Canada ends automatic 10-year tourist visas, tightens rules for entry

The visa policy update is part of Canada's broader approach to balancing immigration and public concerns

Canada has amended its tourist visa policy, ending the practice of routinely granting 10-year multiple-entry visas. Announced on Thursday by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the new guidelines give immigration officers more discretion, allowing them to issue shorter visas based on individual assessments rather than defaulting to extended durations.

 

The IRCC said that the shift was a part of a broader strategy aimed at managing temporary immigration levels, addressing housing shortages, and controlling the rising cost of living. The change means that frequent visitors to Canada may now encounter increased application costs and shorter-term visas, impacting those who regularly travel for work or leisure.

 

 

What was the previous policy?

 

Under the previous system, IRCC issued two types of tourist visas: multiple entry and single entry. However, applicants did not need to choose between them, as all applicants were automatically considered for a multiple-entry visa. This allowed visitors to enter Canada multiple times over the visa’s validity period, which could extend up to 10 years or until one month before the passport’s expiry, whichever was sooner.

 

For single-entry visas, travellers could only enter Canada once. These visas were generally reserved for specific cases, such as official visits by foreign nationals eligible for fee exemptions, participation in one-time events in Canada, or situations governed by country-specific guidelines. Once holders of single-entry visas left Canada, they would typically need a new visa to re-enter.

 

What has changed?

 

Under the new guidance, multiple-entry visas with maximum validity will no longer be the standard. Officers now have the discretion to assess each applicant individually and decide whether to issue a single-entry or multiple-entry visa based on need. The duration of these visas may also vary, depending on the traveller’s specific circumstances.

 

“Guidance has been updated to indicate that multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity are no longer considered to be the standard document. Officers may exercise their judgment in deciding whether to issue a single or multiple-entry visa and in determining the validity period,” said IRCC.

 

Visa costs:

 

The application fee for a Canadian visitor visa is CAD 100 per person, regardless of whether it's a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. Therefore, there is no cost difference between applying for a single-entry or multiple-entry visa.

 

Wider immigration measures

 

The visa policy update is one part of a broader approach Canada has recently adopted to balance immigration levels and public concerns over infrastructure. Other measures recently implemented by Canada include:

 

Lowering permanent resident targets: The government has revised its immigration levels plan, reducing the target from 500,000 new permanent residents to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027.

 

Cap on international students: Canada has imposed a cap on student permits, expected to cut international student numbers by around 300,000 over the next three years.

 

Restrictions on temporary foreign workers: The Temporary Foreign Worker Programme has been tightened, reducing the proportion of low-wage foreign workers that businesses can hire by 10% to 20%.

 

Visa requirements reinstated for Mexican citizens: In response to rising asylum claims and unauthorised crossings, Canada reintroduced visa requirements for Mexican nationals on 29 February 2024.