In August 2015, Canada introduced the ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ (eTA) – a process that would require most non-visa nationals to register online before being permitted to fly to Canada. Details of the program are set out in a prior ImmPulse™ release at http://www.kranclaw.com/2016/01/electronic-travel-authorizations-beware-the-ides-of-march/.
The program was to become mandatory in March 2016. (Voluntary registration has been available since August 2015, and continues to be available.) Just before the implementation date, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a postponement of the mandatory implementation date, to the end of September. We were indeed anticipating that the program would become mandatory after September 29, 2016.
Now, IRCC has just announced the postponement of the mandatory implementation date again – this time, to November 10, 2016.
As such, non-visa nationals continue to be eligible for air travel to Canada without an eTA until that time. Those who do apply for an eTA should be aware that doing so makes them subject to IRCC ‘inspection’, and we continue to see people refused eTAs because, for instance, they have a prior criminal record. We refer readers again to http://www.kranclaw.com/2016/01/electronic-travel-authorizations-beware-the-ides-of-march/ where full details are set out.
IRCC has also reiterated that with the mandatory eTA implementation will come the requirement that Canadian citizens – including those holding citizenship in Canada as well as another country – MUST enter Canada using their Canadian passports.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.