Ottawa to expedite business visitor visas

In a new report released 31 October, Canada’s federal government promises priority visa processing for international business visitors attending major conferences and events in Canada. The report, An Immigration System for Canada’s Future – A plan to get us there, includes the following action: “As of 6 June, 2023, 13 more countries have been added to a partial visa exempt countries list. Now, travellers from 67 countries can apply for an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) instead of a visa with most eTA applications approved within minutes. “We are also committed to ensuring priority visa processing so those from all over the world attending major conferences and events in Canada that are registered with IRCC, make it there on time.” This represents a significant win for the business events industry. Representatives of Meetings Mean Business Canada, Tourism Industry Association of Canada, partner associations and members of the business events community have worked hard to advise Parliamentarians and other federal decision makers about this important issue.