tugrularas/irccfaq huggingface dataset:
Question: Why am I not receiving any emails from IRCC about my eTA application?
Answer: In most cases, applicants will receive their eTA approval (via email) within minutes of applying. However, some applications may need several days to process. 
If this happens to your application, you will receive an email within 72 hours of applying that tells you what your next steps are. This may include a request for:

additional information or documents, or
an in-person interview at the nearest Canadian visa office.

Once you receive this email, you can use the eTA Check Status tool to follow the progress of your application. To use the tool, you will need:

the application number which begins with the letter V that can be found at the top of the email, and
details from the passport you used to apply for your eTA.

If you have not received an email confirmation with an application number within 72 hours of applying, you will need to fill out this Web form. You will need to:

under “Type of application” select from the drop menu “Electronic Travel Authorization”, then “Case specific enquiries”.
provide as many details as possible. It can take us several days to answer your enquiry.


Note: Make sure to check your email junk mail folder. Some spam filters may block our emails. Check the folder regularly as emails may at times be moved from your inbox to the junk mail folder.
Question: What do I do if my application for an eTA is not approved right away?
Answer: While most eTAs are issued in minutes, some can take several days to  process. In such cases, more information is needed before the  application is approved. IRCC will contact you via email and advise you of the  next steps.
 Check the junk/spam mail folder of the email address you  provided on your eTA application form. Some spam filters may block automated  emails from IRCC.
The email from IRCC may include a request for:

additional information or documents, or
an in-person interview at the nearest Canadian visa office. 

If you have not received an email confirmation with an  application number within 72 hours of applying, you will need to fill out this Web form. To do so, you will need to:

provide some basic personal details, and 
Under “Type of application” select “Electronic Travel Authorization”, then “Case Specific Enquiries”.
Provide as many details as possible about the problem you encountered. It can take us several days to answer your inquiry.

If you apply for an eTA at an airport, and your eTA is  not approved in time for you to check-in for your flight, you will need to  reschedule your flight.
Question: I have been refused entry to Canada in the past. Does this mean that I will be refused an eTA?
Answer: A past refusal of entry to Canada, or a refusal of a document to travel to Canada, does not mean you will be refused an eTA.  Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. You are encouraged to apply regardless of a previous immigration decision.
Question: What type of information do I need to complete an eTA application?
Answer: You will need to provide the biographic information from your passport. This includes your name, date and place of birth, gender, marital status, address, nationality and passport number. You will also need to answer a few simple background questions to determine if you can come to Canada. For example, you will be asked about your current job and if you have any medical issues.
Question: Can I withdraw my eTA application?
Answer: Yes. To withdraw your application, you must use this Web form. You will need to provide:

the application number you received when you applied for your eTA,
your name, and 
the date and country of your birth. 

Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. In most cases, eTA applications will be approved within minutes of applying. Therefore, you may receive an approved eTA before your request to withdraw your application has been processed. If this is the case, you will continue to hold an approved eTA.
Question: Does having an eTA automatically mean that I am allowed to enter Canada?
Answer: No. An eTA will facilitate your entry into Canada. When you arrive at the border, a border services officer will ask to see your passport or travel documents and ask you a few questions. The officer will then decide if you can enter the country.
Question: Can more than one person, including dependents, be included in an eTA application?
Answer: No.  Each person must submit a separate eTA application. If your child or children appear on your passport, a separate eTA application must be submitted for each child.
Question: If my eTA is cancelled after I get one, can I travel?
Answer: An eTA can be cancelled in cases where information comes to light that you have become inadmissible to Canada. At that point, an immigration officer would cancel your eTA and let you know by email.
If your application was cancelled, you should not travel to Canada. If you decide to travel to Canada with a cancelled eTA, you will be prevented from boarding your flight to Canada.
We encourage you to reapply for an eTA only once you have addressed the reason(s) leading to the cancellation of your application.
Question: I will transit by air through Canada. Do I need an eTA?
Answer: Passengers transiting Canada will need an eTA or a visa, regardless of the length of time in Canada.
Travellers whose planes refuel in Canada going to and from the United States, as well as participants in the China Transit Program and Transit Without Visa Program, do not need to have an eTA or a visa to transit Canada.
Question: Can a business or agency organizing charter flights to Canada for tour groups get eTAs for their clients?
Answer: No, group applications are not possible. Travellers from eTA-required countries who fly to or transit through Canada, whether through regular airline or chartered group, are expected to have an eTA.
Question: Do travellers on chartered aircrafts need an eTA?
Answer: Yes. Travellers from eTA-required countries who fly to or transit through Canada, whether through regular airline or chartered group, are expected to have an eTA.
Question: Will the eTA application information be available in multiple languages?
Answer: No. However, information to help guide you through the online application will be available in several foreign languages.
Question: What happens if I get a new passport after I have received an eTA?
Answer: If you get a new passport, you will need to get a new eTA. Your eTA is electronically linked to your passport.
Question: I am a Canadian citizen. Do I need an eTA to enter Canada?
Answer: No. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply for an eTA to enter Canada.
You will need a valid Canadian passport to board your flight to Canada.
A valid Canadian passport is the only reliable and universally accepted travel document. It provides proof that you are a citizen and have the right to enter Canada without being subjected to immigration screening. Make sure that the expiry date of the passport is well beyond your planned return date.
Find out how to renew or apply for a Canadian passport.

