Reminder: Visa-Exempt Nationals Traveling to Canada to Require Electronic Travel Authorization
February 9, 2016

As a reminder, visa-exempt nationals who plan to enter or exit and re-enter Canada by air on or after March 15, 2016 must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) prior to boarding a flight to Canada.
Important Reminders About the eTA Policy
- Only visa-exempt nationals - specifically, those who do not require a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada, such as most European nationals and Australian nationals - must abide by the new policy;
- Online applications for the eTA and a full list of visa-exempt nationals is available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website;
- U.S. permanent residents will need to obtain an eTA to enter Canada; and
- U.S. citizens, Canadian permanent residents, visa nationals such as Indian and Chinese nationals, and those traveling by land or sea are exempt from the eTA requirement.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Employers will need to ensure that visa-exempt nationals traveling by air obtain an eTA prior to their entry to Canada to avoid any delays.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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