Which countries and territories are exempt from entry into Canada?
Can you get a passport and get on the plane?
In fact, Canada ' s visa-free policy does not simply look at nationality. The partial exemption of passengers travelling by air to Canada also requires an advance request for an eTA. In addition, United States citizens and permanent residents of the United States have entry requirements that are different from those for common exempt passengers.
I. Canada ' s visa waiver for a maximum period of time?
For eligible exempt passengers, Canada normally allows a stay of up to six months per entry, but the specific stay remains subject to the decision of the border officer.
Particular attention needs to be paid to:The waiver is not equivalent to a complete non-requirement.
Citizens of some countries and regions do not have to apply for traditional visitor visas (Visitor Visa), but eTAs are still required if they are to travel to Canada by air.
Therefore, the determination of whether or not to enter Canada without a visa requires attention to the country or territory to which the passport belongs, the mode of entry, and whether the relevant conditions for entry are met.
Which countries and territories may enter Canada without a visa?
Countries and territories that are in line with Canada ' s de-licensing policy are mainly located in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas.
European countries and regions
Europe is an important source area for Canada's visa-free travellers.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vatican.
Andorran citizens are also exempt from entry into Canada.
2. Asia-Pacific and other countries and regions
The Canadian visa waiver policy may also apply to eligible passport holders in the following countries and territories:
- Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore.
- Special administrative districts and regions: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (with a required Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport) and Taiwan Region of China (with a required Taiwan passport).
- Middle East: Israel, United Arab Emirates. Other parts of Oceania: Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands.
- Other: Bahamas, Barbados, Chile, etc.
It should be recalled that the above list is an overview of the visa-free policy and does not mean that all passport types and all entry purposes are automatically eligible. In particular, Hong Kong, Taiwan and some of the special passports should be certified before applying.
3. Countries and regions of the Americas
In addition to United States citizens, Canada provides a visa-free or conditional-free arrangement for citizens of some American countries.
Of these, citizens of some countries may need to meet additional conditions and apply for eTA in advance in order to travel to Canada without a visa by air.
For example, eligible citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago may apply conditional waivers.
Such policies are not unconditionally open to all holders of relevant national passports, but generally require Canada ' s eligibility requirements, such as United States non-immigrant visas that meet the requirements, or those that have been Canadian visas. The official requirements at the time of the application prevail.
What is the difference between United States citizens and United States green card holders?
That's where many people get confused.
United States citizens:
United States citizens with valid United States passports are usually exempt from Canadian visitor visas and are not required to apply for eTA. Immigration requirements still need to be met during short-term visits to Canada.
United States permanent residents (green card holders):
Eligible permanent residents of the United States, regardless of the country ' s original passport, are also normally exempt from Canada ' s visitor visa and eTA.
However, upon entry, a valid United States permanent resident status certificate, such as a United States green card, is required and the corresponding travel documents are provided according to the mode of entry.
It should be noted that the United States Green Card does not amount to United States citizenship and that the applicable documentation requirements are not identical. Before leaving, it is important to confirm what documents you need to carry.
IV. What is Canada eTA? Who needs to apply?
The full English name of eTA is Electronic Travel Authority, the Canadian Electronic Travel Authority.
It is not a visa in the traditional sense, but rather a pre-arrival authorization requirement imposed by Canada for foreign travellers who are partially exempted.
Generally, foreign passengers who meet the relevant visa exemption, travel by air to Canada or transit through Canadian airports, are required to apply for eTA prior to departure. United States citizens and United States permanent residents are usually not required.
Some key messages from eTA:
- Application costs: The official application fee is $7.
- Duration of validity: It usually lasts for up to five years, or until the expiry date of the passport, whichever comes first.
- Usage: eTA is linked to the passport used at the time of application and is usually reapplied after the change of passport.
- Scope of application: The main target is eligible passengers travelling by air to Canada or via Canadian airports.
If you belong to a group of people who need to apply for eTA, it is recommended that this be done as soon as possible after the schedule has been made, but not before you leave.
Furthermore, approval of eTA does not mean that it will be possible to enter Canada. On arrival, passengers are still subject to a border check, which is left to Canadian border officials to determine whether to grant entry and the duration of stay.
Canada's visa waiver does not mean that everyone can enter the country directly.
Both exempt and eTA passengers are required to meet Canada ' s entry requirements.
Prior to departure, it was suggested to focus on the following:
- Identification of passport type. The rules applicable to ordinary passports, HKSAR passports and other travel documents may differ.
- Identification of the mode of entry. The eTA requirements may differ by air and by land and sea.
- Check eTA eligibility. Some States were conditional on a waiver and could not judge whether they met the requirements by reference to nationality alone.
- Inspection of travel materials. Preparation of materials such as return or renewal arrangements, accommodation information, certification of funds and statement of purpose for travel, based on actual circumstances.
- Attention to policy changes. Possible adjustments to the exemption form, eTA eligibility and application requirements shall be based on the latest publicly available information by the Government of Canada.
VI. Canada eTA Application for services
If you plan to travel to Canada in the near future, to visit a family or to travel for short periods of time, but are not sure if you need to apply for eTA, or are concerned that the application has been filled in wrongly, you can prepare the qualification and materials in advance.
We can provideCanada eTA Requesting OSRSGAssists in the verification of eligibility, collating the required information, filling in the application and following up on the progress of the application.
Carnation alert: eTA approval is left to the discretion of the Canadian authorities, and the services of the Chargé d ' affaires are not guaranteed. Please refer to the Government of Canada's latest information on specific eligibility, official fees and entry requirements.
"My love for interaction"
HKSAR passports are exempt from signature/landing. Of which,Canada grants HKSAR passport holders exemption from entry to Hong Kong for up to six months;An e-travel authorization (eTA) can be requested in advance prior to the flight to or transit through Canada. That's the bottom line of "go."
However, Canada has waived the issuance of passports to the Hong Kong SAR of China, but the United States has not yet done so. The world is big, Hong Kong's passports are good, and only the United States has to “offset” this station.
Why don't the United States exempt Hong Kong, China?