Who Needs a Canada eTA: A Visit Visa Guide to Canada
Planning to visit Canada soon? Have you applied for a Canada eTA? Not sure if you need one as a traveler? All your answers are here!
Are you going on a trip to Canada? Maybe all your packing is done already, and your travel itinerary is all planned. But, what about the visa? We guess you haven’t applied yet as eVisa to Canada takes just a few minutes to apply and less than 24 hours to proceed.
Hold on! Are you sure you are eligible to apply for a Canada eTA? If not, today’s blog is for you. Here, you will have all the answers, from if you need an eTA to how to apply to how long it is valid for. Let’s get started!
Facts About Canada eTA You Never Knew
Let’s start with “Do I Need an eTA to Canada?” Well, an eTA or Electronic Travel Authorization is a legal travel permit for travelers to Canada from visa-exempt nations, which means tourists from countries that don’t require a visa to Canada need to get this eTA. In fact, an individual doesn’t have to visit the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate for this. It can be applied online.
Speaking of the visa-exempt countries who need to apply for Canada eTA, the list includes Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Poland, and many more. On the other hand, a few nations need a conditional Canada eTA, such as Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, Thailand, Philippines, and others. The travelers of these countries need to hold a current valid US nonimmigrant visa or a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for the last ten years.
However, you do not need an eTA to Canada if you are a lawful permanent resident of Canada. It just takes a valid Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) to show while traveling here. Also, if you have dual citizenship, like Canadian citizenship and another one, there’s no need to apply for an eTA. However, you must have a valid Canadian passport in this case if traveling by air.
Another situation when you don’t need to make an eTA application to Canada even if you fall under the eligible countries is when you are entering Canada by sea or land, such as coming by a cruise ship, train, or boat or driving from the USA.
Note: US citizens do not need an eTA to enter Canada if the individuals are US lawful permanent residents or if they hold a US green card. Just need to carry a valid US passport and proof of permanent residence, like a valid green card.
How to Apply for an eTA
To obtain a Canada eTA, you (if you are eligible) need to request it digitally. You need to submit your eTA application online on the official website of any visa agency. Here, you need to provide all the details asked for, including your general information, contact info, travel purposes, passport details, and others, such as past travel history, criminal records if any, health conditions, etc.
Once done, you need to submit the eTA Canada Visa application form with the supporting documents and pay the visa fee using your credit or debit card.
Then, you just must wait for a day or two. In most cases, it takes just 24 hours to receive the eTA via email.
However, make sure you meet all the Canada eTA visa requirements, including:
- A valid passport with at least 3 months validity beyond your date of departure from Canada and one blank page for official stamping
- An active email address to receive the eVisa
- A valid credit or debit card for the payment
How Long Does a Canada eTA Offer Validity to Stay Here?
A Canada eTA offers a 5-year validity to foreign travelers from visa-exempt countries with a 6-month stay. Hence, you can enter Canada anytime until your visa is valid.
Need Help with Applying for a Canada Online Visa?
If yes, we are here for you. At Online Canada eTA, our agents assist travelers in applying for electronic visas. We just won’t help you obtain travel authorization but review your application form for Canada eTA, including accuracy, grammar, and spelling, and translate documents to English from over 100 languages.
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Online Canada Visa, or Canada eTA, is a mandatory travel documents for citizens of visa-exempt countries. If you are a citizen of a Canada eTA eligible country, or if you are a legal resident of the United States, you will need eTA Canada Visa for layover or transit, or for tourism and sightseeing, or for business purposes, or for medical treatment. Learn more at Online Canada Visa Application Process.