CANADIAN IMMIGRATION LAWYER

Which One Do I Need to Visit Canada: an eTA Or a TRV?

Rameh Law > Which One Do I Need to Visit Canada: an eTA Or a TRV?

Which One Do I Need to Visit Canada: an eTA Or a TRV?

Canada is among the countries with the most friendly immigration laws in the world. Approximately 35 million foreigners visit Canada yearly as non-immigrants (temporary residents).

Any foreigner requires either an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada unless they are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or United States citizens.

Foreigners that need either an eTA or a TRV to enter Canada include:

  • Persons with temporary work permits (temporary foreign workers)
  • Tourists
  • Persons on student permits (international students)
  • Business visitors business visitors

A foreigner needs either an eTA or a TRV

If you come from a Visa-exempt nation, you need to apply and receive an eTA before you can board a plane to Canada. A US resident needs neither an eTA nor a TRV. They need a Green Card to access Canada whether they are US citizens or not.

If you aren’t a US citizen, a Canadian citizen, or a Canadian permanent resident, and you also do not come from a visa-exempt country, you must have a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada.

An eTA: what is it?

In 2016 Canada announced that all citizens from visa-exempt countries would need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization to board a flight to Canada.

An eTA is linked to the traveler’s passport electronically and has a validity period of either five years or until their passport’s expiry date, whichever comes earlier.

What is a temporary travel visa TRV?

A Temporary Travel Visa is a document that a foreigner receives from an IRCC’s visa office outside Canada that shows that the holder has met all the requirements for admission to the country as a visitor. A TRV can either be issued for multiple or a single visit.

Ordinarily, a tourist TRV does not last for more than half a year. TRVs for  International students and temporary workers from abroad lasts for varying periods depending on the time it will take for the person to finish whatever they intended to do in Canada. A foreigner who is in Canada legally can I apply for an extension of the status.

However, you may still be allowed to visit Canada even if you possess a valid TRV. Failure to demonstrate to an immigration official at the port of entry that you are nature visit inCanada is temporary can lead to an entry refusal. It is common for IRCC officials to refuse a foreigner entry to Canada if they are likely to refuse to leave Canada after the expiry of their status.

  1. Some persons may need to undergo a medical exam as a precondition to entering Canada.

IRCC does not allow people with criminal records to visit Canada

A foreigner looking to enter Canada must demonstrate that they have funds to pay for the expenses while they’ll be in Canada.

Foreigners from some countries may need to submit their biometric information before being allowed to visit Canada.

The table below shows which citizens require an eTA and which ones require TRV to enter Canada

 

COUNTRY            IS TRV REQUIRED?      IS eTA REQUIRED?

