eTa Canada Comprehensive Guide

No. The eTA is only required when you arrive in Canada by air — flying to a Canadian airport from anywhere in the world. If you cross from the US by car, bus, train, or boat (including the ferry from Seattle to Victoria), you do not need an eTA. Your passport, plus any required visa for the United States, is enough at the Canadian land border. This is one of the most common misunderstandings — the eTA is air-arrival only.

No. US citizens are exempt from the eTA. Travel to Canada with just a valid US passport (or NEXUS card for trusted-traveler arrivals). US lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders) are also exempt — they need a valid Green Card and a passport from any country. Both can fly or drive into Canada with the same documents.

Most eTA applications are approved automatically within minutes after submission. A small percentage (around 5%) are referred for manual review by IRCC and answered within 72 hours; in rare cases (criminal-record clearance, additional documents) it can extend to 14 days. We recommend applying at least 1 week before departure to absorb any unexpected delay.

An approved eTA is valid for 5 years from the date of issue or until your passport expires — whichever comes first. This is the longest validity of any visa-exempt travel permit in the world. During those 5 years, you can fly to Canada any number of times, with each visit limited to a maximum of 6 months.

No. The eTA strictly prohibits paid employment by a Canadian company, paid freelance work for Canadian clients, journalism for hire, paid speaking engagements, paid sports, performing for compensation, paid academic enrolment, and any work paid in CAD by a Canadian source. You can attend business meetings, conferences, negotiate contracts, do paid speaking events for non-Canadian audiences, and provide short consulting paid by your foreign employer. For paid Canadian work, you need a Work Permit (LMIA-based, IMP, or open).

The official Canadian government fee is C$7 per applicant (approximately $5 USD depending on the exchange rate). Evisa Rocket adds a $20 service fee that covers form pre-validation, eligibility check, multi-language support, and 24/7 chat assistance, bringing the total to approximately $27 USD per traveler. Children, infants and seniors all pay the same fee.

If your eTA is refused, you cannot enter Canada under the eTA scheme for that trip. You must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) at a Canadian Visa Application Centre — paperwork-heavier, biometric appointment required, and a fee of approximately $100 CAD. Common refusal reasons include: prior Canadian refusals, prior US visa refusals, undisclosed criminal records (DUI/DWI is particularly serious in Canadian eligibility), past immigration violations. We help diagnose the cause and re-apply or pivot to a TRV if needed.

You can apply for a Visitor Record from inside Canada to extend your authorized stay — submitted at least 30 days before your current 6-month admission expires. The extension is granted at IRCC's discretion based on your circumstances (medical reasons, family emergency, completing a course of study). The fee is C$100 CAD. If your extension is refused, you must leave Canada immediately. Repeatedly applying for extensions can be flagged as 'living in Canada' and result in refused re-entry.

Yes. Every air traveler — including newborns, infants, toddlers, and minors — must have their own valid eTA linked to their own passport. The fee is the same as for adults. Family group payments are accepted: pay once, all family members are issued. Children traveling without both parents should also carry a notarized authorization letter from the absent parent.

You must apply for a new eTA. The eTA is digitally linked to a specific passport number — when that passport is replaced, lost, stolen, or expires, the old eTA becomes invalid and a fresh application is required. The fee is the same as for a first-time application. We send a free reminder 60 days before your eTA or your passport expires so you don't get caught at check-in.

No. The Canada eTA must be approved before you board your flight — airlines verify it digitally at check-in and will deny boarding if the eTA is missing or invalid. There is no on-arrival service at any Canadian airport for the eTA. Apply at least 1 week before departure, ideally as soon as you book your flight.

No — the eTA is a travel authorization, not a visa. It does not get stamped in your passport, it does not require an embassy interview, and it has narrower limits than a Temporary Resident Visa (eTA covers 6-month visits only, no work, no degree study). The TRV is the regular Canadian visitor visa for nationalities not on the eTA list. The eTA is faster ($27 vs $100 CAD), lighter on paperwork, and entirely online — but more limited in scope.

Yes — and it's required if you're a visa-exempt national transiting through Canada by air, even if you don't leave the airport. Two exceptions exist for Chinese nationals: the China Transit Programme at YVR allows certain transits without eTA or visa, and the Transit Without Visa programme covers specific eligible flights. For most travelers, plan for the eTA — it covers any transit at any Canadian airport.