Canada opens up visa-free entry for 13 countries

More countries now enjoy visa-free entry to Canada. Image: Pexels

See the list of nationalities that no longer need to obtain entry visas before travelling to Canada for tourism purposes.

More countries now enjoy visa-free entry to Canada. Image: Pexels

Canada has rolled out visa-free travel arrangements for passport holders from 13 countries.

Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, made the announcement on 6 June.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES

In an effort to streamline travel processes and alleviate the burden on its visa processing caseload, Canada has announced visa-free travel for passport holders from additional countries. The countries include :

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

Passport holders from these countries will be able to travel to Canada without needing to apply for entry visas in advance.

However, eligible travellers who wish to travel to Canada under the visa-free travel program do need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

The eTA is a travel authorization that allows eligible travellers to fly to Canada without a visa.

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NO JOY FOR SA

While South Africa and neighbouring countries were not included in the list, Seychelles and Morocco have been added to the country’s list of visa-free nationalities.

As a number of South Africans hold dual nationality this news might be beneficial to South Africans who have passports of the countries that were included in the list.

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BENEFITS OF VISA-FREE REGIME

The visa-free travel arrangements will offer a number of benefits to both Canada and the eligible countries.

For Canada, the program will help to attract more tourist visitors from eligible countries, which will, in turn, boost the country’s economy.

This decision is also expected to divert a number of applications from Canada’s visa backlog, thereby enhancing the efficiency of visa processing.

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Lorne Philpot

Teacher and tourism enthusiast, Lorne Philpot enjoys exploring Johannesburg and its offerings. He likes to share his experiences and reflections on his travels around the city.