Immediate changes to travel eligibility for citizens of Mexico
By Brittany Trafford and Brendan Sheridan
Today Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) has announced significant changes to the travel requirements for Mexican citizens.
As of February 29, 2024 at 11:30p.m. Eastern Time, all electronic travel authorizations (“eTA”) issued to Mexican passports prior to this date and time will become invalid, with the exception of those Mexican citizens travelling to Canada with valid work or study permits.
Mexican citizens who do not hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or who have not held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years will require a Canadian visa to enter Canada when travelling on a Mexican passport. Those who meet the exemptions of having the valid US non-immigration visa or past Canadian visa will be able to re-apply for eTAs to enter Canada by air. Even if eligible for an eTA to travel by air, if entering by car, bus, train or boat, a visa will be required.
Those who are eligible for an eTA will need to apply for a new eTA or a visa after 11:30 p.m. February 29, 2024. This includes persons who have applications for eTAs in processing but not yet issued as of the cut off time. IRCC has specified that having travel booked does not guarantee the ability to rely on an eTA. As a result, anyone travelling on a Mexican passport must carefully consider what steps they must take to come to Canada. Current estimated processing times for a Canadian visa application from Mexico is 40 days; however, we would anticipate this may increase as more applications are made.
IRCC has announced that these changes are being made in response to the increase in asylum claims made by Mexican citizens that have been refused, withdrawn or abandoned. IRCC had lifted the visa requirement for those travelling on Mexican passports in December 2016.
This announcement by IRCC will impact many wanting to come to Canada and will certainly impact the timelines for many Mexican nationals to be able to enter Canada.
This client update is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
If you have any questions about the above, please contact a member of our Immigration group.
Archive
The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (the “Commission”) has issued a holiday reminder to municipalities in Prince Edward Island about the importance of preparation, accuracy, and transparency when making decisions related to land use and…
Read MoreBy Brian G. Johnston, QC On the same day that the Nova Scotia government announced its projected deficit had ballooned to $241 million, it also introduced Bill 148, the Public Services Sustainability (2015) Act (“Act”). The stated purposes…
Read MoreBy Jennifer Taylor – Research Lawyer Nova Scotia’s Cyber-safety Act1 is no more, after a successful Charterchallenge to the legislation. In Crouch v Snell, 2015 NSSC 340, Justice McDougall of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia found the entire statute—enacted in…
Read MoreBy Jennifer Taylor Introduction: Did Ontario have jurisdiction? Arguments about access to justice are not enough to oust the general principles of jurisdiction, according to a recent Ontario case. In Forsythe v Westfall, 2015 ONCA 810, the…
Read MorePART I: THE NSCA DECISION IN BRINE “Disability insurance is a peace of mind contract”: that’s the opening line of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal’s long-awaited decision in Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc…
Read MoreThe taxation of estates, testamentary trusts and certain “life interest trusts” such as alter ego, joint partner and spousal trusts, and the rules for charitable donations made on death through an estate are changing significantly…
Read MoreSeveral important changes in the tax rules that apply to charitable gifts will be coming into effect in the near future. Some of the new rules take effect in 2016, and others will apply beginning…
Read MoreTHE EDITORS’ CORNER Michelle Black and Sean Kelly Trick, Treat or … Taunt? Workplace Bullying and Harassment Fall has arrived! The leaves are changing colours, families are stockpiling Halloween candy (some of which will actually last long…
Read MoreBy Jennifer Taylor – Research Lawyer With the federal election just days away, voting is on Canadians’ minds. This will be the first election conducted in accordance with the Fair Elections Act, SC 2014, c 12 [“FEA”] which…
Read MoreBy Jennifer Taylor Introduction There is now a Nova Scotia decision on the interplay between the provincial Builders’ Lien Act and the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”) in the interesting context of trusts. In Re Kel-Greg Homes Inc, Justice Rosinski…
Read More