Canada: Foreigners must be pre-screened online or be denied entry

SAN FRANCISCO – Starting March 1, 2016 many travelers flying into Canada will face a new requirement. They must submit their biographic, passport and other personal information through Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website for pre-screening or face being denied entry.

Canadian Immigration starting Saturday, August 1, will start accepting online applications for electronic travel authorization (eTA) from people traveling to Canada by air.

The new measure will apply to most air passengers, including all applicants for study and work permits, as well as those who come from countries that currently do not require a visa to come to Canada.

“Providing the information required by these amendments will allow Canada to determine the admissibility of foreign nationals before they arrive at the border and whether their travel poses migration or security risks,” the immigration department says.

The eTA system will “enhance data-gathering capacity, improve intelligence, close the gap on the lack of information that is provided for commercial aviation inbound traffic, and more generally to enforce the visa program.”

The enrolment period aims to give travelers time to learn about eTA and to get their authorization before it becomes mandatory in March 2016.

The eTA application costs $7 in processing fees and a positive eTA is valid for five years or when the traveler’s passport expires. Both the United States and Australia already have similar programs.

Groups exempted from the eTA requirement include: Royal Family members, American citizens, commercial aircrew members, visitors with valid visas, passengers in transit through Canada and French citizens who are residents of St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Exemptions are also granted to those who arrive on flights that stop in Canada unexpectedly owing to an emergency or unforeseen circumstances.

However, a Canadian border officer may also cancel an eTA if the traveler is deemed inadmissible.

Officials said an eTA application asks for the applicant’s name, date and place of birth, gender, address, nationality and passport information.

Visitors from countries where visa are needed are already required to provide such information to Canadian embassy or consulate staff before travelling here.

According to the immigration department, visa-exempt foreign nationals, excluding U.S. citizens, represent about 74 percent of foreign nationals who arrive by air in Canada.

Reasons for refusal include membership in terrorist organizations, espionage, alleged participation in war crimes or crimes against humanity, criminality and health threats such as tuberculosis.

Officials said the belated detection resulted in significant expense, delay and inconvenience for these individuals, other travelers, the airlines and government officials.

Immigration officials have released a short video to help travelers learn about the program:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFIVPOLVVtc

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