New Canadian Visa Requirements

Beginning on July 14, 2009, Czech and Mexican nationals require a passport visa to travel to Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced For the first 48 hours, such citizens may apply for entry on arrival in Canada. After 11:59 p.m. EDT July 15, 2009, a visa will be required. In the cases of both countries, citizens had previously been able to seek admission to Canada at a port of entry without first obtaining a visa.

Continuing to mount a strong defensive about imposing visa restrictions on visitors from the Czech Republic and Mexico, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says the reality is the system is being abused. Kenney says Ottawa doesn't enjoy pulling the visa exemption but its based on the number of asylum claimants - which are high from both countries.

Mexico's government on Thursday said it would require visas of Canadian diplomats in retaliation for the Harper government's announcement earlier this week that Mexican visitors to Canada will immediately need visas to enter the country. Mexican foreign secretary Patricia Espinosa made the announcement after meeting Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.
Espinosa said Mexico would not require visas of Canadian tourists.

Canadian Immigration Officials Consider Czech Visa Reinstatement

Citizenship and Immigration Canada recently removed the passport visa requirement for Czech nationals visiting Canada. This meant that such individuals became eligible to seek admission at a Canadian port of entry without first seeking a passport visa at a Canadian visa office. This expedited the ability of tourists and business persons to travel to Canada.

A recent wave of refugee claimants from the Czech Republic, number approximately 100 in the past few months, has caused Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to reconsider this move, however. The claimants, mainly of the Roma ethnicity, are generally considered by Human Rights agencies to be discriminated against by the Czech population. In 1997, as similar wave of refugee claims derived from the Czech Roma, which at that time caused a 10 year reinstatement of the passport visa requirement.