Visa-free entry announced for some Filipino nationals travelling to Canada

Canada has announced that eligible Filipinos travelling by air for business or leisure will be granted visa-free entry.

This comes as Philippines is included in the North American country's Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) programme. Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that the country is making it easier for people around the world to visit, and including the Philippines is a part of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Eligible categories include Philippine passport holders who have held a Canadian visitor’s visa in the past 10 years or a valid United States non-immigrant visa. These categories of Filipinos need only to apply for an eTA instead of a visa. This can be done through the website Canada.ca/etA, and is used to 'conduct light-touch and pre-travel screening of air travellers'. It costs 7 Canadian dollars or about 300 pesos, reported PNA. Meanwhile those who already have a valid visa can use it to travel to Canada.

This decision joins other existing measures for Filipino travellers, including the Canada’s Transit Without Visa programme, and the Student Direct Stream.

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