Learn more about Canadian visitor visa, tourist visa, visa-free entry, and eTA

According to the visa waiver agreement between Korea and Canada, you can leave Korea without a visa for up to six months without prior visa application.

However, you need to pay $7 for an electronic travel permit called eTA and apply online through the Immigration Canada website, which is a very simple procedure different from visa application.

By the way, although you can leave Korea without a visa, you must go through the procedures for a visitor visa when entering Canada, so it is wrong to think that 'Koreans can visit Canada for 6 months without any restrictions'.

Immigration inspection at the airport when entering Canada is the process of reviewing, approving, and providing a Canadian visitor visa (tourist visa). At this time, the immigration inspector may decide to deny entry in severe cases through his intuitive judgment and discretion based on the eTA he has already applied for and the contents of the interview with the entrant.

Even if it is not a denial of entry, if the purpose of entry is suspected, entry is allowed, but a stamp and a date are written to tell you to leave the country again within a week. Also, there are many cases where a period of 3 or 4 months is specified instead of 6 months.

Therefore, understanding that 'Koreans can stay in Canada for 6 months without a visa' is a perception that can make a big mistake.

Representative cases in which there is a possibility of not obtaining a 6-month residence permit upon entering Canada are the following cases:

- In the event that the purpose of tourism or travel is not presented, such as a statement proving the plan or reservation documents

- In the case of a visit to a relative or family member but unable to accurately provide address, relationship, contact information, etc.

- If you do not have a reservation for a flight departing from Canada again

- If you say you are studying ESL but cannot present a letter of admission or tuition receipt for study within 6 months

- If you are unable to clearly say NO to the question of whether you are looking for a job or plan to work

- If documents or items related to employment are found as a result of baggage, cell phone, or laptop inspection

- If there is a record of visa refusal, etc.



Of course, if any of the above cases were caused by a communication error, you can ask for an interpreter to correct it, but since this is also a process that undergoes a more rigorous investigation, the decision on the length of stay may result in less than six months.

In addition, if you go through a detailed examination with doubts about the purpose of entry, it may lead to unexpected questions and investigations on laptops and mobile phones, which can become a bigger problem.

Therefore, you should not be complacent in understanding the Canadian tourist visa and visitor visa as a ‘100% 6-month visa-free entry system’.