Visitors from Mexico must have a valid visa to enter Canada. The following conditions apply

Of response to the high rise of Mexican nationals applying for asylum, Canada will as of Thursday night require tourists visiting the country to have a tourist visa.

According to the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Mexican nationals who possess a valid visa for entry into the United States or who have held a valid visa for Canada within the past ten years are not covered by this policy.

Mexican nationals with valid employment or study visas will also not be impacted by the ruling.

Reimposing the entrance visa for Mexican nationals, according to the Canadian government, «is an important step to preserve the mobility of hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens while ensuring» the smooth operation of the nation’s asylum and migration procedures.

From 260 in 2016, when the government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lifted the entrance visa requirement, to a record 23,995 claims in 2023, the number of Mexicans filing for refugee status has increased.

Meanwhile, 60% of those petitions were either dropped by the petitioners or turned down by Canadian officials.

Additional Travel Requirements for Mexicans Visiting Canada

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said that Mexico was informed that as of 10:30 p.m. today, February 29, Canada will increase travel requirements for Mexican persons.

«Electronic Travel Authorization Applications (ETA) must be accompanied by the existence of a valid U.S. visa or a Canadian visa within the last ten years. Mexican persons who do not comply with the above must apply for a Canadian visa,» it explained.

«In the conversations held, it was achieved that instead of the imposition of a general visa requirement, the ETA would be maintained with additional restrictions, which would cover 60 percent of Mexican people traveling to Canada, according to Canadian government estimates,» he mentioned.

The SRE said that Mexico regrets this decision and considers that there were other options before arriving at the application of this measure.

Fulfill these 3 requirements
Use a valid Mexican passport to fly to Canada or to transit through a Canadian airport to another destination.
Visit Canada for a short visit (usually for stays of up to 6 months).
Have held a Canadian visitor visa (temporary resident visa) within the last 10 years or currently hold a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa.

The SRE said that Mexico regrets this decision and considers that there were other options before arriving at the application of this measure.