Do you want to know if you need a visa for Canada from Australia? Find out the answer and the procedure to follow here.
If you are an Australian resident and are planning to travel to Canada in the near future, you will need to prepare for your trip administratively by completing a number of steps to obtain the necessary travel documents. Amongst the essential documents for Australian travellers to Canada, there is of course the visa or eTA in its electronic form. This is a compulsory document that you will need to present both when boarding your flight to Canada and at border control. On this page, we will explain how to apply for a visa to Canada from Australia.
First of all, unlike other nationalities, Australian nationals are not required to obtain a visa to travel to Canada, but must have a valid travel authorization to enter the country.
Indeed, in recent years, it has become necessary for Australian travellers to Canada to obtain an electronic travel authorisation, or eTA online, prior to travel.
As we will see, one of the main advantages of this eTA application is that it is 100% online and does not require a trip to the Canadian Consulate or Embassy in Australia. The process takes only a few minutes and requires little information and no supporting documents.
There are several standard visa types for Australian travellers to Canada:
There are also other types of visas, such as transit visas, skilled worker visas and humanitarian protection visas. For more information on the different types of visas and eligibility criteria, you can visit the Canadian Embassy in Australia website or the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. These visas can be obtained through a procedure linked to the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in Australia.
But if the procedure to obtain a classic visa among the visas we have just mentioned is generally long and restrictive, there is fortunately another way to have the possibility to stay legally in Canada without having to go through it. The Canadian government, in agreement with the Australian government and other countries, has indeed set up a new simplified and 100% electronic procedure, allowing you to travel to Canada from Australia without a visa. This is the eTA procedure.
The eTA Canada (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is an electronic document that allows Australian travellers to travel to Canada without the need for a physical visa. To obtain this authorisation, travellers must complete an online application and provide personal and travel information, as well as pay a service fee. Once approved, the eTA Canada is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. Australian travellers must have a valid passport and be able to provide evidence of their intention to return to Australia at the end of their trip to Canada. The eTA Canada Authorisation is a convenient and quick way to travel to Canada without having to go through the physical visa application process.
To apply for a Canada visa if you are an Australian citizen, you will simply need to go to the official website or to the website of a provider like the one we recommend on this page.
There you will be presented with a simple online application form which you will need to complete in a few minutes. Among the information to be filled in this form, you will of course find your passport data as well as your personal data, your contact details and a valid email address. You will also be asked several questions to ensure that you are in good health and have no criminal history.
Once you have completed the form, you will have the opportunity to check all your answers to the questions asked before proceeding to the payment stage. It will be necessary to pay the processing and transfer fees for your eTA visa application for Canada by credit card or other electronic payment method.
It is only after the payment of these fees that the processing of your eTA application will begin. Once validated, your eTA for Canada will be sent to you directly by e-mail. You will then have nothing more to do. You will not need to print this travel authorization either, as it will be electronically linked to your passport number.
As we have just seen, Australian citizens wishing to travel to Canada are required to obtain an eTA beforehand. However, in order to benefit from this simplified online application procedure, it is necessary to meet certain conditions, which are detailed below.
Australian citizens who obtain an eTA for Canada have the possibility to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 consecutive days.
It is also important to mention that the departure date of the Australian citizen in Canada must be within 90 days of arrival. To stay longer in Canada you will need to apply for a specific and appropriate visa, also referring to the embassy's instructions.
It should also be noted that once obtained, the eTA will be valid for a period of 5 years. This means that during this period, you can make as many trips to Canada as you wish, respecting the guidelines mentioned above.
If you apply for an eTA for Canada from Australia through a quality service provider, you can expect to receive your eTA in an average of one to three working days. Once obtained, your eTA will simply be emailed to the address you provided in the application form.
No. Since 2016 and thanks to the implementation of the electronic application procedure for travel authorization for Canada eTA, you no longer need to go to the Canadian embassy or consulate in your country of residence to obtain the necessary residence authorization. The procedure is entirely online and the residence permit is sent by email.
In addition to an eTA for Canada, Australian residents wishing to travel to Canada must also have a valid passport with them. As Canada is not part of the European Union, it will not be possible to travel to Canada with just an ID card.
