Canada To Charge Extra For New Electronic Application

14 Dec 2013

Under a proposed electronic security screening plan, visitors to Canada will be charged a new fee.

The federal government is seeking public comment on the plan to introduce applications for online travel as part of the extensive perimeter security pact with the US.

Foreign citizens who do not need a visit visa to Canada - including people from France, Britain, and many other countries – need to apply for an electronic travel authorization prior to arriving in Canada by air.

However, US Citizens will be excused from the new requirement.

According to the records released under the AIA (Access to Information Act) says that Canada predicts approximately 3.5 million ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) applications per year starting April 2015.

It will align the approach of Canada to screen visa-exempt overseas visitors with that of the US, which already has an identical electronic system in place. The idea is to recognize possible security threats prior to reaching North America.

Visitors will apply through the CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) website by entering background information, biographic details and passport.

An electronic system will check the information against the database of immigration and enforcement and conduct the applicant’s risk assessment.

Until mid-January, CIC is taking feedback on the plan.