The Canadian government announced a reduction in asylum applications from citizens in Mexico who wish to move to Canada, and the government announced the opening of 3 new visa application centers in Mexico.
The Canadian government indicated in its official statement today that the new centers being opened in the near future will make it easier for visa applicants to enter Canada in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Guadalajara, Jalisco. Canada will also open a second visa application center in Mexico City.
New visa application centers located in Mexico's three largest regions
The Canadian government explained that Mexican citizens are currently scheduled to have four centers to submit applications for visas to enter Canada, and these centers are located in the three largest urban areas in Mexico.
These new centers are expected to contribute to making it easier for Mexican citizens to be able to provide biometric data to come to Canada if necessary, and to support travel and people-to-people relations between the two countries, while also maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.”
It should also be noted that previously, Mexicans wishing to obtain ETA visas only required an “Electronic Travel Authorization” to enter Canada.
Entering Canada by air using an electronic travel authorization
According to updated procedures from the Canadian government, people who hold a valid US visa or who have obtained a Canadian visa in the past ten years can enter the country by air using an electronic travel authorization.
This new decision comes from the Canadian government due to the increasing number of asylum requests to Canada from Mexican citizens.
The processing time for Canada visas is only 40 days
According to the report issued by the Canadian government, the processing time for entry visas at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico is now only 40 days, compared to the previous time, when the electronic travel authorization required a longer process.
Subjecting to biometric data collection is a prerequisite for obtaining a Canadian visa
Under the new Canada visa regulations, citizens of Mexico must undergo biometric data collection - an additional step that increases the overall waiting time.
This data is collected through Canadian visa application centers in Mexico, and currently these centers are managed by private companies that have contracts with the Canadian government.
Canadian visa application fee for Mexican citizens
The Canadian government indicated that the Canadian visa application fee currently amounts to 100 Canadian dollars, which amounts to about 73 US dollars.
An additional fee is added to the previous fees, amounting to 85 Canadian dollars, which amounts to about 62 American countries, in order to collect biometric data.
