New Canada Visa Requirement for Mexicans: Mexican citizens will require a visa to enter Canada effective February 29, 2024, at 11:30 p.m. EST, unless they meet specified criteria.
This is in response to a rise in asylum petitions filed by Mexican citizens that are denied, withdrawn, or abandoned.
These modifications apply even if you’ve already booked your trip.
As per the IRCC, having pre-booked travel reservations or a previously valid eTA does not ensure approval for a new eTA or visa.
Most current electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) for Mexican passport holders are being cancelled.
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Mexican citizens can reapply for a new eTA if they fly to Canada and:
- holding a visitor visa to Canada in the last ten years,
- or
- currently possess a valid non-immigrant visa to the United States. Otherwise, they require a visa.
However, the application process for Mexican citizens seeking work or study permits will remain unchanged.
Mexican citizens with valid Canadian employment or study permits are unaffected.
Their eTA will not be cancelled, and they will be able to continue travelling to Canada.
Mexican citizens without a valid work or study permit who are already in Canada may stay for as long as they are permitted, but their eTA will be terminated.
If they leave Canada and want to return, they must get a visa or a new eTA, if eligible.
Mexican visitors may face delays when arriving at Canadian airports owing to changed entrance regulations.
Why the New Canada Visa Requirement for Mexicans?
Asylum requests filed by Mexican citizens hit a new high in 2023, at a time when Canada’s asylum system, housing, and social services were already under strain.
The majority of these petitions (about 60%) were either denied by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada or withdrawn or abandoned by the applicant.
In 2023, asylum petitions from Mexican residents accounted for 17% of all claims made that year by all nationalities worldwide.
The number of asylum requests in the country has increased dramatically since the visa was initially lifted in 2016 (from 260 in 2016 to 23,995 in 2023).
Important points to be aware of
All eTAs granted to Mexican passport holders before 11:30 p.m. Eastern time as of February 29, 2024, will be invalid—with the exception of eTAs linked to Mexican passports with a valid Canadian work or study permit.
Mexican citizens who travel to Canada without a valid employment or study permit must apply for a visitor visa or reapply for a new eTA—if qualified.
Mexican travellers in Canada on an eTA can stay for as long as they are authorized (up to six months from the date of arrival).
However, if they intend to leave Canada and return, they must have the appropriate travel documents (visa or fresh eTA).
Most successful visa applicants are granted multiple-entry visas, which allow them to visit Canada as often as they wish for up to ten years, or until their passport expires.
What is Canada eTA?
The eTA is a digital travel document required for most visa-exempt passengers to enter or transit through Canada by air.
In 2017, IRCC began expanding its eTA program to include qualified individuals from visa-required nations. Mexico will now be one of 15 nations whose citizens can fly to Canada with an eTA instead of a visa if they meet specific standards.
When can a Mexican reapply for a visitor visa or eTA?
You must wait until after 11:30 p.m. ET on February 29, 2024, to apply for a visiting visa or re-apply for an eTA.
What are the new eTA or visitor visa requirements for Mexicans?
Effective at 11:30 p.m. ET (Toronto time) on February 29, 2024, to be eligible for an eTA, Mexicans must meet new requirements.
If Mexicans already have an eTA, it will be automatically cancelled unless they have a valid work or study permit.
If they have an eTA application in progress, they will need to apply for a new eTA or a visitor visa before travelling to Canada (if eligible).
If they are no longer eligible for an eTA, they will have to apply for a visitor visa to come to Canada.
