Confused about the eTA

[Saeorl1]

Hello,

My fiance (filipina) and I just heard that Filipinos can now apply for an eTA to visit Canada for up to 6 months, visa free.

We excitedly checked the requirements and they make no sense to me. I require help in understanding the eTA.

Specifically this requirement:

you’ve held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or currently hold a valid United States nonimmigrant visa

What would be the purpose of an eTA if you have a visitor visa, which allows for much more flexibility?

And, what does the US have to do with visiting Canada? I can't understand the requirement of a US visitor visa to visit Canada.

Thanks in advance

 

[scylla]

Hello,

My fiance (filipina) and I just heard that Filipinos can now apply for an eTA to visit Canada for up to 6 months, visa free.

We excitedly checked the requirements and they make no sense to me. I require help in understanding the eTA.

Specifically this requirement:

you’ve held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or currently hold a valid United States nonimmigrant visa

What would be the purpose of an eTA if you have a visitor visa, which allows for much more flexibility?

And, what does the US have to do with visiting Canada? I can't understand the requirement of a US visitor visa to visit Canada.

Thanks in advance

To qualify for the ETA you must have either held a Canadian or US visitor visa in the past 10 years. Otherwise you must apply for a regular TRV.

The purpose of this new rule is to provide an easier / expedited path for those who held a Canadian TRV in the last 10 years but that visa has expired. These individuals can now go through the ETA process instead of applying for a new TRV.

They have also extended this rule to people who hold valid US visas. Since these individuals were already vetted by the US, they get to benefit from this rule. This is similar to what's already in place for CAN+.

If your fiance doesn't meet either of these criteria then she needs to apply for a regular TRV.

 

[jorenasuncion]

To qualify for the ETA you must have either held a Canadian or US visitor visa in the past 10 years. Otherwise you must apply for a regular TRV.

The purpose of this new rule is to provide an easier / expedited path for those who held a Canadian TRV in the last 10 years but that visa has expired. These individuals can now go through the ETA process instead of applying for a new TRV.

They have also extended this rule to people who hold valid US visas or held one in the last 10 years. Since these individuals were already vetted by the US, they get to benefit from this rule. This is similar to what's already in place for CAN+.

If your fiance doesn't meet either of these criteria then she needs to apply for a regular TRV.

I have a question related to that. I was granted TRV last October of 2019 and was able to travel to Canada on December of that year. However, my TRV expired by 2021. Am I still qualified for the ETA?