St Kitts and Nevis: The Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada – Sean Fraser, has recently made an announcement that the qualifying residents from St Kitts and Nevis are now eligible and can fly to Canada visa-free. he stated that the people with valid US non-immigrant visas or Canadian visa from the past ten years are eligible for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
The High Commission of Canada has recently issued a letter to Barbados which noted that the members of CARICOM (The Caribbean Community and Common Market), along with fellow countries of St Kitts and Nevis, are an integral part of Canada.
It has been reported that the nations and their people share deep, longstanding bonds and mutual ties. As a nation and partner, Canada has recognized the significance of simplifying and expanding travel between both countries.
As per the reports, along with the twin-island federation of St Kitts and Nevis, a total of twelve (12) other Caribbean nations are now eligible to enjoy the benefits and similar luxury of travelling to Canada through visa-free access. The countries also consist of four sister islands.
The reports further stated that the announcement was made public on June 6, 2023 (Tuesday), during the visit of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, Sean Fraser, to Winnipeg, Canada.
During his address, he also mentioned that the newly imposed regulations would allow eligible people would no longer need to hold Temporary Residence Vias (TRV) from thirteen countries while travelling to Canada by Air.
Furthermore, it was also made clear despite everything; the traveller must have held a valid non-immigrant visa from the United States of America or a Canadian Visa for the last ten years. In his remarks, the minister also outlined that the newly made amendment is anticipated to take off a significant amount of burden on the immigration office of Canada.
The minister stated that the pretravel screening process would also be facilitated and become easier with this step. The minister added that this step would serve the people more efficiently as the process would become much smoother and less hectic for the travellers.
St Kitts and Nevis have been added to the list of visa-free accessible countries to Canada following the announcement. The officials have listed the lands added to the visa-free access list to Canada, which are mentioned below.
Caribbean Nations
Antigua and Barbuda
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and The Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
The other eight nations on this list are.
Philippines
Morocco
Panama
Argentina
Costa Rica
Uruguay
Seychelles
Thailand
The people from the nations mentioned above will no longer require a Visitor Visa or Temporary Residence Visa (TRV) to travel to Canada following the upliftment of visa restrictions. Travellers from the mentioned countries can now live in Canada for up to six (6) months for leisure and business purposes.
Meanwhile, after the news got public, the nation as a whole and the people of St Kitts and Nevis expressed their joy. They welcomed the decision with open arms, as the new regulations would provide them with a chance to travel to Canada without any major challenges. People can travel for various purposes for short time durations as well, which gives them the luxury to plan their visits according to their goals.
On his part, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, has expressed his happiness regarding the made announcement and welcomed the decision with pride and honour.
In his remarks, he stated that both nations have been conducting meaningful dialogue over a number of matters; the visa requirement imposed on St Kitts and Nevis has been lifted partially, facilitating the Kittians and Nevisians to travel easily between both nations.
On his part, the decision made by the Canadian government has also been lauded by the Premier of Nevis. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Denzil Douglas, along with the St Kitts and Nevis government. The visa-free access to Canada has opened doors for the Caribbean country and will benefit a variety of fields, including the business community, to expand their network.
