OTTAWA — Visitors to Canada from visa exempt countries, including those from Europe, will soon have a new hurdle to clear if they want to fly to Canada, according to provisions laid out in the latest budget implementation bill.
Part of a commitment Canada made when it signed the perimeter security deal with the United States last year, foreign nationals — with the exception of Americans — will now have to fill out an online form on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website to find out if they have been red flagged for travel.
Dubbed an Electronic Travel Authorization, travellers will punch in certain biographical information that can be quickly submitted and scanned.
“The (Electronic Travel Authorization) program will be a new tool to manage migration that will allow Canada to identify inadmissible persons overseas at the earliest possible opportunity,” said Alexis Pavlich, a spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
“(It) will allow the government of Canada to prevent inadmissible visa-exempt foreign nationals from travelling to Canada while facilitating travel for those who are low-risk. The (Electronic Travel Authorization) program will allow travellers to be screened before they depart for Canada.”
Most travellers are expected to receive confirmation that they can travel within minutes though some will have their applications reviewed by a visa officer before a final decision is made. Those cleared for travel will have to print the confirmation and present it along with other travel documents before boarding.
Basically a simplified electronic visa, a fee is expected to be attached to the process.
Failed refugee claimants, criminals and people on no-fly lists are among those who could be denied travel. Individuals who are flagged may also be told to call a number or visit a visa office for further investigation.
“This will have benefits in terms of reduced costs and resources required to process inadmissible persons in Canada and could allow for low-risk foreign national travellers to be facilitated and processed more quickly upon arrival,” Pavlich said.
While best to complete the requirement before purchasing a flight, it’s expected that computers will be available at airports for those who did not obtain the necessary clearance in advance.
The new provisions will impact those arriving by air and is expected to be implemented by 2015.
The United States and Australia both have similar systems in place. Just as Americans will be exempt in Canada, Canadians travelling to the U.S. are also exempt.
Pavlich said 98 per cent of those subject to similar requirements in the U.S. program have been automatically approved.
The latest budget also seeks to implement another border commitment contained in the Beyond the Border deal — the Interactive Advance Passenger Information initiative.
A spokeswoman for the Canada Border Service Agency said the aim is to “prevent high-risk or improperly documented travellers from boarding a plane destined for Canada which will also reduce costs associated with removing inadmissible individuals from Canada.”
Esme Bailey said the initiative builds on an existing program used to identify high-risk air travellers while they’re en route to Canada.
“Canada and the United States are working together to better coordinate approaches to screening travellers at the perimeter to ensure security threats can be stopped ahead of time,” she said.
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Tobi Cohen
Part of a commitment Canada made when it signed the perimeter security deal with the United States last year, foreign nationals — with the exception of Americans — will now have to fill out an online form on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website to find out if they have been red flagged for travel.
Dubbed an Electronic Travel Authorization, travellers will punch in certain biographical information that can be quickly submitted and scanned.
“The (Electronic Travel Authorization) program will be a new tool to manage migration that will allow Canada to identify inadmissible persons overseas at the earliest possible opportunity,” said Alexis Pavlich, a spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
“(It) will allow the government of Canada to prevent inadmissible visa-exempt foreign nationals from travelling to Canada while facilitating travel for those who are low-risk. The (Electronic Travel Authorization) program will allow travellers to be screened before they depart for Canada.”
Most travellers are expected to receive confirmation that they can travel within minutes though some will have their applications reviewed by a visa officer before a final decision is made. Those cleared for travel will have to print the confirmation and present it along with other travel documents before boarding.
Basically a simplified electronic visa, a fee is expected to be attached to the process.
Failed refugee claimants, criminals and people on no-fly lists are among those who could be denied travel. Individuals who are flagged may also be told to call a number or visit a visa office for further investigation.
“This will have benefits in terms of reduced costs and resources required to process inadmissible persons in Canada and could allow for low-risk foreign national travellers to be facilitated and processed more quickly upon arrival,” Pavlich said.
While best to complete the requirement before purchasing a flight, it’s expected that computers will be available at airports for those who did not obtain the necessary clearance in advance.
The new provisions will impact those arriving by air and is expected to be implemented by 2015.
The United States and Australia both have similar systems in place. Just as Americans will be exempt in Canada, Canadians travelling to the U.S. are also exempt.
Pavlich said 98 per cent of those subject to similar requirements in the U.S. program have been automatically approved.
The latest budget also seeks to implement another border commitment contained in the Beyond the Border deal — the Interactive Advance Passenger Information initiative.
A spokeswoman for the Canada Border Service Agency said the aim is to “prevent high-risk or improperly documented travellers from boarding a plane destined for Canada which will also reduce costs associated with removing inadmissible individuals from Canada.”
Esme Bailey said the initiative builds on an existing program used to identify high-risk air travellers while they’re en route to Canada.
“Canada and the United States are working together to better coordinate approaches to screening travellers at the perimeter to ensure security threats can be stopped ahead of time,” she said.
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Tobi Cohen
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