• First Reference
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • 24th Annual Ontario Employment Law Conference 📣
  • Blog Signup 📨

First Reference Talks

Discussions on Human Resources, Employment Law, Payroll and Internal Controls

  • Home
  • About
  • Archives
  • Resources
  • Buy Policies
You are here: Home / Employee Relations / Government of Canada announces termination of the eTA leniency period

By Henry J. Chang, Dentons LLP | 2 Minutes Read September 21, 2016

Government of Canada announces termination of the eTA leniency period

Image: Government of Canada website
Image: Government of Canada website

Important note: Since this article was prepared, the Government of Canada has announced an extension of the eTA leniency period until November 9, 2016.

I previously reported that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”), formerly known as Citizenship and Immigration Canada, had published regulations implementing its Electronic Travel Authorization (“eTA”) program.  The eTA program requires visa-exempt persons who were entering Canada as temporary residents (i.e. visitors, students, workers) to register in advance for an eTA.  It is similar to the ESTA program implemented by United States Customs and Border Protection, which is required for foreign nationals entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.

The regulations initially required eTAs to be mandatory as of March 15, 2016. However, the new Liberal Government decided to delay the enforcement of the eTA requirement by implementing a “leniency period.”

At the time, the no fixed termination date was announced for the leniency period; the official notices merely stated that the leniency period would end sometime in the Fall of 2016. IRCC has now announced that the leniency period will end on September 29, 2016. After this date, visa exempt temporary residents will require an eTA if they intend to enter or re-enter Canada by air.

Temporary residents who obtained a study or work permit on or after August 1, 2015, were automatically issued an eTA at the time. No further action is required in such cases as long as the temporary resident travels to Canada using the same passport that they used to apply for their study or work permit. However, temporary residents who obtained a study or work permit on or before July 31, 2015, will need to apply for an eTA if they wish to enter or re-enter Canada by air.

Further information on the eTA program appears at the IRCC website.

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Follow me
Henry J. Chang, Dentons LLP
Corporate immigration lawyer at Dentons LLP
Henry J. Chang is a partner in the firm’s Employment and Labor Group. He currently practices in the areas of Canadian and United States business immigration law, international business law, and cannabis law.
Follow me
Latest posts by Henry J. Chang, Dentons LLP (see all)
  • Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, foreign nationals in Canada may receive interim employment authorization while their inland work permit applications are pending - May 22, 2020
  • An analysis of US travel restrictions along the Canada-US border and US-Mexico border due to the COVID-19 outbreak - April 16, 2020
  • Government of Canada announces mandatory self-quarantine of international travellers in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 - April 16, 2020

Article by Henry J. Chang, Dentons LLP / Employee Relations, Employment Standards, Immigration / Electronic Travel Authorization, employment law, entering Canada as temporary resident, eTA leniency period, eTA program, foreign nationals, regulations implementing Electronic Travel Authorization program, temporary residents

Share with a friend or colleague

Get the Latest Posts in your Inbox for Free!

Electronic monitoring

About Henry J. Chang, Dentons LLP

Henry J. Chang is a partner in the firm’s Employment and Labor Group. He currently practices in the areas of Canadian and United States business immigration law, international business law, and cannabis law.

Footer

About us

Established in 1995, First Reference is the leading publisher of up to date, practical and authoritative HR compliance and policy databases that are essential to ensure organizations meet their due diligence and duty of care requirements.

First Reference Talks

  • Home
  • About
  • Archives
  • Resources
  • Buy Policies

Main Menu

  • About First Reference
  • Resources
  • Contact us
  • 1 800 750 8175

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

We welcome your comments on our blog articles. However, we do not respond to specific legal questions in this space.
We do not provide any form of legal advice or legal opinion. Please consult a lawyer in your jurisdiction or try one of our products.


Copyright © 2009 - 2023 · First Reference Inc. · All Rights Reserved
Legal and Copyright Notices · Publisher's Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Policy