  • Afghanistan                            YES                            NO
  • Albania                                    YES                            NO
  • Algeria                                     YES                            NO
  • Andorra                                   NO                              YES
  • Angola                                    YES                            NO
  • Anguilla                                  NO                              YES
  • Antigua & Barbuda                YES                            NO
  • Argentina                                YES                            NO
  • Armenia                                  YES                            NO
  • Australia                                  NO                              YES
  • Austria                                    NO                              YES
  • Azerbaijan                               YES                            NO
  • Bahamas                                  NO                              YES
  • Bahrain                                    YES                            NO
  • Bangladesh                             YES                            NO
  • Barbados                                 NO                              YES
  • Belarus                                    YES                            NO
  • Belgium                                   NO                              YES
  • Belize                                      YES                            NO
  • Benin                                       YES                            NO
  • Bermuda                                 NO                              YES
  • Bhutan                                    YES                            NO
  • Bolivia                                     YES                            NO
  • Bosnia-Herzegovina                YES                            NO
  • Botswana                                YES                            NO
  • Brazil:                                     YES                            NO
  • Brunei                                     NO                              NO
  • Bulgaria                                   NO                              YES
  • Burkina Faso                           YES                            NO
  • Burundi                                   YES                            NO
  • Cambodia                                YES                            NO
  • Cameroon                                YES                            NO
  • Cape Verde                             YES                            NO
  • Central African Republic        YES                            NO
  • Chad                                       YES                            NO
  • Chile                                        NO                              YES
  • China                                       YES                            NO
  • China (Hong Kong SAR)       NO                              YES
  • Colombia                                 YES                            NO
  • Comoros                                  YES                            NO
  • Congo, Democratic Republic  YES                            NO
  • Congo, Republic of                YES                            NO
  • Costa Rica                               YES                            NO
  • Croatia                                    NO                              YES
  • Cuba                                        YES                            NO
  • Cyprus                                     NO                              YES
  • Czech Republic                       NO                              YES
  • Denmark                                 NO                              YES
  • Djibouti                                   YES                            NO
  • Dominica                                 YES                            NO
  • Dominican Republic               YES                            NO
  • Ecuador                                   YES                            NO
  • Egypt                                      YES                            NO
  • El Salvador                             YES                            NO
  • Equatorial Guinea                   YES                            NO
  • Eritrea                                     YES                            NO
  • Estonia                                    NO                              YES
  • Ethiopia                                   YES                            NO
  • Fiji                                           YES                            NO
  • Finland                                    NO                              YES
  • France                                     NO                              YES
  • Gabon                                     YES                            NO
  • Gambia                                    YES                            NO
  • Georgia                                   YES                            NO
  • Germany                                 NO                              YES
  • Ghana                                      YES                            NO
  • Greece                                     NO                              YES
  • Grenada                                  YES                            NO
  • Guatemala                               YES                            NO
  • Guinea                                     YES                            NO
  • Guyana                                    YES                            NO
  • Haiti                                        YES                            NO
  • Honduras                                YES                            NO
  • Hungary                                  NO                              YES
  • Iceland                                    NO                              YES
  • India                                        YES                            NO
  • Indonesia                                YES                            NO
  • Iran                                          YES                            NO
  • Iraq                                          YES                            NO
  • Ireland                                     NO                              YES
  • Israel (passport holders)          NO                              YES
  • Italy                                         NO                              YES
  • Ivory Coast                             YES                            NO
  • Jamaica                                    YES                            NO
  • Japan                                       NO                              YES
  • Jordan                                     YES                            NO
  • Kazakhstan                             YES                            NO
  • Kenya                                      YES                            NO
  • Kiribati                                    YES                            NO
  • Korea, North                           YES                            NO
  • Korea, South                           NO                              YES
  • Kosovo                                    YES                            NO
  • Kuwait                                    YES                            NO
  • Kyrgyzstan                              YES                            NO
  • Laos                                        YES                            NO
  • Latvia                                      NO                              YES
  • Lebanon                                  YES                            NO
  • Lesotho                                   YES                            NO
  • Liberia                                     YES                            NO
  • Libya                                       YES                            NO
  • Liechtenstein                           NO                              YES
  • Lithuania                                 NO                              YES
  • Luxembourg                            NO                              YES
  • Macao                                     YES                            NO
  • Macedonia                              YES                            NO
  • Madagascar                             YES                            NO
  • Malawi                                    YES                            NO
  • Malaysia                                  YES                            NO
  • Maldives                                 YES                            NO
  • Mali                                         YES                            NO
  • Malta                                       NO                              YES
  • Mauritania                               YES                            NO
  • Mauritius                                 YES                            NO
  • Mexico                                    NO                              YES
  • Moldova                                  YES                            NO
  • Monaco                                   NO                              YES
  • Mongolia                                 YES                            NO
  • Montenegro                             YES                            NO
  • Morocco                                  YES                            NO
  • Mozambique                           YES                            NO
  • Myanmar                                 YES                            NO
  • Namibia                                   YES                            NO
  • Nepal                                       YES                            NO
  • Netherlands                             NO                              YES
  • New Zealand                           NO                              YES
  • Nicaragua                                YES                            NO
  • Niger                                       YES                            NO
  • Nigeria                                    YES                            NO
  • Norway                                   NO                              YES
  • Oman                                      YES                            NO
  • Pakistan                                   YES                            NO
  • Palau                                       YES                            NO
  • Panama                                    YES                            NO
  • Paraguay                                 YES                            NO
  • Peru                                         YES                            NO
  • Philippines                               YES                            NO
  • Poland                                     NO                              YES
  • Portugal                                   NO                              YES
  • Qatar                                       YES                            NO
  • Romania                                  NO                              YES
  • Russia                                      YES                            NO
  • Rwanda                                   YES                            NO
  • San Marino                              NO                              YES
  • Sao Tome e Principe               YES                            NO
  • Saudi Arabia                           YES                            NO
  • Senegal                                    YES                            NO
  • Serbia                                      YES                            NO
  • Seychelles                               YES                            NO
  • Sierra Leone                            YES                            NO
  • Singapore                                NO                              YES
  • Slovakia                                  NO                              YES
  • Slovenia                                  NO                              YES
  • Somalia                                   YES                            NO
  • South Africa                            YES                            NO
  • Spain                                      NO                             YES
  • Sri Lanka                                YES                            NO
  • St. Kitts & Nevis                      YES                            NO
  • Sudan                                      YES                            NO
  • Surinam                                   YES                            NO
  • Swaziland                               YES                            NO
  • Sweden                                   NO                              YES
  • Switzerland                             NO                              YES
  • Syria                                        YES                            NO
  • Taiwan                                     NO                             YES
  • Tajikistan                                 YES                            NO
  • Tanzania                                  YES                           NO
  • Thailand                                  YES                            NO
  • Togo                                        YES                            NO
  • Tonga                                      YES                            NO
  • Trinidad and Tobago               YES                            NO
  • Tunisia                                    YES                            NO
  • Turkey                                     YES                            NO
  • Turkmenistan                          YES                            NO
  • Turks and Caicos                    NO                              YES
  • Tuvalu                                     YES                            NO
  • Uganda                                   YES                            NO
  • Ukraine                                   YES                            NO
  • United Arab Emirates             NO                              YES
  • United Kingdom                     NO                              YES
  • United States of America        NO                              NO
  • Uruguay                                  YES                            NO
  • Uzbekistan                              YES                            NO
  • Vanuatu                                  YES                            NO
  • Venezuela                               YES                            NO
  • Vietnam                                  YES                            NO
  • Yemen                                     YES                            NO
  • Zambia                                    YES                            NO
  • Zimbabwe                               YES                            NO