04/11/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/11/2024 11:05
The Government of Canada recently announced that it would be reimposing the temporary resident visa (TRV) requirement on Mexican citizens travelling to Canada, with limited exceptions. As of February 29, 2024, most Mexican citizens travelling to Canada must either satisfy the new eTA eligibility requirements or obtain a TRV from a Canadian consular post.
Most electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) that were granted to Mexican citizens, prior to February 29, 2024, have now been automatically cancelled. However, the following exceptions apply:
On December 1, 2016, the Government of Canada lifted the TRV requirement for Mexican citizens travelling to Canada. As a result, Mexican citizens no longer required TRVs in order to enter Canada. However, they were required to obtain a valid eTA when travelling to Canada by air.
Unfortunately, the lifting of the TRV requirement caused a significant increase in asylum claims made by Mexican citizens. Mexico's asylum claim rate has risen significantly since 2016, increasing from 250 claims in 2016 to 25,236 claims in 2023. During 2023, asylum claims made by Mexican citizens alone represented more than 18% of all asylum claims made during that year.
The recent reinstatement the TRV requirement for Mexican citizens is intended to address this concern.
As mentioned above, most Mexican citizens now require a valid TRV in order to travel to Canada. However, some Mexican citizens remain eligible to apply for eTAs under the new rules. If they are successful in obtaining new eTAs, they may travel to Canada without a TRV under limited circumstances.
In order to apply for an eTA under the current rules, Mexican citizens must satisfy all three of the following a requirements:
Between December 1, 2016, and February 28, 2024, visa-exempt Mexican citizens required eTAs to travel to Canada by air but not when travelling by land or by sea. Under the new rules, Mexican citizens still require TRVs to enter Canada by land or by sea (e.g., by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship even if they do not intend to leave the ship).
Although visa exempt foreign nationals who hold valid eTAs are normally permitted to apply for their work permits at the time of entry to Canada, Mexican citizens are no longer able to do this. Even Mexican citizens who obtain new eTAs, on or after February 29, 2024, must still apply for their work permits through a Canadian consular post before travelling to Canada.
Fortunately, Mexican citizens who successfully obtain new eTAs may still enter Canada as tourists and business visitors (this includes performing after-sales service). They may also perform other activities that do not typically require a formal work permit, including work activities under the short-term work permit exemption.
For more information on this topic, please reach out to the author, Henry J. Chang.