Canada announces visa-free travel facilities to citizens of 13 more countries, subject to certain conditions.
Mr. Sean Fraser, Canada’s minister of immigration, made an important announcement to expand Canada’s electronic travel authorization (eTA) program by adding 13 more countries.
Temporary visitors from these countries who hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or had a Canadian visa during the last ten years are now eligible to apply for electronic travel authorization (eTA) to visit Canada by air.
The decision to allow visitors from these countries to enter Canada without a Temporary Resident Visa comes into force on June 6, 2023. Eligible visitors from these countries can now visit Canada by air without a Visitor Visa:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Morocco
- Panama
- Philippines
- Seychelles
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and Grenadines
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uruguay
The announcement to include more countries in the eTA program will help Canada’s immigration department reduce the visa processing times for applicants for the Temporary Resident Visa. It will help minimize the inventory of visitor visa applications, speeding up the pre-travel screening process. The new announcement to broaden the list of visa-exempt counties will boost Canada’s tourism and international business.
Air travelers from over fifty countries enjoy visa-free travel while entering Canada by air, as they require electronic travel authorization for temporary visits. Applicants pay $7 to get an electronic travel authorization. Approval of most eTA applications needs only a few minutes, enabling travelers to visit Canada for up to six months.
