Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2015-77)

Policy effect

Enacts the regulatory framework establishing the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for visa-exempt foreign nationals traveling to or transiting Canada by air, introducing the online application portal, $7 fee, and 5-year maximum validity period under a voluntary enrolment scheme starting August 1, 2015.

Conditions and exceptions

Validated condition or limit: Enacts the regulatory framework establishing the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for visa-exempt foreign nationals traveling to or transiting Canada by air, introducing the online application portal, $7 fee, and 5-year maximum validity period under a voluntary enrolment scheme starting August 1, 2015.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

Regulations are amended by adding the following after section 7: Electronic travel authorization 7.1 (1) A foreign national referred to in paragraph 7(2)(a) who is exempt from the requirement to obtain a temporary resident visa and who, on or after March 15, 2016, is seeking to enter Canada by air to remain on a temporary basis is, nevertheless, required to obtain an electronic travel authorization before entering Canada, unless they are exempted by subsection (3) from the requirement to obtain one. Holder of temporary resident visa (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a foreign national who holds … outside Canada for a visa, an authorization to return to Canada or an electronic travel authorization, an officer shall enforce the order if, following an examination, the foreign national establishes that 8. The heading of Division 2 of Part 19 of the Regulations is replaced by the following: FEES FOR APPLICATIONS FOR AUTHORIZATIONS, VISAS AND PERMITS Electronic Travel Authorizations Fee — $7 294.1 (1) A fee of $7 is payable for processing an application for an electronic travel authorization. Exception (2) A person whose application for a work permit or a study permit is considered under subsection … Description The amendments require foreign nationals who are currently exempt from a visa requirement to hold an eTA when seeking to enter Canada by air. The amendments to the Regulations add greater specificity to the general legislative framework by establishing the coming-into-force date of the Regulations as August 1, 2015, and the date by which specified foreign nationals will be required to obtain an eTA in order to enter Canada by air as March 15, 2016; creating the regulatory requirement to compel a visa-exempt foreign national to apply for an eTA before seeking to enter Canada by air … unless they are exempt from doing so; establishing the application procedures to be followed; specifying when an eTA expires, as well as when and by whom it can be cancelled; setting the fee that is payable for the processing of an eTA application; and setting out the exemptions from the requirement to obtain an eTA. eTA requirement, process, fee and validity period The amendments require foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries, unless exempted from doing so, to apply for an eTA online, through the CIC Web site, by entering biographic, passport and background information similar to the personal … Required information for an eTA application For clarity, the Regulations have been amended to include the applicant’s email address in the list of required information that must be contained in an eTA application. Coming into force and the enrolment period The eTA Regulations will come into force at 12:00 p.m., Eastern time, on August 1, 2015. At that time, the online application will be available and eTA processing will begin. However, in order to minimize impacts on the travelling public and Canadian travel and tourism industries, eTA-required travellers will be exempted from this new entry requirement … other visa-exempt countries, and may allow the Government of Canada to further liberalize visa requirements in the future. Implementation, enforcement and service standards Implementation Coming into force and enrolment period The eTA program will have a “soft launch” with the coming into force of these regulatory amendments at 12 p.m. Eastern time, on August 1, 2015. The online application will be available for eTA-required foreign nationals to complete in advance, should they wish, and eTA processing activities will commence. However, in order to minimize impacts on the travelling public as well …

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

Other Canada changes operative in 2015

• 2015-01-01Ministerial Instructions Respecting the Express Entry System
• 2015-01-28Immigrant Investor Venture Capital economic immigration class established
• 2015-02-21Employer compliance fee and direct job-offer submission introduced for LMIA-exempt employer-specific work permits
• 2015-02-21Separate open work permit privilege fee introduced
• 2015-05-25Investor-pilot intake switched from random selection to first complete applications
• 2015-06-10Prohibition of Non-Physically Present (Proxy, Telephone, Internet) Marriages and Raising Minimum Spousal Age
• 2015-06-10Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2015-138)
• 2015-06-11Order Fixing June 11, 2015 as the Day on which Certain Provisions of the Act Come into Force
• 2015-06-11Social insurance number collection and sharing authorised for citizenship eligibility verification
• 2015-12-01Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Administrative Monetary Penalties and Ineligibility System for Employers)
• 2015-12-19Ebola-related visa-processing ministerial instructions repealed