Flying in a few days or at the airport without a Canadian passport?
You can apply for a special authorization that, if approved, will allow you to board your flight with your valid non-Canadian passport.
See Dual Canadian citizens need a Canadian passport.
For future travel, make sure to travel with a Canadian passport. Apply soon. It can take time to get a Canadian passport.
Question: If I have an immigration loan, how can I make my payments?
Answer: You can pay with:

credit card
electronic bill payment
  
Payee is “Citizenship and Immigration Canada Loans.”


pre-authorized debit
Question: My last payment does not appear on my immigration loan statement. Why is that?
Answer: Payments made during the month will appear on the next month’s  statement. It generally takes us seven to 14  business days to process payments.
Question: I no longer receive immigration loan statements. Why is that?
Answer: This may happen if you changed your address and you didn’t update your information with us. If you moved, you must contact IRCC-Finance within 10 days to give your new address.
If your address has not changed and you are no longer receiving statements, please contact IRCC-Finance.
Toll free: 1-800-667-7301
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm (Eastern Standard time)
Please have your loan documents on hand when you call.
Email: collection@cic.gc.ca
Question: Where do I find my PAYEE number on my immigration loan statement?
Answer: Your Payee number is on your immigration loan statement, at the top right corner, under Account Number. Your Payee number starts with 050 and has fourteen (14) digits.

In the image above, the red arrow points to the Payee number.
If you still have trouble finding the Payee number, contact CIC-Finance.
Question: What happens if I do not make my loan payments?
Answer: Most importantly, you should know that you will not be removed from Canada if you miss a loan payment.
If the situation continues, we can:

direct your case to a private collection agency
use your income tax refunds to repay your loan
take other legal measures

It is especially important to make your payments if you are planning on sponsoring a family member.
Because of this, if at any time, you are having difficulty repaying your loan, contact IRCC-Finance to discuss potential arrangements.
Question: Can I make a refugee claim from within Syria?
Answer: To make a refugee claim, you must be outside your home country. Refugee claims cannot be made at the Embassy of Canada.
Find out how you can make a refugee claim in Canada or how you can resettle to Canada from abroad.
Question: How can Canadians help in our response to the Syrian crisis?
Answer: Canada has a rich history of supporting those in need of protection and safety. This is a time for Canadians to come together as we open our hearts and communities to welcome refugees to their new home.
You can help make a difference in their lives in a number of different ways:

Volunteer with an organization that works with newcomers in your area
Work with thrift stores, food banks and charities
Donate funds locally or internationally
Sponsoring a refugee.

Visit How Canadians can help for more information.
Question: How do I find a refugee to sponsor?
Answer: There are two ways to achieve a match between a sponsoring group and a refugee.
Canadians can identify refugees in need of sponsorship through local family members, community groups, churches or ethno-cultural groups. Refugees in need may have been identified from an overseas contact, a friend, a relative of a member of the organization or elsewhere.
Refugees may also be identified in a three-way partnership among the Government of Canada, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and private sponsors. Under the Blended Visa Office-Referred Program (BVOR), we work to find a private sponsor to match with the refugee identified initially by the UNHCR.
The Government of Canada has expanded the BVOR program so that Sponsorship Agreement Holders, Groups of Five and Community Sponsors can all access Syrian refugee files currently in the inventory as part of this program.
Visit Sponsoring a refugee for more information.
Question: How do I find a SAH I can volunteer to work with or otherwise contribute to?
Answer: A list of the SAHs in Canada is updated regularly to reflect all groups/organizations which have signed sponsorship agreements with the Government of Canada.
Question: Does this means that Syrians and Iraqi from anywhere in the world can be resettled to Canada as refugees?
Answer: The refugees Canada will resettle will primarily come from those who are currently in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. However, there will also be some Syrians and Iraqis who will be resettled from outside the Middle East.
Question: I am a new permanent resident in Canada. Can I live somewhere other than the “city of destination” on my Confirmation of Permanent Residence?
Answer: Yes, you can. As a permanent resident, you have the right to live, work or study anywhere in Canada.
However, if you became a permanent resident through the Provincial Nominee Program, the province that nominated you has chosen you to bring skills to their province.
Question: I can't submit a new International Experience Canada profile because I already have one. What do I do?
Answer: Your next steps will depend on the reason why you are trying to create a new profile.
If you created a new account
You may have created a new account because you forgot your username or password. You can link your new account to your existing profile.
To link your new account to your profile, you must complete the following steps:

Go to the main page of your account
Scroll down to the heading “What would you like to do today?”
Click on the button “Link application to this account.”
Select “Temporary residence” as the category in the drop down menu.
Select “International Experience Canada” as the sub-category.
Follow the instructions to link to your IEC profile.

