Ottawa (IINA) – The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Wednesday announced that all visa-exempt travelers (except United States citizens) will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board their flight to Canada, starting from November 10.
Last March, Canada introduced the eTA requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals traveling to Canada temporarily by air. A six-month leniency period was put in place so that travelers who are unfamiliar with eTA could still board their flight to Canada. This leniency period, which was set to end on September 29, has now been extended until November 9, according to a government statement.
“In consultation with airline partners, we’re taking further steps to minimize any travel disruptions,” said Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum. “We are extending the leniency period and doing another major information blitz in Canada and abroad to encourage affected travelers, including dual Canadian citizens, to plan ahead and get the necessary travel documents before they book a flight to Canada,” he added.
Although eTA is a new requirement for travelers, applying for one is a simple online process that costs seven Canadian dollars. It is best for travelers to apply for an eTA before booking a flight to Canada, the statement said.
In most cases, the eTA will be granted within minutes of applying and will be electronically linked to the applicant passport. However, some applications can take several days to process, it added.
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