Effective May 1, 2017, eligible citizens of Brazil, Romania and Bulgaria can now fly to Canada without first obtaining a temporary resident visa (also called visitor visa). This new rule applies only to those Romanian, Brazilian or Bulgarian citizens who have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years or who currently hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa.
Despite being visa-exempt, the foreign nationals affected by this change will still need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before boarding an airplane. An eTA costs only $7 CAD and can be obtained within a short period of time. For more information about eTAs, please visit the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Also, this new rule only applies to Brazilians, Romanians and Bulgarians who are travelling to Canada by airplane. Those who enter Canada by land, sea or rail must still apply for a travel visa.
The Canadian government has announced that it may waive visa requirements for all citizens of Romania and Bulgaria effective December 1, 2017. No announcement has been made in this regard for citizens of Brazil.
Do you have questions about visiting Canada? Contact me to discuss your options.