At the Liberal Party of Canada convention in Montreal, a resolution was passed calling on the government to abolish standard visitor visas for citizens of Ukraine. Instead of traditional paper visas, it is proposed to implement a system of electronic authorization, similar to that used by citizens of the European Union.
This is reported by Finway
What Changes Await Ukrainians if the Decision is Approved
If the initiative is approved, citizens of Ukraine will be able to stay in Canada for up to 90 days within each 180-day period. There will be no need to apply for a traditional visa – it will be sufficient to obtain an electronic travel authorization (eTA) online. The main requirement for travel will be a valid biometric passport.
Arguments in Favor of Visa-Free Regime
The resolution emphasizes that since 2017, there has been a Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) in effect, but visa barriers hinder the development of business relations, cultural exchange, and joint business projects. The experience of the Schengen Area, which abolished visas for Ukrainians back in 2017, as well as the results of Canada’s emergency shelter program CUAET (2022–2024), provided additional evidence for the necessity of these changes. The CUAET program demonstrated that Canada is capable of accommodating around 300,000 Ukrainians, to whom nearly one million visas have been issued.
“Visa-free short-term trips will support the rebuilding of Ukraine, strengthen bilateral trade, promote academic, sports, and cultural exchanges, and help reunite families”.
Furthermore, the authors of the resolution believe that simplifying the visa regime will contribute to the country’s recovery, establish new economic ties, and provide opportunities for family reunification and experience exchange in various fields.
It is worth noting that the adoption of the resolution at the convention serves as a political signal to the government, rather than an immediate change in legislation. Back in May 2016, a similar idea received support, but it did not progress to practical implementation. Now, in light of the rebuilding processes in Ukraine and the strengthening of economic cooperation between the countries, the chances of implementing electronic authorization have increased.
Additionally, it should be noted that obtaining documents for Ukrainians in Canada has already been simplified – a separate unit of the “Passport Service” operates in Toronto, assisting with the necessary paperwork.