit and the next step (after customs) will be Canada Post.
- Related Content: Canada Post “Item Delayed Stay Tuned for Updates”
Final Words
Overall, the “International Item Has Left Originating Country and is En Route to Canada” tracking alert is a positive alert to receive.
It means that your international package is on its way to Canada.
However, depending on the distance and the service speed, your item could still be a long way from delivery.
I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂
