News report | | 07-02-2018 | ±3 minutes reading time

Travellers that apply for a digital visa for the United States or Canada have to deal with strict rules. The visa that is required for British travellers to gain access to the United States is the ESTA (USA). The digital visa necessary for Canada is the eTA (Canada).

Both countries maintain strict rules for a valid visa for the United States and Canada. Even after the visa has been issued, it can be retracted on arrival. This can be the case if, for example, the traveller was not entirely honest or provided incorrect information during the application.

ESTA and eTA

Both the ESTA USA, as well as the eTA Canada can be applied for digitally and are mandatory when travelling to the United States or Canada. The application takes about 5 minutes. The visa is often issued within a few hours. When you are travelling to Canada and/or the United States, an additional investigation might take place. For instance, if you have a criminal record.

Flying with an eTATravelling with an eTA

The eTA is generally valid for five years, or until the passport with which the eTA was applied for expires. If you are travelling to Canada, you would do well to closely read the requirements for the eTA.

Forbidden in the United States

It can be wise to read up on the legislation of the USA and Canada, to better prepare for your trip. For instance, possession of weed can lead to severe punishment, more so than in the UK, as the USA has a very strict drug policy, Similarly, items like knives or remains of animals cannot be imported just like that. The same holds for food. These can lead to problems in the native ecosystem.

If you still bring any of these items, you can risk various punishments. In most cases, this is likely to be a hefty fine. So keep in mind, if you are offered food in the plane, you cannot bring it into the country. Leave these things in the plane. With things like alcohol or drugs you might even be arrested and prosecuted. Make sure you have no remnants present in your suitcase, no matter how small.

Forbidden in Canada

When travelling to Canada, it is important to be honest about any possible criminal record you might have. For instance, Canada has strict rules regarding drinking and driving, also known as DUIʼs (Driving Under the Influence). If you have a prior write-up for drunk driving, there is a realistic chance you will be denied an eTA application.

The majority of crimes which can lead to the eTA Canada being retracted are sexual offenses and other violent crimes. Canada has fairly extreme entry requirements. In other countries, a conviction might mean that the perpetrator has served their punishment, but in Canada, it can mean that you will not be allowed in.

In these cases, it is advised to contact an immigration lawyer. Even if your case is pending, it can still lead to Canada denying you entry. This is because in the past, many people fled to Canada to escape their punishment. Read more about the eTA requirements.

Canada eTA application

A digital eTA for Canada can be arranged in 5 minutes through this website. The costs are € 29,95 per person. It is important to have an eTA in your possession before departure. Airlines cannot bring any travellers along that cannot present a valid eTA Canada. You are checked for this before boarding. An eTA is mandatory for all travellers with a British nationality, as well as most European countries. Read more about the eTA Canada application procedure.

Please note: this news article about the eTA for Canada is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the eTA for Canada.

e-Visa.ie is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the eTA Canada. e-Visa.ie is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a eTA directly with the immigration service (7 CAD per eTA, via onlineservices-servicesenligne.cic.gc.ca). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.ie, our support centre is available to you 24/7. We also check your application before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 7 CAD in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as € 25,21 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Canada eTA was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.