🇨🇦 Canada visa requirements

US citizens get 6 months automatically. Most EU, UK, and Australian passports get 6 months too. Everyone else, check the list.

Who Can Just Walk In?

If you're from the USA, you get a standard 6 months entry without needing to apply for anything beforehand. Just show up with a valid passport. Same deal for citizens of the EU, the UK, Australia, and Japan among others; you'll typically be granted up to 6 months at the border. You can sometimes get less, depending on the immigration officer's discretion, but six months is the standard default.

For citizens of visa-required countries, you'll need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if arriving by air, or a visitor visa if arriving by other means. The eTA is generally processed quickly, often within minutes, and costs $7 CAD. This is for short stays, typically up to 6 months, but again, the final decision rests with the border services officer. Always check the official IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) website for your specific country's requirements.

How Long Can You Actually Stay?

The standard visitor stay is up to 6 months. But here's the catch: that's not a hard-and-fast rule for everyone. The immigration officer at the port of entry determines the exact length of your stay, and they can grant less than six months. They'll stamp your passport with the date you must leave by. Don't assume six months is automatic.

Penalties for overstaying are serious. You could face removal from Canada, a ban on re-entry for up to 5 years, and fines. While specific fine amounts aren't always published for a first-time overstay, the consequences of being caught are significant enough to avoid entirely. If you need more time, you must apply to extend your stay before your current visitor status expires. Simply staying past your stamp date is an overstay.

Working Remotely on a Tourist Stamp

Can you work remotely for a company outside Canada while on a visitor visa or entry stamp? Technically, no. Canada's visitor status is for tourism, family visits, or business meetings, not for employment. However, enforcement of remote work for foreign nationals on tourist status is generally low, especially if you're not visibly working on-site or drawing attention.

Most remote workers operating on a tourist stamp aren't doing anything that directly impacts the Canadian labour market. The key is not to "work" in Canada in a way that suggests you're taking a job away from a Canadian or permanent resident. If you're just hopping on Zoom calls and typing away in coffee shops, authorities are unlikely to flag it unless you're here for an extended period and your activities appear more like employment. It remains a grey area, and you're technically not supposed to be earning income from abroad while on visitor status.

What's New on the Canadian Border Front?

Canada is moving towards an eTA system for more nationalities. As of late 2023 and early 2024, several countries have been added to the eTA program, meaning citizens who previously needed a visitor visa for short stays can now get an eTA. This includes countries like Thailand and Panama. These changes aim to streamline travel for short-term visitors.

The eTA fee remains $7 CAD. There haven't been major hikes or significant suspensions of the eTA program recently, but eligibility is constantly reviewed. Always check the official IRCC website for the most current list of countries requiring an eTA versus a full visitor visa. The trend is towards digital authorization for short visits.