In case you plan to visit the United States, then you most certainly need to apply for a visa. That is, of course, if you are not visa-exempt or your country of origin is in the US Visa Waiver Program. The most commonly issued visa to travelers is the B1/B2 visa, the Visitor Visa. It allows its holder to cross the US border and stay there for up to one year. But what happens when you want to travel to Canada from the US?
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Enter Canada With a US Visa?
No, in most cases Canada requires a visitor visa or an eTA for most countries. The US B1/B2 visa allows you to enter Canada for 30 days before re-entry into the US, as noted on your Form I-94. However, you will still need the Canadian eTA or Visa to visit Canada
How can I check if I need a visa to visit Canada?
You can do it by using this link. Enter your country of residence and Canada as the destination and information will unfold in seconds.
How can I get my Canada Visa if need one?
If you require a visa to travel to Canada from the US, then you need to visit one of its foreign embassies. After all, you must apply for a visa just as you applied for the US B1/B2 visa. Fortunately, you do not need to return to your home country to do it. A Canadian foreign embassy will do just fine. Just make sure that they issue your Canadian visa before your stay in the US expires.
What about if I do not need a visa to visit Canada?
If you are indeed visa-exempt, you need to apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA).
What is a Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)?
This type of document is necessary for those nationalities that have the advantage of requesting an application online. That is why it is important to emphasize that from March 15, 2016, those countries that do not need a visa will have to apply for an ETA in order to travel to Canada.
Do I need any documents to apply for a Canada ETA?
For this ETA, you will have to provide the following documents:
- A valid passport
- Email address
- A credit/debit card to pay your application.
What is the price of the Canada ETA?
- Standard processing (24 hours): USD $61.49.
- Rush processing (4 hours): USD $115.49.
- Super Rush processing (30 minutes): USD $182.49.
These prices include the cost of the ETA (USD $5.50)
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Can I return to the United States after I visit Canada?
If you have a US B1/B2 Visa, then you can do it as long as your visa remains valid.
Can I Visit The USA With a Canadian Tourist Visa?
No, visitors of other countries will still need proper documentation to enter the USA. The Visa Waiver Program allows visitors of participating countries to enjoy visa-free entry. A B1/B2 Visa can be used as long as the visa is valid.
There are many people who want to go to Canada for various reasons since it is a highly developed country, but they usually ask themselves “Do I need a visa to go to Canada?” or “What do I need to go to Canada?”
Most people will need a Canadian visa which grants them entry, although there are nationals of countries which will only need an Electronic Travel Authorization for Canada, or they are completely exempt and can enter freely with their passports without needing a visa.
This article will go through the details and answer the question of who needs a visa to go to Canada.
What Determines if You Need a Visa for Canada?
There are different factors which influence if you need a visa for Canada or not. When you ask yourself do I need a visa for Canada, you must take these aspects into account:
- What type of travel document you will travel with (passport, national identification document, driver’s license, etc.).
- The country that issued that travel document.
- Your nationality.
- How you will travel to Canada (air, sea, or land).
In terms of the travel document, it is best to travel to Canada with a passport, and depending on the country that issued it, you can decide how to travel. The sections below will cover the countries which need a Canadian visa, those that only need a travel authorization, and the groups of people who are visa exempt.
Which Countries Need a Canada visa?
There are around 148 countries which need a visa to enter Canada. The nationals of these countries will have to go through the process of applying for a visa depending on their reason for wanting to visit the country. They can get different types of visas such as those for visiting, studying, working, or even immigrating. The countries in the table below will need a visa to enter Canada:
AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBelarusBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia-HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazil (note: some Brazilian citizens may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements)British subjects, subject to controlBurkina FasoBurma (Myanmar)BurundiCambodiaCameroon, Republic ofCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChina, People's Republic ofColombiaComorosCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Republic ofCosta Rica, Republic ofCubaDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEthiopiaFijiGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIsrael, must have a valid Israeli “Travel Document in lieu of National Passport”Ivory CoastJamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, NorthKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaMacao Special Administrative RegionNorth MacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldives IslandsMaliMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMicronesia, Fed. StatesMoldovaMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian AuthorityPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesQatarRomania (holder of a non-electronic passport, such as a temporary passport)RussiaRwandaSao Tomé e PrincipeSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSri LankaKitts and NevisLuciaVincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent)SudanSurinamSwazilandSyriaTaiwan, must have a passports other than ordinary passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that include their personal identification numberTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabweWhich Countries Need a Canada eTA?
Some countries have more freedom of movement around the world and so they might not need a visa to enter Canada. They will however need an Electronic travel authorization.
With the development of technology, Canada has developed this system electronically. This means that the applicants will only need to enter their personal information and the system will evaluate whether they are allowed to go to Canada based on data it gets across different databases.
The nationals of these countries will only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if they are going to Canada by airplane. If they are not flying to Canada but will enter by land or sea, then they do not need an eTA so they can enter with only their passports.
Click here to see which countries fall into the group that needs an eTA to enter Canada by air.
Which Countries Do Not Need a Visa for Canada?
Finally, besides countries who need a visa and those that need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), there are instances when some people might not need either one.