As announced on September 28, 2006 by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Monte Solberg, after an analysis done by Canada, Estonian citizens no longer require a temporary resident visa to visit Canada. He said this was due to the fact that Canada has the largest community of Estonians outside of Estonia.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) regularly reviews the visa requirements placed on citizens from other countries who wish to visit Canada. These reviews, done on a country-by-country basis, weigh the risks and benefits of visa-free travel to Canada. Risks can include abuse of Canada's tradition of refugee protection, passport fraud or organized crime in the country under review. Some of the benefits to Canada include increased trade and tourism.

Visa requirements are Canada's first line of defense in maintaining the health and safety of Canadians and maintains the integrity of Canada's immigration and refugee programs.