2024-07-16 23:09:18
Canada is “pleased” to announce the addition of Morocco to the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) program, the ministry said in a statement to MAP.
This decision is likely to “facilitate travel, tourism and international commercial activities between our countries as well as the strengthening of interpersonal and cultural ties,” added the same source.
“There is a well-established Moroccan diaspora in Canada, and we recognize the importance of expanding and simplifying access to travel between our countries,” said the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Canada announced Tuesday the addition of 13 countries, including Morocco, to its eTA program. Moroccan citizens who have obtained a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid non-immigrant visa from the United States can now apply for an eTA, in lieu of a visa, when travelling to Canada by air.
The introduction of visa-free air travel will allow thousands of travellers from Morocco to visit Canada more quickly, easily and affordably for a period of up to six months, whether for business or leisure, the ministry noted.
“This decision is in addition to our existing mobility measures for Morocco, such as the Direct Stream for Studies, which offers accelerated processing of study permit applications for those applying to study in Canada,” the ministry recalled.
Over the past 10 years, Canada has issued 110,257 temporary resident visas to Moroccan citizens, the same source noted, adding that these individuals, as well as current U.S. non-immigrant visa holders, may now be allowed to travel without a visa.
“By allowing more visitors to apply for an eTA instead of a visa, we will be able to divert thousands of applications from Canada’s visa workload and process visa applications more efficiently, benefiting all visa applicants,” the department said.
The eTA is an electronic travel document that most visa-exempt travellers need to come to Canada or transit through the North American country by air.
2024-07-16 23:09:18