Canada discontinues automatic 10-year tourist visas
With the introduction of revisions to its tourist visa policy, Canada has reduced the number of 10-year multiple-entry visas that were previously issued.
With the introduction of revisions to its tourist visa policy, Canada has reduced the number of 10-year multiple-entry visas that were previously issued. The updated regulations give immigration officials greater discretion in deciding the kinds of visas and their validity, which means regular travellers might no longer be assured of long-term access.According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), officials will now evaluate each applicant separately and may grant shorter visas depending on need, whereas previously, multiple-entry visas with maximum validity were the standard. Due to growing housing shortages and worries about the expense of living, Canada's approach to temporary immigration has changed, as evidenced by the new guidelines.Regular visitors to Canada may have to apply for visas more regularly under the new regime, which could result in higher expenses and administrative difficulties. Amid worries about the growing number of temporary residents, the administration expects that these steps will help control immigration levels.The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated, “Guidance has been updated to indicate that multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity are no longer considered to be the standard document. Officers may exercise their judgment in deciding whether to issue a single or multiple-entry visa and in determining the validity period.”The flow of migration became “aggressive," Marc Miller, Canadian Immigration Minister told Reuters last month. “It’s safe to say that we own a part of that. It’s also safe to say, particularly on the inflow of temporary residents, that we perhaps should have acted a little sooner." According to Miller, he is aware of the part he and the government can play in the belief that Canada has too many immigrants, which is reflected in polls.As their visas expire in the upcoming years, Canada anticipates that over a million individuals who are now in the country on a temporary basis will leave on their own initiative. Miller had stated that Canada would deport those who did not depart. “Temporary means temporary and permanent means permanent," Miller added.
