Foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada need either a visa, or are visa exempt, depending on their country of citizenship. The list of countries whose citizens do or do not require a visa can be found at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/entry-requirements-country.html.
For those that do not require a visa, generally speaking, they must still secure an ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’, or eTA, to fly to Canada (an eTA is not required to enter Canada by car or boat). This is an electronic process which allows the Canadian government to do some basic vetting prior to travel with regard to, for example, criminal history, or Canadian immigration history.
There are a few exemptions from the need for an eTA, and certainly the largest exemption is US citizens.
However, unlike US citizens, US permanent residents were not exempt from the need for an eTA – until now. The Canadian government has announced that US permanent residents may now fly to Canada, or transit through a Canadian airport, without an eTA. To qualify for the exemption, the US permanent resident must have a valid passport, and proof of their valid lawful US permanent residence status. Such proof would include a valid green card or a valid I-551 [ADIT] stamp in their passport.
This change will alleviate the burden for a large group of people, whether travelling for business or pleasure.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.