Canada excludes Nigeria, the world’s most populous black country while adding two African countries to its list of visa-free travel destinations.
The Canadian government recently announced visa-free travel for visitors from 13 countries across Asia, Africa, Central, and South America.
The Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, confirmed this development in a statement on Tuesday. The countries included in the visa-free travel program are Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts-Nevis, Panama, Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Morocco, Seychelles, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Notably, Morocco from North Africa and Seychelles from East Africa were added to the list, while Nigeria, the most populous African nation, did not make the cut.
The expansion of the electronic travel authorization (eTA) program aims to facilitate travel for “known travellers” from these countries for both tourism and business purposes. This move is expected to enhance convenience for travellers, increase travel and tourism, foster economic benefits, and strengthen global connections with these 13 countries.
The visa exemptions offered to known travellers will result in significant cost savings compared to the current visitor visa fees. While a visitor visa costs $100 per person or $500 for a family of five or more, an eTA costs only seven dollars per person and remains valid for up to five years.
The introduction of visa-free air travel is aimed at making it faster, easier, and more affordable for thousands of travellers to visit Canada for a duration of up to six months, whether for business or leisure purposes.
