Canada adds 13 more countries in visa-free travel list

Ottawa

The Canadian government on Tuesday added 13 more countries in the visa-free travel list that includes countries as Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay and Seychelles among others.

The announcement of the inclusion of 13 countries in visa-free travel to Canada or electronic travel authorization (eTA) was made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser.

These are Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Uruguay, Trinidad & Tobago.

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The facility will be available to travellers who had availed Canadian visa in the last 10 years or have US Visa (non-immigrant).

A Canadian official said the initiative will make it easy, fast and affordable for travelers to visit Canada for business or leisure for 6 months.

In addition to strengthening the economy by way of tourism and international business, this will also further foster a better relationship with these countries.

And in turn, it will reduce the workload on immigration to focus on processing visa applications, benefitting such applicants, he added.

Commenting on the development, Sean Fraser said this step will allow more people to explore Canada’s landscape and vibrant culture without any visa hurdles.

This ‘not only enhances convenience for travelers’ but it will ‘increase travel, tourism, and economic benefits, as well as strengthen global bonds with these 13 countries,” Fraser added.

Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly too echoed Fraser’s views and said, “Expanding the eTA program to include countries like the Philippines is also an important part of our Indo-Pacific Strategy.