As of May 1st, 2017, Canada has lifted a rule that required Romanians, Bulgarians, and Brazilians to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to come to Canada! This is great news for residents of these countries. [Note: Not to be confused for a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP). This document is a permit that can be granted to visitors to Canada who are otherwise inadmissible for medical or other reasons].
Previously, Romania and Bulgaria were the only countries in the European Union (EU) whose citizens were still required to obtain a TRV. Meanwhile, prior to these changes, Chile was the only South American nation whose citizens didn’t require a TRV to enter Canada.
“This initiative will make it easier for eligible travelers to come to Canada and to transit through a Canadian airport. It will also encourage them to make repeat visits,” said the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
“The end result will be more travel and tourism and more economic benefits for Canadians.”
Reduced Wait Times and Less Stress for Romanians, Bulgarians and Brazilians
Who qualifies for this? Travelers who are looking to fly into Canada for a short stay (under 6 months), who will also:
- Have held a Canadian Visitor Visa in the past 10 years
- Currently hold a valid United States visitor visa
Travelers who don’t meet these criteria will still need a visitor visa to travel to Canada. Travelers who already have a valid Canadian visa can continue to travel with their visitor visa until it expires.
At the same time, Canada also plans to lift the visa requirements for all Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, effective December 1, 2017.
After the deadline, they wouldn’t need a visa to travel to Canada. However, similar to other visa-exempt travelers, they would need an eTA to board their flight to Canada. Temporary workers and international students from these countries would be included in the TRV exemption for Work Permits and Study Permits.
“Canada is a popular destination for Brazilian visitors and business people, and expanding eTA eligibility would make it easier and faster for many Brazilians to come to Canada,” said Rick Savone, Canada’s Ambassador to Brazil.
“Easier travel between our two countries will lead to more opportunities to strengthen our vital people-to-people, tourism and business ties.”
