Canada Changes Entry Requirements for Visa-Exempt Travelers

The government of Canada has issued a revision to its new entry requirements for all visa-exempt travellers seeking to enter Canada by air.

Effective March 15, 2016, it will become mandatory for visa-exempt travellers to Canada to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). The application must be submitted online and will be available from August 1, 2015.

Citizens of some 58 countries, whose citizens do not require a visa to enter Canada, will as of March 15, 2016, require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before travelling to Canada. The authorization is electronically linked to a passport and is valid for five years or until the passport expires. The eTA is not a visa requirement but a simple travel authorization system that will allow for smooth immigration processing on arrival in Canada.

Therefore, the eTA does not affect the visa free entry that nationals of certain countries are currently afforded, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Barbados.

According to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada, the eTA Program is a key commitment of the Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan and will mirror the current US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) Program to ensure a common approach to screening travellers outside the North American perimeter.

Starting August 1, 2015, affected travellers to Canada will be able to apply for an eTA through an online application process. In the vast majority of cases, eTA applications will be approved through an electronic processing system within minutes and will cost CDN$7.

Source: Caribbean News Now