The Canadian government has recently established the eTA program in order to pre-screen travelers from visa exempt countries that are traveling to Canada.
Before the eTA program was established travelers would arrive in Canada and if they did not meet entry requirements they would be denied entry to the country. With eTA the Canadian authorities are able to pre-screen travelers and ensure that they meet Canada’s entry requirements.
The eTA application process allows travelers from visa exempt countries to apply online, from the comfort of their home or office and avoid the hassle of requesting a visa at the embassy or consulate.
The eTA program is designated for travelers who are planning to visit Canada for tourism or business for 180 days or less.
The eTA application contains questions regarding the visitors passport details, address, employment information and other. All of those questions must be filled out online.
In order to apply for an eTA you must be a citizen of one of the 52 countries that are visa exempt, you must arrive by air transportand you must have enough economic means to cover the cost of your stay in Canada.
An approved eTA does not guarantee admission to Canada. The final decision on whether you are admitted or not into Canada will depend on the passport control officer that will interview you upon your arrival in the country.
Caroline
Caroline is a British citizen – a visa exempt country to Canada and is therefore eligible to apply for an eTA.
She is a Liverpool based software developer and plans to visit Toronto next week for an important software trade show.
In preparation for her upcoming trip, comfortably from her sofa at home and using her tablet, Caroline received her eTA authorization to travel to Canada.
All she needed to do was to complete an online application by having her passport and credit card handy.
After her application was completed and payment was submitted, Caroline’s approved eTA was sent to the email address she provided in her application.
Pavel:
For his upcoming 40th birthday Pavel plans to visit Canada to undertake an outdoors adventure. Pavel is an enthusiastic hiker and mountain climber and has visited Canada three times over the past few years to explore the country’s famous wilderness. As a citizen of Poland – a visa exempt country to Canada – Pavel is able to apply for an eTA online.
For his past trips Pavel applied at the Canadian embassy in his native Warsaw for his tourist visa. Since Canada abolished the need for a tourist visa a few years ago for Polish citizens, Pavel was surprised to learn he could apply quickly online for an eTA.
Pavel was very pleased at the ease of the eTA application and at how fast he received his approval document. He just needed his laptop, his passport and a credit card and quickly completed the process. Considering how easy it is to apply for an eTA Pavel plans to visit Canada many times in the future and plans to explore Canada’s amazing outdoors and hike and climb the beautiful Canadian Rockies.