Canada has announced visa-free air travel entry for citizens of 13 new countries.
Under this facility, eligible travelers will now only need an electronic travel authorization (eTA), which can be obtained through a simple and quick online process.
The announcement was made by Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser. He stated that the initiative aims to strengthen Canada’s international relations and simplify the travel process for visitors.
The newly added countries are: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
This facility is available to citizens of these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years or currently possess a valid non-immigrant visa for the United States. However, it is limited to travelers arriving by air, and permits a stay of up to six months for tourism or business purposes.
To apply for an eTA, travelers will only need a passport, email address, internet access, and a credit card. The fee is just deven Canadian dollars (approximately five US dollars), and most applications are approved within minutes.
Travelers from countries not included in the list or those arriving via land or sea routes will still require a regular visitor visa to enter Canada.
