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Canadian passport

Canadian Passport; Enough Motivation to Become a Citizen

A Canadian passport is a travel document for citizens of Canada issued through the Passport Program of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This passport was first issued in 1862 following the outbreak of the American Civil War. This passport ranks sixth in the world regarding freedom of movement and travel. 

The bearer of this passport is enabled to enter or re-enter Canada freely, travel to and from other countries as per the visa requirements, facilitate the process of assisting by Canadian consular officials abroad if needed. In this article, we provide you with important information about Canadian Passport. So, if you want to learn more, keep reading. 

Canadian passport

Canadian passport

The Canadian passport is valid for five or ten years for people 16 years of age and older. This passport will be helpful for five years for children under 16.

Can Immigrants get a Canadian passport?

To get a Canadian passport, immigrants need to

  • be a permanent resident
  • have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last five years
  • have filed your taxes, if you need to
  • Provide proof that you know how to speak and write in 1 of Canada’s official languages (either English or French) 

However, there may be additional requirements according to your situation. 

Types of Canadian Passport

There are five types of Canadian passports:

  • Regular Passport (navy blue cover): This document contains 36 pages, is issued to citizens for occasional travel, such as vacations and business trips, and has validity for 5 to 10 years.  
  • Temporary Passport (white cover)
  • Emergency Travel Document (single page)
  • Special Passport (green cover)
  • Diplomatic Passport (maroon cover)

It is necessary to indicate which of the different types of visas for Canada you want when applying for an embassy visa. The visa may be for tourismbusinessworkstudent, or transit visas. Travelers who do not need a short-stay visa are obliged to apply for an embassy visa for a more extended period of travel to Canada.

Canadian Visa

Visa Policy of Canada 

Whether you need a visa or travel authorization to enter Canada or not is determined by the Canadian visa policy. The Visa policy defines the necessities for foreign citizens who need a visa for Canada to travel to, enter, and remain within this country. The Canadian visa options for passport holders of different countries are as follows:

Visa Policy of Canada

Canada’s entry conditions for other countries

Canada

Countries with visa-free access to Canada
(eTA required when arriving by air, except for United States nationals)

Electronic Travel Authorization or visa required
(eTA only available for citizens who have held a Canadian visa in the last ten years or who hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa when arriving by air)

 Visa required for entry to Canada

Visa Not Required

The visa policy for a visa depends on the nationality of the traveler. Based on the Canadian visa law, only citizens of the United States do not require a visa for entering Canada, nor do they need to register for an eTA. Citizens of the United States can enter and stay in Canada for up to 6 months within one year without applying for a travel authorization. However, those arriving by air must have an eTA for entering Canada, a valid Canadian passport, and proof of US residency, no matter the purpose of entry or whether they have a valid study or work permit. 

In addition to the US citizens and nationals, and citizens and permanent residents of Canada, the following persons are exempt from having to get a Canada eTA:

  • Individuals with visas for Canada
  • Flight crews
  • the Canadian royal family’s members
  • Armed force members who are visiting from a designated state
  • Diplomatic acceptances holders
  • French citizens of Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon who enter Canada from this territory
  • Inspectors of flight operation procedures or cabin safety of a commercial air carrier operating international flights
  • Valid Canadian refugee travel document holders

Based on this policy, it currently states that citizens of over 50 countries around the world can visit Canada visa-free. The majority of them are required for registering an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before entering Canada by air. It is easy and quick to get Canada eTA, and registration can be done from home.

Their visa-free journey shall be authorized within 24 hours by filling an online form. The eTA allows you to enter Canada by air for a short stay. It can be helpful for tourism, business, or transit purposes. The eTA program in Canada was introduced in 2015, and obtaining an electronic travel authorization is a requirement for most visa-exempt nationalities arriving by air.

The holders of eTA are permitted for multiple entry travel that allows them to live in Canada for up to 6 months in each entry. The eTA is valid for five years from the date of issue or until the associated passport expires, whichever comes first.

Visa-required countries

Based on the Canada visa policy, many nationalities need to obtain a Canadian visa before entering this country, regardless of their stay in Canada’s intended purpose and duration. See a complete list of nations that do not usually need a visa to enter Canada in our other articles.

Last words on Canadian passport

Until now, you have been familiarized with all you need to know about Canadian passports and learned about different types of passports, eTA, visa-exempt, and visa-required countries. You can safely proceed to get your passport or eTA, and make sure that we are here to help you and offer support to those with issues with moving to Canada. 

 Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback, and inform us if you require any further information in this regard. You can also read more about Canada’s GeographyEconomySocio-cultural, and history.

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