Regardless of the influence of characteristic notes in modulations, generally, a new key is only really settled by a cadence.
Now, in the course of a phrase, we often only touch one key, or even several keys, before settling on the destination key. The whole phrase can even preserve its key while containing passing modulations. Example:
This process, often used in all kinds of compositions, no way modifies the conditions relative to chord progressions, and from this point of view, its irrelevant to consider a modulation as passing or definitive.
Old Music Theory 