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ImmPulse™ Newsletter

Electronic Travel Authorizations – Beware the Ides of March

For those familiar with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, you will know that ‘Beware the Ides (i.e. the 15th) of March’ was a warning to Caesar of his impending doom. In our case, the 15th of March is also a D-Day of sorts, whereafter travel to Canada will become more complex, and failure to carry out necessary advance procedures will lead to the inability to travel to Canada. More specifically, after March 15, many people who in the past could simply just get on an airplane to travel to Canada will now have to carry out an advance, mandatory, application for an ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’, better known as an eTA

The 15th of March is closer than it seems, and we are starting to prepare our clients for what to do in advance of the mandatory implementation date. Indeed, we are suggesting that clients commence using eTA’s at this time, and that clients implement internal procedures to ensure that when the need for travel arises, they will be aware of actions to be taken, and not be caught off-guard.

Accordingly, we are providing our clients with a basic information sheet about eTA’s, and we are setting out herein a copy of that information sheet. This ‘alert’ will therefore be a bit longer than usual, but we hope that it will be of value to readers to ensure their knowledge of, and to commence their preparation for, eTA implementation.

 

Electronic Travel Authorizations – eTA’s

 Implementation

  • March 15, 2016
  • Voluntary application allowed prior to that date

Who needs an eTA 

  • Citizens of countries whose nationals do not require a visa for Canada, who
    • Are entering by air (not land or sea)
      • Even if only transiting through Canada (subject to exceptions below)
  • If someone is not sure if they are from a country that needs an eTA, there is a list that can be checked at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas-all.asp. (The list also provides for some uncommon cases, such as certain countries where there are two types of passports.)

Who does NOT need an eTA

  • US citizens
    • NOTE:
      • US permanent residents travelling by air DO need an eTA
      • Dual US/other citizens must use their US passport to qualify for an exemption
  • Those holding a current Canadian visa or Temporary Resident Permit
  • Those with a valid study or work permit (issued since August 15, 2015)
  • Accredited Diplomats
  • French citizens who reside in and are travelling from St. Pierre and Miquelon
  • Those who already have status in Canada and are entering from the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon (during the currency of their valid status)
  • Visiting Forces on official duties
  • Members of flight crews, civil aviation inspectors and accident investigators
  • Those travelling to the United States from a country other than Canada, or travelling to a country other than Canada from the United States, who qualify under the
    • Transit without a Visa Program, or
    • The China Transit Program, or
    • Whose planes are refueling only en route to or from the United States
    • NOTE:
      • Travellers in the above-noted programs are qualified through airlines, not through applications made by individuals, and
      • People transiting through Canada otherwise still do need an eTA

Visa Nationals who can use an eTA rather than a visa

  • In addition to the above provisions, Canada Immigration is also allowing certain people to seek an eTA rather than a full visa. To qualify, the applicant must be a citizen of:
    • Brazil
    • Bulgaria
    • Mexico
    • Romania

who

◦   Holds a current US non-immigrant visa, or
◦   Has held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years

  • Please note that the exact implementation date of this program has not been advised, but should occur shortly after March 15. In the interim, those in the categories above would still need visas.

Other Important Information

  • Those who might ordinarily be criminally inadmissible must still apply for an eTA. The eTA process will allow for explanation, and the adjudication of the right to travel.
  • eTAs are valid for 5 years, or to the expiration date of a passport, whichever comes first
  • All Polish and Lithuanian citizens will require an eTA (prior to the eTA regime, those with machine readable passports only were visa exempt)
  • Processing times should be rather quick, but some considerations (e.g. discovery of a criminal matter, the need to verify certain information, etc.) may cause delays.
    • It is advisable to allow enough time for the processing of the matter. Where possible, we would say even as far in advance as one month.
  • eTAs are electronically linked to passports. Getting a new passport means needing to get a new eTA
  • There are limited acceptable payment methods, without exception. Payment must be made by Visa, MasterCard and or American Express

How to Apply for an eTA

  • The web site for eTAs can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta-start.asp which will in turn lead you to the application page
  • Should there be any questions, or need for assistance with the procedure, Kranc Associates will be pleased to guide applicants through the process

The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.