In the majority of cases, the applicant will receive an email with their eTA approval within a very short time after applying, typically a few minutes. In some cases, however, your application might take a couple of days to be processed.

What happens if my eTA application takes a few days to process?

If you experience this with your application, you will get an email within 72 hours after applying that explains what you should do next. This could take the form of a request for:

• A personal interview at your nearest Canadian consulate or embassy
• Additional documents or information

When you get this email, you will be able to use the eTA “Check Status” section to track the progress that is being made with your application. To do this, you are going to need the following:

• Information regarding the passport you used when applying for the eTA
• The application number that appears at the top of the email. It starts with the letter ‘V.’

If you do not get an email confirmation containing your application number within a 72-hour period, you should fill out the relevant web form. You will have to:

• Select “Electronic Travel Authorization” and then “Case-specific inquiries” from the menu entitled “Type of Application”
• Give as much information as possible. It could take a few days before getting a reply
• Make sure that you regularly check your email account’s junk mail folder. Spam filters sometimes block official emails.

Do I need to apply for an eTA as well as a visitor visa?

No, if you intend to embark on a trip to Canada, you require either a visa or an eTA, not both.

Which one you have to apply for depends on the following:

• The country where your travel document was issued
• The type of travel document it is
• Your nationality
• Whether you will be travelling to Canada by plane, car, train, or ship

If you are already in possession of a valid visitor visa for Canada, there is no need to also apply for an eTA, regardless of whether or not you are eligible for one. You will be able to travel with your visa until its expiration date.

If you submit an application for an initial study or work permit before your trip to Canada, you will get a visa or an eTA automatically once the permit has been approved. There is no need to apply for a visa or an eTA or pay any additional fees.

If you have been issues issued with an eTA, the eTA number will be mentioned in the letter of introduction you will receive when your work/study permit is approved. Don’t lose this number just in case you have to contact the Canadian authorities about the eTA. If you are issued a visa, the authorities will stick it in your passport.

I have not been able to submit an eTA application because of unforeseen technical issues (e.g., with submitting the application form or making a payment). Will I be permitted on board a flight to Canada?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The eTA requirement is mandatory. If you have not been able to get an eTA, you should postpone or cancel your trip to Canada.

If you tried a second time to apply but still experienced technical issues, there is a form on the official website that you can complete.

• Go to the ‘type of application’ field and choose “Electronic Travel Authorization” followed by “General and Technical Enquiries.”
• Give as much information as possible regarding the issues you encountered.

It could take a few days before you get a reply. If you choose to continue with your journey to Canada without having an eTA, you are going to experience serious issues. It could start with you not being allowed to board the flight to Canada.

Will I still be permitted to travel to Canada if my eTA is canceled after I have received it?

It is possible for an eTA to be canceled when, for example, information surfaces that you are no longer admissible to Canada. When that happens, your eTA could be canceled by an immigration officer who will inform you by email.

If that happens, you should not proceed with your trip to Canada. If you try to take a flight to Canada with a canceled eTA, you will not be allowed to board the plane.

It is highly recommended that you rather reapply for the eTA – but only after you have taken care of the issues that led to your eTA being canceled in the first place.

I am a citizen of Canada. Do I require an eTA if I would like to visit Canada?

That will not be possible. Citizens of Canada, including those who hold dual citizenship, do not need to and can’t apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if they want to enter Canada.

To board the flight to Canada, all you must have is a valid Canadian passport, of which the expiration date is well beyond the date on which you will leave the country again.

It delivers proof that you are a Canadian citizen and that you have the right to enter that country without subjecting yourself to immigration screening.

How can I help a family member or friend who would like to visit Canada?

Anybody who wants to visit Canada has to apply while they are still outside Canada before the start of the trip.

What your family member or friend will need depends on a few factors:

• The country by which their travel document was issued
• The type of travel document they intend to travel with
• How they will arrive in Canada (e.g., by plane, overland)
• Their nationality

Before they apply, confirm which documents they are going to need.

If they have to get a visitor visa, you could, e.g., provide them with a letter of invitation to support their visa application. While this might help, it no no way guarantees that he or she will be granted a visa.

Will I require a visa (or alternatively an eTA) if I am merely travelling via Canada while on my way to another country?

The document someone requires to transit via Canada depends on various factors, such as if they intend to visit anywhere else in Canada.

What is a visa-required traveller?

You are viewed as a visa-required traveller if you’re from a country whose citizens require a visa to enter Canada.

You will have to get a visitor visa under the following circumstances:

• You will be visiting Canada (including by air), even if it is for less than 48 hours
• You plan to stay in Canada for longer than 48 hours during your transit
• You will be crossing the Canadian border by car, bus, train, cruise ship, or boat

When you will need a transit visa:

• You will be on an international flight that will stop at a Canadian airport while underway to a different country
• You are going to connect between two international flights at an airport in Canada
• You will be transiting via Canada in a maximum of 48 hours
• You do not possess a valid Canadian visitor visa

Which travellers are visa exempt?

You are viewed as visa-exempt if you’re from a country that is a member of the VWP (Visa Waiver Program), and you need an eTA to visit Canada. In this case, you will have to apply (and pay the relevant fees for) an eTA if you want to transit via Canada by air.

You do not have to submit an application for an eTA if you will be transiting via Canada and you arrive by cruise ship, boat, bus, or train. In that case, just make sure you have the required travel documents (e.g., a valid passport)

I am flying with my minor kid but without my marriage partner. What documents should I bring with me?

Make sure that you have the following documents:

• A letter of authorization that has been signed by the absent parent. It has to contain their telephone number and address and must be in English or French as far as possible.
• A photocopy of the absent parent’s national identity card or signed passport
• If you and your spouse are divorced or separated, and you share custody of this particular child, you should also make sure you have copies of the legal custody documentation.
• In the case of divorced or separated parents where one of them has been granted sole custody of the kid, a letter of authorization that has been signed by just that parent is sufficient, provided they also bring copies of the custody papers
• If the other parent has died, the remaining parent has to show a copy of the other parent’s death certificate

What are the most important differences between a Canadian visitor record and a visitor visa for that country?

A visitor visa, often also referred to as a temporary resident visa, is an official document required by citizens from countries that do not form part of the visa waiver program if they want to visit Canada for a period not exceeding 6 months.

A visitor record, on the other hand, consists of a document that might be issued by a border services officer to restrict or extend someone’s stay in Canada. If you plan to remain in Canada for longer than 6 months, you have to tell the border service officer about that.

You could also be issued a visitor record after the authorities approve your application to restore your status or extend your stay. Such a record is either issued by Canada Immigration, Refugees, and Citizens or by the Canada Border Services Agency.