Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced today that Canada is taking action to make it “faster and easier” for Mexican visitors to enter the country. This will be done by making a pilot program, called CAN+, a permanent fixture of Canada’s immigration system.

The requirement for Mexican nationals to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) will remain in place. However, under the CAN+ program, Mexicans who have traveled to Canada or the United States within the last ten years will be eligible for expedited visa processing.

“Our government is opening the door to economic growth while protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system,” said Minister Alexander. “By making the CAN+ program permanent, our government is making it easier and faster for Mexican travellers to come to Canada to do business, visit family or friends, or bolster Canada’s tourism industry. This will further strengthen relations with our valued NAFTA partner and will help foster economic growth in both our countries.”

It is expected that the CAN+ program will speed up visa processing for 50 percent or more of Mexican travellers to Canada. Since the program was enacted, eligible visa applicants received visas in seven days or less, with an approval rate of 95 percent.

In addition to the CAN+ program, three ‘Express’ programs are offered to help certain Mexican visitors enter Canada faster. They are:

• Business Express, which expedites business travel from Mexico
• Travel Express, which offers expedited processing for tourists who use travel agencies that are registered with the Canadian embassy; and
• Mexican Student Pilot, which expedites study permits for Mexican students coming to Canada to study