Canada expands eTA eligibility to 17 countries

Canada has expanded its Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) program to include citizens from 17 countries. This allows eligible nationals, who would otherwise require a visitor visa, to enter or transit through Canadian airports by air using an eTA instead.

The eligible countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

To qualify for an eTA, travelers must meet specific criteria: they must have held a Canadian visitor visa within the last 10 years or currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa. The eTA is strictly for air travel; those entering by car, bus, train, or boat must still obtain a standard visitor visa.

While the expansion includes nations such as Morocco and the Seychelles, Mauritius was not included on the list. Mauritian Minister Rajen Narsinghen noted that visa policies are a matter of national sovereignty and suggested the exclusion does not necessarily represent a negative signal toward Mauritius.