Canada reveals new rules for checking inbound visitors, visas

Canada's immigration department has revealed a multi-layered screening system for visitors entering the country, confirming over 40 national policies are used to assess visa requirements despite a surge in global applications. The strategy employs a risk-based approach to ensure border integrity as visitor applications are expected to exceed 5.8 million in 2026.

The Canadian Visa Policy Framework relies on 40-plus criteria, focusing on safety, security, document integrity, economic ties, migration trends, and more. These national policy factors determine whether foreign citizens need a visa or can travel visa-exempt, but they do not act as a checklist for evaluating individual applicants.

Upon arriving, travel register checks are handled case-by-case. Immigration officers assess applicant intent, financial capacity, and conduct health, criminal, and security evaluations. High-risk files may be referred to the Canada Border Services Agency or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

To manage the influx of applications, IRCC has deployed macro-level tools like the Global Risk Framework, which monitors global migration trends, and biometric enrolment, processing nearly 3.5 million biometric records annually across 166 Visa Application Centres. IRCC aims to facilitate legitimate travel while combating misuse to protect the national economy.