CANADA has added the Philippines and 12 other countries to its electronic travel authorization (eTA), effectively allowing qualified Filipinos to travel to the North American country visa-free.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Canada’s move will “spur travel, stimulate more business opportunities, and foster greater interest for family reunification efforts.”
Ottawa’s move was announced by Sean Fraser, Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship yesterday, saying that visitors, including Filipinos who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can enter the country for leisure or business by applying for an eTA authorization instead of a visa when traveling to Canada by air.
The eTA is a digital travel document that most visa-exempt travelers need to enter or transit through Canada by air. It is used by Canadian authorities to conduct light-touch and pre-travel screening of air travelers.
It costs seven Canadian dollars to apply, with the applicants needing only a valid passport, a credit card, an email address and access to the Internet. Most applications are automatically approved within minutes.
“This exciting development means that more individuals from the Philippines can now embark on unforgettable adventures, explore our diverse landscapes, reunite with family and friends, and immerse themselves in our vibrant culture without the hurdle of visa requirements,” Fraser said.
“Introducing visa-free air travel will make it faster, easier and more affordable for thousands of known travelers from the Philippines to visit Canada for up to six months for either business or leisure. It will also help facilitate more travel, tourism and international business between our countries, and help strengthen people-to-people and cultural ties,” he added.
Fraser said the move not only enhances convenience for travelers but also increases travel, tourism and economic benefits, as well as strengthens bilateral ties with the Philippines.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joy said expanding the eTA program to include the Philippines is an important part of Ottawa’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to enhance people-to-people ties and make travel to Canada easier, faster and safer for everyone.
“Canada is a destination of choice for so many around the world. We’re making it easier for more people to visit Canada, whether they’re coming to do business, sightsee, or reunite w/ family and friends,” Joy said.
Over the last 10 years, Canada has issued 466,936 temporary resident visas to Filipino citizens.
Last year, trade between Manila and Ottawa stood at around P127 billion, with the Philippines exporting goods and services to Canada worth around P80 billion.
In the same period, the Philippines imported around P45.4 billion worth of Canadian goods.
There are around 960,000 Filipinos living and working in Canada.
Aside from the Philippines, other countries included in the visa-waiver program are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
Visa-free air travel will make it faster, easier and more affordable for thousands of travelers from the Philippines to visit Canada for up to six months for either business or leisure.
The DFA said the country’s inclusion in Canada’s visa-waiver program is a welcome development and “an important milestone and a striking indication of Canada’s growing friendship and trust in the Philippines.”
“The Philippines’ inclusion, coming soon after the official visit of Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, is an important milestone and a striking indication of Canada’s growing friendship and trust in the Philippines as well as the great value it attributes to the Filipino community that has contributed to its diversity and dynamism. The new policy is expected to spur travel, stimulate more business opportunities, and foster greater interest in family reunification efforts,” the DFA added.
“The Philippines considers Canada as a close partner due to its well-established people-to-people ties and looks forward to charting a new era of engagement under this new policy,” the DFA said.
