Canada Ends Automatic 10-Year Multiple-Entry Visas, Introduces Stricter Rules

Canada has introduced changes to its visitor visa policy, discontinuing the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas. According to new guidelines released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), “multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity are no longer considered to be the standard document.”

Previously, visitors could receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years, allowing for frequent travel in and out of Canada. Under the new policy, however, this will no longer be the default option. Instead, visa officers will now evaluate each applicant individually to determine whether they will receive a single-entry or multiple-entry visa, along with the validity period.

The IRCC specified that factors influencing visa decisions will include the applicant’s purpose of visit, financial stability, health conditions, and ties to their home country.

For multiple-entry visas, the validity period will also be assessed individually, with visa officers able to grant a period shorter than the previous maximum of 10 years. This decision will consider factors such as the temporary nature of the visit, the applicant’s status in their country of residence, changes in their ties to Canada, and any potential instability in the economic or political conditions of their home country.