Apply for Canada eTA - Electronic Travel Authorization
Starting August 2015, eTA is a required electronic travel authorization for travelers visiting Canada for tourism, transit or business visits under six months. Eligible travelers holding passports from select countries will be able to apply for an eTA online.
Canada eTA
The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a travel authorisation that allows visa-exempt foreign nationals to enter Canada by air without a visa. It’s linked electronically to your passport and is valid for up to five years or until your passport expires. Reasons for Withdrawal The most typical reason of withdrawing a Canada eTA application would be due to a change in travel. It’s linked electronically to your passport and is valid for up to five years or until your passport expires.
eTA Application Process
Apply, Pay, and Receive Your Authorization via Email Quickly
Fill in eTA
Application
Provide data for each traveler on the eTA application form.
01
Confirm
Traveler Data
Review and confirm
data for each
applicant.
02
Pay & Submit
Application
Credit card, debit card or bank transfer payments accepted.
03
Receive eTA
via email
Your eTA authorization will be sent to you via emai.
04
Travelers who fail to obtain an eTA may not be permitted into Canada as well as may face fines imposed by the Canadian government. Travelers are advised to apply as soon as possible.
What is the Canada eTA program?
Canada operates a web-based travel verification system for visa-exempt foreign nationals that is known as the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). This program is just one of the many initiatives the Canadian government is undertaking as part of their joint agreement with the United States to better secure their borders.
eTA Filing Is Compulsory
The United States and Canada have adopted a policy to improve the security of their shared border and collaborate on sharing visa and immigration information on travellers visiting either country. The enforcement of Electronic Travel Authorization’s is Canada’s key initiative in response to this agreement. Citizens of the following countries are required to obtain an eTA prior to their departure to Canada:
01 . Andorra
02 . Germany
03 . Norway
04 . Australia
05 . Greece
06 . Poland
07 . Austria
08 . Hong Kong
09 . Portugal
10 . Bahamas
11 . Hungary
12 .Barbados
13 . Belgium
14 . Iceland
15 . Romania
16 . Ireland
17 . Samoa
18 . San Marino
19 . Italy
20 . Singapore
21 .Japan
22 . Slovakia
23 . Korea (Republic of)
24 . Slovenia
Citizens of the following countries may be eligible for an eTA if they meet the following requirements:
You have been granted a Canadian visitor visa within the last decade or you currently possess a valid nonimmigrant visa for the United States.
Your purpose of visit to Canada is brief, for business or tourism (usually for periods up to 6 months).
You will be flying to, or making a transit stop at, a Canadian airport with a valid passport from one of the approved visa-required nations.
If these conditions aren’t all satisfied, a visitor visa will be required for your travel to Canada.
01 . Antigua and Barbuda
02 . Argentina
03 . Brazil
04 . Costa Rica
05 . Morocco
06 . Panama
07 . Philippines
08 . St. Kitts and Nevis
09 . St. Lucia
10 . Seychelles
11 . Thailand
12 . Trinidad and Tobago
Basics of The Canada eTA
The Canadian eTA is similar to the digital e-visa programs that are in place in many developed countries such as the United States and Australia. As the name suggests, the eTA confirms an individual’s ability to travel to Canada without a visa, yet does not guarantee admission to Canada. Only Canadian border officials can determine admissibility of travellers crossing the border into Canada. An approved eTA is issued for a period of five years, or until the date of passport expiry, whichever date comes first. An approved eTA allows travellers to visit Canada for up to six months, however, the authorized time period of stay may vary based on the dates stamped in the traveller’s passport by the Canadian border officials.
Foreign nationals from visa exempt countries will require an eTA, namely those from select European nations as well as New Zealand and Australia. U.S. citizens, Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents are exempt from needing a Canada eTA or a visa. Foreign nationals who currently require a visa to travel to Canada are not eTA eligible, and thus still require a visa to visit Canada for tourism, transit, business, work, medical or educational purposes. Answers to frequently asked questions are available to those wishing to apply for eTA.
How To Apply For A Canada eTA
An approved eTA is required prior to a traveller’s departure to Canada. All eTA eligible visitors will require an approved eTA regardless of age. The entire eTA application process is completed online, including steps such as application form submission, payment processing and eTA issuance. Travellers will need to supply passport, travel and personal biometric information such as their name, birth date, address, as well as employment details on the eTA application form.
An approved authorization is usually generated within 30 minutes for most applicants. Once approved, an eTA is linked to the applicants passport.Applicants with criminal records or medical conditions are able to apply and can further clarify their circumstances on the Canada eTA application form. Similarly, applicants that have previously been denied a Canadian eTA or visa, can also reapply for an eTA and clarify how their circumstances have changed since their last application. These applications take longer to process as they will often be reviewed by an immigration official.
The eTA program has assisted Canada in achieving the shared vision it has with the U.S. for improving border security and developing economic competitiveness, both of which are expected to accelerate the flow of both people and goods while maintaining the strength of their partnership.
The main objective of the eTA system is to provide eligible individuals with a convenient method of obtaining a travel authorization to Canada. The eTA system enables Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to more easily identify inadmissible travellers, such as those with no-fly orders or extensive criminal records and prevent these individuals from entering the country. The eTA system also provides IRCC with data to track the travel patterns of visa-exempt foreign nationals who are entering and departing Canada. The government had no capability to do this before the program launched as there was no pre-screening process for foreign nationals. Thus, the eTA system has provided IRCC with considerable border security enhancements.
