June 12th, 2023 at 08:27 am
Great News! Canada Introducing Visa-free Travel to 13 Countries | Canada Immigration 2023
Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Sean Fraser announced visa-free travel while in Winnipeg. 13 nations’ passport holders are currently able to fly to Canada without needing a visa for temporary residence.
This only applies to travelers from these countries who currently possess a valid United States non-immigrant visa or have recently had a Canadian visa. The holders of the following passports are eligible travelers:
- Philippines
- Morocco
- Panama
- Antigua and Barbuda
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Vincent and Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- St Lucia
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Uruguay
- Seychelles
- Thailand
Fraser claims that IRCC has been working to make the pre-travel screening process simpler, faster, and less expensive. The decision, he continued, will allow IRCC to process visa applications more quickly by diverting thousands of applications off Canada’s docket.
In 2017, a comparable pilot initiative was launched in Brazil. According to the Minister, the scheme successfully increased Brazilian visits by 40% and decreased the caseload at the IRCC office in Sao Paulo by 60%, freeing up IRCC staff to work on more complicated applications.
Visa-free Travel to Canada
More than 50 nations can travel to Canada visa-free, albeit most of them need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) if they fly in. Unless they are relocating to Canada for a job or school, US residents do not need a visa or an ETA to enter the country.
Foreign nationals must apply for a Temporary Residence Visa (TRV), often known as a tourist visa if they are not exempt from needing one. The duration of a TRV is six months, while some foreign nationals may have a different length of stay.
A TRV does not grant its holder permission to work or study in Canada upon entry. Additionally, at their port of entry, they might be required to provide proof that the reason for their trip to Canada is temporary (such as travel or visiting family).
There is currently a backlog of TRV applications that IRCC is tackling. According to the IRCC’s most recent backlog data, 50% of TRV applications are unsuccessfully handled within the required 14-day period. Minister Fraser said the recent Public Service Alliance of Canada strike affected TRV applications.
Over 100,000 applications, which were expected to have been completed during the strike’s 12-day duration in April, were impacted. In addition, he predicted that IRCC will be able to resume pre-pandemic processing standards within the next few weeks or months.
Visit Newsnowgh.com for the most up-to-date information on changes to visa criteria, prospective paths to obtaining legal residency, and others.