Canada: Visa Waiver Program Expanded to Additional Nationalities

• Eligibility. To be eligible for visa-free travel, foreign nationals from the above-mentioned countries must have either held a Canadian temporary resident visa in the last 10 years or currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa.
• Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) requirement. These nationals, like other visa-exempt nationals, will need to obtain an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) online prior to flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport.
• Details of the eTA. Individuals apply online for the eTA and pay a fee of CAD 7. Most applicants obtain their eTA approval via an email within minutes; however, some applications can take several days to process if authorities request additional information or supporting documents. An eTA is typically valid for up to five years or until the foreign national’s passport expires (whichever is sooner), and typically allows a stay of up to 180 days at a time.
• Individuals who already hold a Canadian visa. Individuals who already hold a valid Canadian visa can continue to use it to travel to Canada.
• Visa still required for other forms and purposes of travel. Nationals from the above-mentioned countries still need a temporary resident visa when arriving by car, bus, train, or boat, including a cruise ship. Further, nationals from the above-mentioned countries who are traveling to Canada to work, or who require work authorization, must still submit a work permit application online via a consulate.
• Restrictions. Unlike certain other visa-exempt nationals, nationals from the above-mentioned countries are not eligible to apply for work authorization upon arrival in Canada.

• Streamlined entry. Eligible foreign nationals from the above-mentioned countries traveling to Canada by air for tourism or business will find a streamlined process for entering Canada as they no longer need to obtain a visa from a consulate, a process that can take several months and is more expensive.
• Recommendation. While the eTA allows for a maximum stay of 180 days in Canada, foreign nationals conducting business activities in Canada under visitor status should try to limit visits to shorter periods and limit the frequency of visits to fewer than three to five times per year, to avoid scrutiny on subsequent visits.

The government of Canada has taken this measure to enhance business and investment opportunities and facilitate travel for tourists. The measure is also intended to alleviate Canada’s application caseload, which will allow the government to process various types of immigration applications more efficiently.

According to the government, within the next year, Canada expects to receive 200,000 (or 20%) more visitors from these 13 countries. Within a decade, Canada expects almost CAD 160 million in additional tourism revenue from these countries.

Canada is likely to continue to promote policies to encourage immigration into Canada to strengthen its travel and tourism industry, and more broadly benefit the national economy.