As readers of ImmPulse™ will be aware, Immigration Canada announced that changes were coming in 2017 to visa requirements for nationals of Romania, Bulgaria, and Brazil. (This is in addition to the removal of the visa requirement for Mexican nationals, which occurred in 2016.)
IRCC has now confirmed that, effective May 1, 2017, nationals of Romania, Bulgaria, and Brazil will be able to enter Canada using an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) rather than a visa, if
- They have held a Canadian visa at any time in the 10 years preceding their travel, or
- They have held a US non-immigrant visa at any time.
In the case of nationals of Romania and Bulgaria, the use of eTAs rather than visas will be broadened to include all nationals of those countries (with or without prior Canadian or US visas), effective December 1, 2017.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.