Air Passenger Checks In 2016
www.blacklocks.ca, Kaven Baker-Voakes
More than 7 in 10 foreign visitors arriving in Canada by air will be subject to mandatory federal background checks under regulations to take effect in a year, excluding U.S. citizens. The rule applies to visitors from countries who don’t already require a Canadian visa including French and Germans.
“We are happy to see it,” said Daniel-Robert Gooch, president of the Canadian Airports Council. “We want to make sure information about this is in the marketplace for travelers who are going to be affected.”
The rule would impact 74 percent of non-visa travellers arriving at Canadian airports, not including American citizens, by official estimate. Amendments to the Immigration & Refugee Protection Regulations also exempt members of the Royal Family, and flight crews.
Under amendments, foreign air passengers must pay $7 for an electronic visa, valid for five years, requiring that they submit personal data including their birth date, passport number, email address and other information. The Department of Citizenship said the background checks are “similar to what is currently collected when they arrive in Canada.”
The department said it intercepted 7,055 non-visa travellers in 2013 who were denied entry to Canada on their arrival. “Reasons for refusal can include membership in terrorist organizations; espionage; participation in war crimes or crimes against humanity; international human rights violations; membership in organized crime groups; criminality; or issues endangering public health such as tuberculosis,” the department said in a regulatory notice.
Gooch said the electronic checks should not be prohibitive. “It is pretty simple,” he said. “It can be done via the internet; we are fairly confident it won’t be difficult”; “We see the electronic authorization as something between a visa, and nothing at all.”
The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies has expressed worry the requirement on foreign visitors would result in retaliatory rules on Canadians flying abroad. A 2009 introduction of visas for Czech nationals resulted in new visa rules on Canadians travelling to that country.
“There is always that concern,” Heather Craig-Peddie, director of operations, earlier said in an interview. “We hope that’s not the action that will be taken.”
Countries impacted by the mandatory checks effective March 15, 2016 are Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, British nationals from overseas territories including Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, St. Helena, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and passport holders from the Holy See.