Canada has announced a significant shift in its visa policy, discontinuing the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas for tourists.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) outlined new guidelines which empower immigration officers to issue visas based on individual assessments, moving away from the previous standard of long-term, multiple-entry visas.
Under the updated policy, each visa application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Immigration officers will decide whether a single-entry or multiple-entry visa is appropriate and determine the visa’s duration, a departure from the former practice where eligible visitors routinely received a 10-year, multiple-entry visa.
“Guidance has been updated to indicate that multiple-entry visas issued for maximum validity are no longer the standard document,” the IRCC stated.
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Officers now have the discretion to decide the type and validity of the visa, depending on the specific circumstances of the traveller.”
This policy change is seen as part of a broader government strategy aimed at managing the country’s immigration levels while addressing mounting challenges such as housing shortages and rising living costs.
The government has emphasized that these adjustments reflect Canada’s efforts to balance its immigration system with its infrastructure capacities.
Previously, Canada’s tourist visas were offered in two main categories: multiple-entry and single-entry.
While the multiple-entry visa, valid for up to 10 years or until the expiry of the traveller’s passport, was the default option, single-entry visas were typically reserved for more specific cases, such as official visits or one-time events.
The recent change removes the automatic issuance of long-term multiple-entry visas, placing more focus on personalized evaluations for each application.
Although the application fee for Canadian visitor visas remains unchanged at CAD 100, the new policy may lead to higher costs for frequent travellers.
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Those who would have received a long-term visa under the old rules may now find themselves applying more often for shorter-term visas.
In addition to the changes in visa issuance, Canada has also reduced its target for permanent resident admissions. The target for 2025 will drop from 500,000 to 395,000, with further reductions expected in the following years.
