![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadavisa.com\/images\/_1200x630_crop_center-center_82_none\/air-canada-rouge-eta.jpg?mtime=1656366812\" "\\"\\"")
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A notice that appeared on the government’s website this week reads:<\/p>\n
Visa-exempt foreign nationals are expected to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through Canada, starting March 15, 2016. Exceptions include U.S. citizens, and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents are not eligible to apply for an eTA.<\/em><\/p>\n However, from March 15, 2016 until fall 2016, travellers who do not have an eTA can board their flight, as long as they have appropriate travel documents, such as a valid passport. During this time, border services officers can let travellers arriving without an eTA into the country, as long as they meet the other requirements to enter Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n In effect, this means that the visitor protocol that has been in place until now remains in place until the eTA becomes mandatory. The department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC, formerly known as CIC) has not provided an exact date for full implementation of the system, nor was any reason for the postponement given.\u00a0 Until now, visa-exempt foreign nationals seeking entry to Canada are not systematically screened for admissibility until they arrive at a Canadian port of entry.<\/p>\n The system is similar to the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) currently in use by the United States of America.\u00a0The Canadian pre-approval system will only be required for TRV-exempt individuals seeking to enter Canada by air to visit on a temporary basis. A fee of CAD $7.00 is\u00a0required for processing. Electronic travel authorization is\u00a0valid for a period of five years from the day on which it is issued to the applicant or until the earliest of the following days, if they occur before the end of that period:<\/p>\n The eTA includes the applicant\u2019s name, date and place of birth, gender, address, nationality, and passport and\/or travel document information. If the applicant is unable to make the application by means of the electronic system because of a physical or mental disability, it may be made by another means, including a paper application form.<\/p>\n A number of exemptions from the requirement to obtain pre-approval to travel\u00a0are\u00a0in place, including:<\/p>\n The number of visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada on a temporary basis per year is significantly larger than the number of visa-required travellers. For example, visa-exempt foreign nationals, excluding U.S. citizens, represent approximately 74 per cent of foreign nationals who arrive by air in Canada.<\/p>\n In 2012\u20132013, the total number of visa-exempt foreign nationals who arrived in Canada and were deemed inadmissible for entry at air ports of entry was 7,055. This resulted in significant expense, delay and inconvenience for these foreign nationals, other travellers, the airlines and the Canadian government. Reasons for refusal can include membership in terrorist organizations, espionage, participation in war crimes or crimes against humanity, international human rights violations, membership in organized crime groups, criminality, or issues endangering public health, such as tuberculosis.<\/p>\n To learn more about eTA, read our comprehensive FAQ page.<\/p>\n\n
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