Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, made a significant announcement in Winnipeg today. Visitors from 13 countries can now travel to Canada by air without needing a Temporary Residence Visa (TRV).
This privilege applies to travelers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa within the last decade or possess a valid United States non-immigrant visa. The list of eligible countries for visa-free travel includes:
- Philippines
- Morocco
- Panama
- Antigua and Barbuda
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Uruguay
- Seychelles
- Thailand
Fraser highlighted that Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been dedicated to simplifying, speeding up, and making the pretravel screening process more cost-effective. This move is expected to divert numerous applications from Canada’s visa workload, allowing IRCC to process visa requests more efficiently.
Drawing from the success of a similar pilot program in Brazil in 2017, Fraser noted that visitor numbers from Brazil surged by 40%. IRCC’s Sao Paulo office witnessed a 60% reduction in caseload, enabling IRCC officers to concentrate on intricate applications.
Canada’s Visa-Free Entry and TRV Insights
Over 50 countries have visa-free access to Canada, though most require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for air travel.
Citizens of the United States are exempt from an eTA and visa unless they intend to work or study in Canada.
A Temporary Residence Visa (TRV) application is necessary for non-exempt countries’ nationals. A TRV permits a stay of up to six months (variations apply).
Possessing a TRV doesn’t authorize work or study in Canada. Travelers may need to demonstrate the temporary nature of their visit, such as tourism or family visits.
Currently, IRCC is tackling a backlog of TRV applications. Recent data indicates that 50% of TRV applications do not adhere to the 14-day service standards due to factors including the current Public Service Alliance of Canada strike. The strike disrupted the processing of around 100,000 applications, but Fraser is optimistic about IRCC’s ability to return to pre-pandemic processing standards soon.
