Canada - New Visa Requirement

[bad company]

Mrs BC and I are off to Canada in a few weeks. We just noticed that we will be needing an eTA (for whatever reason they haven't called it a visa.

Anybody else planning to travel to Canada take a look at this:-

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/

[silentbrown]

Very like the US "ESTA" requirements, except the Canadian one is half the price and valid for five years instead of two.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[bad company]

I just did ours online. Funny old process I started off picking British from the drop down menu then later it changes to region so England, Wales or Scotland. Also had to confirm that we had enough $'s for our trip.

[Dave Brand]

bad company said:

for whatever reason they haven't called it a visa.

Maybe because it's not a visa?

[Whoozit]

Easy peasy to get. The form takes a couple of minutes to fill in, pay CAD7.00 by card, and the approval comes a few minutes later. Unless your surname happens to be Bin Laden or similar, one would imagine.

[RC1807]

Just got an alert for this from our Corporate Travel Agent as I've a business trip to Toronto booked for October.
Seems fairly straighforward, like ESTA, but cheaper, and for longer!

[bad company]

Yes it's easy enough to do but I wonder how many are aware of the requirement?

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks SO MUCH! I had no idea about this and have just booked a flight to the UK transiting through Canada. This is applicable to ALL transit passengers. Would have been very awkward if I'd found out about this at the check in desk at LGA!

[schmalex]

bad company said:

Yes it's easy enough to do but I wonder how many are aware of the requirement?

There is a grace period for the next year or so where you can still get in without having the eTA

[carreauchompeur]

schmalex said:

There is a grace period for the next year or so where you can still get in without having the eTA

Only until the end of Sept this year!

[RC1807]

RC1807 said:

Just got an alert for this from our Corporate Travel Agent as I've a business trip to Toronto booked for October.
Seems fairly straighforward, like ESTA, but cheaper, and for longer!

Just entered my eTA application and received the confirmation via email about 3 minutes later.

The U.S ESTA, whilst asking many medical questions, don't ask about money/credit available for your trip, nor information about your employer, as I recall.
Canada does.

It's still quick enough to do though.

[bad company]

RC1807 said:

Just entered my eTA application and received the confirmation via email about 3 minutes later.

The U.S ESTA, whilst asking many medical questions, don't ask about money/credit available for your trip, nor information about your employer, as I recall.
Canada does.

It's still quick enough to do though.

It's also cheaper and lasts 5 years rather than 2.

[so called]

Grateful you posted this.
I cover North America but haven't been to Canada for a couple of years.
Would have been embarrassing.

[carreauchompeur]

so called said:

Grateful you posted this.
I cover North America but haven't been to Canada for a couple of years.
Would have been embarrassing.

Ditto! I've just booked a flight NYC-LON via Toronto and would have been stuffed if I'd not found out. On that point... MUST REMEMBER MY ESTA!

[schmalex]

I had my ESTA revoked earlier this year and can only travel to the US on a full visa

[carreauchompeur]

Argh, that's annoying! Why?

[bad company]

schmalex said:

I had my ESTA revoked earlier this year and can only travel to the US on a full visa

st. What on earth did you do to provoke that?

[schmalex]

bad company said:

schmalex said:

I had my ESTA revoked earlier this year and can only travel to the US on a full visa

st. What on earth did you do to provoke that?

I Spent a week in Baghdad on business in March time. Travelling to Iraq, Iran, Syria or Sudan is an automatic revocation.

Annoyingly, we only discovered 2 days before went on holiday to Belize, transiting through Houston. We thought about trying to use my 2nd passport for an ESTA, but discovered this is an instantly arrestable offence.

My wife and son ended up going the planned route, while I had to go via Mexico and meet them in Belize. We did the reverse on the way back and I got back a day later than them, ready to have 4 hours at home before flying to KL on business

Edited by schmalex on Thursday 25th August 10:15

[Dave Brand]

RC1807 said:

The U.S ESTA, whilst asking many medical questions, don't ask about money/credit available for your trip, nor information about your employer, as I recall.
Canada does.

ESTA does now ask for employment information.