Travel to Canada: check the status of your eTA application
All travel to Canada requires obtaining a travel authorization. If it is a long stay, you will have to apply for a visa.
For a stay of less than 6 months in Canada : You can carry out the formalities for entering Canada directly via the Internet by clicking on the online form. It is not necessary to obtain an appointment at the Canadian embassy or consulate.
We explain below how to check the status of your Travel Authorization after completing the online application.
eTA status: the online application stage
The eTA Electronic Travel Authorization, allows you to stay for 6 consecutive months in Canada. Unlike the Canadian visa, this travel authorization can only be obtained online. Its process of obtaining is relatively simple, it is necessary to follow the same procedure as for the request for an ESTA to travel to the United States, that is to say to fill out an online form.
The eTA form is accessible on many sites. You can choose to complete it on the official website of the Canadian government or submit your request via our partner site.
If you already have a Canada visa, a work permit or even a permanent resident card, know that you do not need to apply for an eTA.
Filling out the Canada eTA form
When completing the online form, you will need to provide the main information listed in your passport (name, date, place of birth, gender, address, nationality, passport number, etc.). After filling in your marital status, a short questionnaire will appear. You will then have to answer various questions related to your health, your current job and your legal history.
The last step to validate your eTA file is the online payment. For this formality, simply bring your credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) and fill in your bank details.
The different eTA application statuses
Once you have paid the EVP fee, you should receive an email from the Canadian government informing you that your application has been received and your file is being reviewed.
The answers entered in the online form are analyzed by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). This government body will therefore study each eTA request to ensure that each national does not represent any danger to the internal security of the country. At the end of this analysis, your eTA request can have three statuses: “request authorised”, “request pending” or “request refused”.
Status: Canada eTA pending
The majority of requests lead to an approval of the eTA request within minutes of sending the file. Nevertheless, it may happen that the request requires longer delays. If the status of your eTA application is pending, you will receive an email from the IRCC within hours or days. You may be asked, for example, to provide certain supporting documents or additional information.
It is possible to follow the progress of the eTA application thanks to the verification tool made available by the Government of Canada. To do this, you need:
- your AVE application number communicated by email;
- certain information of the passport with which you made the request (country of issue, passport number, date of issue and date of expiry).
Note that this tool is also useful if you already have a temporary travel authorization but want to find your eTA to consult your file.
Status: Canada eTA approved
When your Canada eTA application receives the “approved” status, you will receive your eTA number by email along with the expiry date and the passport number associated with the travel authorization.
In possession of the eTA, you are able to go to Canada and stay less than six months in maple country. The validity period of the eTA is 5 years, i.e. you can visit Canada as many times as you wish during this period, as long as you respect the maximum duration of stay (6 months maximum) and that you have a valid passport.
Please note that having an “approved” Canada eTA status does not necessarily mean that you are authorized to enter Canadian territory, it only authorizes you to leave Canada by air. When you arrive at the border, you will be checked by a border services officer, the only person authorized to confirm your entry into Canada.
Status: Canada eTA refused
It is rare for the Canadian state to reject applications for temporary residence permits. If after checking the status of your Canada eTA, you find that your application has been rejected, first check that this is not due to a careless error made when completing the online form. As most of the information is not changeable after submitting the request, you will need to re-apply online and repay the necessary fees.
In order to put the odds on your side to obtain “approved” eTA status and travel to Canada with peace of mind, we suggest that you apply via our partner site. Its teams of professionals will take care of checking your file in all respects and correcting errors and omissions if necessary.
If no error appears, it is likely that you do not meet one of the eTA eligibility requirements . As a reminder, here are the various points that must be respected in order to benefit from “approved” AVE status:
- have the nationality of a country eligible for the visa waiver (French nationals are eligible);
- travel to Canada as part of a tourist stay or a business trip;
- not stay longer than six months;
- have a valid biometric or electronic passport.
As you will have understood, if you want to study in Canada, do an internship or work there, the AVE cannot apply to you. You will then have to go to the Canadian Embassy and apply for a visa or PVT ( this process is also possible at the consulate).