Some 40,000 Romanians visited Canada after visas were lifted

Nearly 40,000 Romanians have requested electronic travel permits to visit Canada, from December 1, 2017, when Canada abolished the visa regime for Romanians, until the end of 2018.

About 4% of the applicants were, however, rejected by the Canadian authorities, including some with serious criminal records, according to official data published by local Profit.ro.

Starting December 1, 2017, Romanians can travel to Canada without visas for stays of up to 6 months. People intending to enter / transit Canada via air must however obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) beforehand. Romanians intending to enter Canada by land (road / rail) or sea (on board a boat, including a cruise ship) must have only a valid passport without the need for an eTA.

In February 2018, shortly after the visa was lifted, the Canadian press reported a significant increase in asylum requests in Canada, leading to the organization of a meeting between the federal government and Romanian diplomats in Ottawa. Officials from the Canadian Ministry of Immigration indicated then that 232 Romanians had submitted asylum requests in Canada since the visa requirement was lifted, compared to the year 2016 when only 120 Romanians requested asylum.

Starting June 2018, Air Canada introduced direct flights from Bucharest to Toronto and Montreal.

(Photo source: Pixabay.com)