Exploring benefits of Canada’s visa-exempt travel for 13 countries
Maria, a citizen of Panama, holds a valid visa to the United States. Consequently, Maria realized she didn’t need a visa to travel to Canada. She has recently received an LMIA-backed job offer in Canada. Therefore, she wonders what steps she needs to take to secure her work permit now that she can enjoy visa-exempt travel to Canada.
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Who is visa-exempt?
Some people may travel to Canada without a visitor visa because of one of the following reasons:
Of course, you may click on any of these links for more information. Despite being visa-exempt, most of these applicants must apply for an eTA. An eTA is an online application for ensuring the traveller is admissible to Canada. If the applicant is a US citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, they do not need an eTA. Some other people are also exempt from eTA.
The new countries that are visa-exempt
On June 6, 2023, IRCC added the citizens of the following countries to the list of visa-exempt countries. However, there is a catch. Travel to Canada with an eTA is only available to those who are travelling by air and have either had a Canadian visa in the past decade or possess a valid non-immigrant visa from the United States. Therefore, their situation is similar to Brazilian citizens. Here is the list of those countries.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Seychelles
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Uruguay
- Morocco
- Philippines
- Thailand
Remember this visa-free travel is available to air travellers only. You must obtain a TRV if you travel by car, train, bus or boat (including cruise ship).
Benefits of being visa-exempt
Here are some of the benefits of being visa exempt to Canada:
- An eTA application only costs $7 per application compared to $100 for a TRV (fees are subject to change). Moreover, IRCC approves most eTA applications in a matter of minutes. IRCC usually spends a few weeks processing a TRV application.
- You need to give biometrics for a TRV application. eTA applications are exempt from biometrics.
- Typically the refusal rate of eTA applications is significantly lower than TRV applications.
- As a visa-exempt applicant, you may apply for most work permits at a port of entry (POE). Officers usually process POE work permit applications in a matter of minutes. However, online work permit applications are more likely to be refused and take a few weeks or months to process.
Let us help!
Whether you are visa-exempt or not, we may assist you with immigration or visa applications. Please fill out our assessment form or book a consultation session with me. If you are facing issues, please fill out the following form.
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Would you please fill out our free assessment form if you wish to visit or move to Canada? We will review it for free, but we will contact you only if we find an opportunity for you. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session. Consultation sessions are not free, but you will receive formal immigration advice from a licensed practitioner.
Al ParsaiAl Parsai, LLM, MA, RCIC-IRB
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Adjunct Professor – Queen’s University – Faculty of Law
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Author – 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada
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