une\u00a06, 2023,\u00a0<\/strong>11:30 a.m.<\/strong><\/a>\u2014Winnipeg\u2014<\/strong>Canada is a destination of choice for people looking to visit, do business or reunite with family and friends. That\u2019s why we are committed to improving our immigration programs and services by making them more efficient and equitable for people around the world.<\/p>\n

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the addition of 13 countries to the\u00a0electronic travel authorization\u00a0(eTA)<\/a>\u00a0program. Travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States\u00a0 non-immigrant visa<\/a>\u00a0can now apply for an eTA instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air. Effective today, eligible travellers from these countries can benefit from the program:<\/p>\n

\n
Antigua and Barbuda<\/li>\n
Argentina<\/li>\n
Costa Rica<\/li>\n
Morocco<\/li>\n
Panama<\/li>\n
Philippines<\/li>\n
St. Kitts and Nevis<\/li>\n
St. Lucia<\/li>\n
St. Vincent and the Grenadines<\/li>\n
Seychelles<\/li>\n
Thailand<\/li>\n
Trinidad and Tobago<\/li>\n
Uruguay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Introducing visa-free air travel will make it faster, easier, and more affordable for thousands of travellers to visit Canada for up to six\u00a0months for either business or leisure. It will also help grow Canada\u2019s economy by facilitating more travel, tourism and international business, and by strengthening Canada\u2019s relationships with these countries while keeping Canadians safe.<\/p>\n
This decision will also divert thousands of applications from Canada\u2019s visa caseload, allowing us to process visa applications more efficiently, which will benefit all visa applicants.<\/p>\n
Individuals who already have a valid visa can continue to use it to travel to Canada. Those who are not eligible for an eTA, or who are travelling to Canada by means other than air (for example, by car, bus, train and boat\u2014including by cruise ship), will still need a\u00a0 visitor visa<\/a>. Travellers can visit\u00a0 Canada.ca\/eTA<\/a>\u00a0to find out whether they\u2019re eligible for an eTA and how to apply for one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Quotes<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThis exciting development means that more individuals from around the world can now embark on unforgettable adventures, explore our diverse landscapes, reunite with family and friends, and immerse themselves in our vibrant culture without the hurdle of visa requirements. This expansion not only enhances convenience for travellers, it will also increase travel, tourism and economic benefits, as well as strengthen global bonds with these 13\u00a0countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0The Honourable Sean\u00a0Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cCanada is a destination of choice for so many around the world. We\u2019re making it easier for more people to visit Canada, whether they\u2019re coming to do business, sightsee or reunite with family and friends. Expanding the eTA program to include countries like the Philippines is also an important part of our Indo-Pacific Strategy, as we look to further engage in the region, build on people-to-people ties and make travel to Canada easier, faster and safer for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0The Honourable M\u00e9lanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
“Canada has what the world wants, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to our shores. Expanding the eTA for Canada is a major step toward helping our tourism industry soar to new heights. By streamlining the entry process for international travellers, we send a strong message that Canada is open for business, adventures and unforgettable experiences. This strategic move supports our visitor economy by injecting vitality into our local communities and creating countless job opportunities. It is not just about attracting visitors; it is about showcasing the breathtaking landscapes, diverse cultures, and warm hospitality that define Canada. Let us seize this opportunity to place our nation firmly on the global tourism map, all while building an economy that works for everyone.”<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0The Honourable Randy\u00a0Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
“Air Canada is pleased with the announcement today to implement a more user-friendly process to obtain authorization to travel to Canada and connect via Air Canada\u2019s global hubs. The global market for travel and tourism is competitive, and finding easier ways for travellers to obtain their travel authorizations is beneficial not only to Air Canada, but also the entire travel and tourism industry in Canada.”<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0Lisa Pierce, Vice President, Global Sales and Air Canada Vacations<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cExpanding visa-free air travel presents immediate opportunities for YVR to connect with more countries around the world, including key destinations in Latin America and Asia. That enhanced access to global markets will provide incredible benefits for our community and support local economic growth. This decisive policy action is a step in the right direction for YVR, British Columbia and Canada. It continues to provide opportunities for people to enjoy our world-class tourism experiences or reunite with loved ones, creates new jobs, and will deliver more direct revenue for our local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Quick facts<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The eTA is a digital travel document that most\u00a0visa-exempt travellers<\/a>\u00a0need in order to travel to or transit through Canada by air.<\/li>\n
The eTA application is used by Canadian officials to conduct light-touch, pre-travel screening of air travellers. It costs CAN$7 to apply, and most applications are automatically approved within minutes.<\/li>\n
To apply for an eTA, travellers need only a valid passport, a credit card, an email address and access to the Internet.<\/li>\n
Almost 20.9\u00a0million\u00a0eTAs have been issued since the eTA program was introduced on August\u00a01, 2015.<\/li>\n
IRCC first expanded its eTA program in April\u00a02017<\/a>\u00a0to include eligible Brazilians, Bulgarians and Romanians. Canada lifted the visa requirement for all citizens of Bulgaria and Romania later that year. Today, eligible Brazilian nationals continue to enjoy visa-free air travel to Canada.<\/li>\n
Within the next year, Canada expects to receive 200,000 (or 20%) more visitors from these 13\u00a0countries. Within a decade, increased travel from these countries is expected to bring almost $160\u00a0million in additional tourism revenue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
une\u00a06, 2023,\u00a011:30 a.m.\u2014Winnipeg\u2014Canada is a destination of choice for people looking to visit, do business or reunite with family and friends. That\u2019s why we are committed to improving our immigration programs and services by making them more efficient and equitable for people around the world. The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-room"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243391\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workglobalcanada.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}