(Trinidad Express) It costs just Can$7 (about TT$35) to obtain an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) for citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to travel to Canada for tourism or to visit their friends and family, says Canadian High Commissioner Arif Keshani.
On June 6, 2023, Canada announced that citizens of Trinidad and Tobago will be partially exempted from obtaining a Canadian visa to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport.
The High Commissioner, in recent interview with the Office of the Prime Minister, shared how simple the process is to obtain an eTA.
The eTA is a digital travel document that most visa-exempt travellers need in order to travel to or transit through Canada by air only.
A visa is needed to enter Canada by driving across from the United States or to enter by sea—for example on a cruise ship. The High Commissioner said that travellers can apply online for the eTA and it takes minutes.
He said T&T nationals can apply for an eTA if they have held a Canadian temporary resident visa at any time in the last ten years, or they hold a valid United States non-immigrant (visitor) visa on the day they apply.
Keshani said that the eTA is for visiting friends and family, or for tourist purposes.
If you are looking to work or study in Canada, you need to apply for a permit first.
“Trinidad and Tobago is an important partner for Canada and this partnership is built on shared values, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, strong people-to-people connections and significant economic ties. There is a large Trinbagonian diaspora in Canada and equally important a Canadian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
He said the eTA will make it easier, faster and more affordable for Trinbagonians to travel to Canada.
