Rabat – Over 25,000 Moroccan nationals have been granted permission to enter Canada under the terms of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program.
Since the ETA program went into action in June 2023, more than 25,000 Moroccan nationals have been able to visit Canada, according to an announcement made on Thursday by Isabelle Valois, Canada’s ambassador to Morocco.
“I’m proud to announce that since adding Morocco to Canada’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program on 6/6/2023, we’ve already issued +25,000 ETAs to Moroccan nationals,” Valois tweeted, applauding the program’s success.
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, released the updated list of countries eligible for the ETA program on June 6 of last year.
In addition to Morocco, the list of countries includes Panama, the Caribbean island states of Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Argentina, Seychelles, Thailand, and the Philippines.
In order to take advantage of the program, travelers must fulfill requirements set by the Canadian government back in June. These include possessing a valid US non-immigrant visa or a Canadian visa issued within the previous ten years.
According to the Ministry of Immigration, thousands of business and leisure travelers will be able to visit Canada easily and cost-effectively thanks to the country’s new visa-free air travel policy, which is intended for stays of up to six months.
The Canadian government stated in a press release last year that this program aims to encourage the North American country’s economic expansion through travel and foreign trade.
Those who are not qualified for an ETA or who enter Canada by means other than air still need a visitor’s visa.
Read also: Moroccans Spent Nearly €34 Million on Schengen Visa Applications in 2022
