Electronic Travel Authorization, eTA is the new requirement for foreign nationals who are visa exempted and are flying or transiting via Canada. This is only required if the foreign national is traveling to Canada via air and is not necessary if he or she is travelling by land. People who have Visa to Canada, Canadian citizenship or a permanent residence in Canada do not need the eTA document for entering Canada.
PEOPLE REQUIRING eTA
If the individual is from any visa exempt country and is granted a work permit or a study permit, he or she is automatically issued an eTA when he or she accepts the work or study permit application. US citizens do not require an eTA or a Visa for travelling to Canada. US citizens can visit Canada with a valid US passport. Permanent US residents or green card holders require an eTA to travel to Canada and also require to carry their Green Card.
If a person is a dual citizen, that is he or she holds Canadian citizenship along with at least one more citizenship of another country, he or she does not require an eTA for entering Canada. But, if he or she is travelling by air, they must carry their Canadian passport. If an individual is a permanent resident of Canada, he or she does not require an eTA Canada but needs a valid PR or Permanent Resident Card or a Permanent Resident Travel Document for travelling to Canada.
APPLYING FOR eTA
eTA is a very simple document to be applying for. One can apply easily online via the website of the Government of Canada on which the application comes at a cost of $7 CAD. The application only takes around a few minutes and once granted the eTA can be valid up to five years. The eTA is an electronic document and is also electronically tied to the passport number of the individual. The individual will not get any physical document for the eTA from the Canadian Government.
The documents necessary for applying for the eTA are a valid passport and email address and a debit or credit card. The eTA lasts for five years or until the expiry of the individual’s passport, whichever comes first. With a fully valid eTA, an individual can travel to Canada as often as he or she wants for short trips, around six months at a time. The information entered in the application is sent electronically to the body Canada Department of Immigration which sends the individual the Canada eTA via email online.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
One must always have a passport or any travel document that is valid for 6 months at the least from the date of the individual’s arrival in Canada. If one gets a new passport, he or she also requires a new eTA. Once the individual’s eTA is approved, he or she must confirm that the passport number in the eTA is same as the one in the passport. If in case they do not match, one will need to get a new eTA.