See also When trying to link my application to my online account, it says there are no matches. What's going on?
If you want to update your profile
If your situation has changed and you need to update your profile, you must withdraw your current profile. You can then submit a new profile with your updated information.
If you didn't create a profile
If someone else used your passport number to create an International Experience Canada profile, please contact us using this Web form.
Question: What is a visa-exempt foreign national?
Answer: A visa-exempt foreign national is a person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, and who does not normally need a visa to enter Canada.
Question: I am an American citizen. What do I need to enter Canada?
Answer: American citizens, including American-Canadian citizens, must carry proper identification and meet the basic requirements to enter Canada. You do not need a Canadian passport, a Canadian visa or an eTA to enter Canada if you are travelling with a valid U.S. passport.
Question: I am a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (green card holder) and my home country will not issue a passport to me. Can I apply for an eTA using a document other than a passport?
Answer: As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the eTA requirement.
If you’re a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
If you cannot get a passport from your home country because it doesn’t issue passports to permanent residents of other countries, for all methods of travel to Canada you must bring

one of the following:

your U.S. Refugee Travel Document (I-571) or
your Permit to Re-enter the United States (I-327)
and
a valid green card (or equivalent valid proof of status in the United States)

Complete list of acceptable status documents for lawful permanent residents of the U.S.
You need an official proof of status as a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., such as one of the following:

valid permanent resident card (Form I-551)
foreign passport with an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp (also known as an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication [ADIT] stamp)
foreign passport with a temporary I-551 printed notation (“Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year”) on a machine-readable immigrant visa upon endorsement with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection admission stamp
expired permanent resident card (Form I-551) with Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for pending Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence) or Form I-829 (Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status)
expired permanent resident card (Form I-551) with Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for pending Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card [green card])
valid re-entry permit (Form I-327)
Form I-94 with an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp (ADIT stamp) and a passport-style photo
Question: I am from a visa-exempt country and want to extend my work or study permit. Do I need to apply for an eTA?
Answer: If you’re from a visa-exempt country
No. As of May 1, 2017, eligible applicants are issued an eTA when we approve their study or work permits.
If you’re a lawful permanent resident of the United States
No. As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the U.S. no longer require an eTA to travel to Canada. These travellers must show these documents for all methods of travel to Canada:

a valid passport from their country of nationality (or an equivalent acceptable travel document) and
a valid green card (or equivalent valid proof of status in the United States)

Complete list of acceptable status documents for lawful permanent residents of the U.S.
You need an official proof of status as a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., such as one of the following:

valid permanent resident card (Form I-551)
foreign passport with an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp (also known as an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication [ADIT] stamp)
foreign passport with a temporary I-551 printed notation (“Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year”) on a machine-readable immigrant visa upon endorsement with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection admission stamp
expired permanent resident card (Form I-551) with Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for pending Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence) or Form I-829 (Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status)
expired permanent resident card (Form I-551) with Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for pending Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card [green card])
valid re-entry permit (Form I-327)
Form I-94 with an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp (ADIT stamp) and a passport-style photo
Question: Do VIPs, Heads of State or diplomats need an eTA to travel to Canada?
Answer: Yes, visa-exempt foreign nationals, including VIPs, Heads of State and diplomats, need an eTA.
Diplomats who are already accredited in Canada are exempt.
Question: Can diplomats who are not accredited in Canada, but accredited elsewhere, travel to Canada without an eTA?
Answer: No. All visa-exempt diplomats who have been accredited by a country other than Canada will need an eTA.
Diplomats who are accredited in Canada do not need an eTA.
Question: Can I apply for an eTA using a document other than a passport?
Answer: No. You can only apply for an eTA using a valid passport issued to you by your country of citizenship or nationality.
Find out if your document is a passport
Look at the front cover of the document. The word “passport” should appear on the cover.
Question: How do I withdraw or delete my International Experience Canada profile?
Answer: To remove your profile from a pool, withdraw your profile.
To withdraw your profile, follow these steps:

On the main page of your account, go to the “What would you like to do today?” section.
Scroll down to the “View my submitted applications or profiles” section.
Select the “International Experience Canada” row.
Click on the “Withdraw profile” button.
Under the “What would you like to do today?” heading below the “Warning!” text, click on the “Continue” button.

If you’ve started a profile but haven’t yet submitted it to a pool, you can delete it.
To delete your profile, follow these steps:

On the main page of your account, go to the “What would you like to do today?” section.
Scroll down to the “Continue my profile / application, not yet submitted” section.
Click on the “Delete profile” button.
Under the “What would you like to do today?” heading below the “Warning!” text, click on the “Continue” button.

If you have a work permit application in progress, you can’t delete or withdraw your profile.
If there’s a mistake in the information you provided in your profile, please follow these steps:

Contact us using the Web form.
Select “International Experience Canada” as the type of application.
Let us know that you’ve received an invitation to apply and that there is a mistake or problem with the information transferred from your profile.
Wait for further instructions.

It can take up to five days to respond to your request.
Question: Is there a file size limit for documents I upload to my account?
Answer: Yes. The file size limit varies depending on which online application account you use.

If your file is too big, there are ways to  reduce its size.





Online account type
File size limit (per file)




IRCC secure account
4 MB


IRCC Portal
2 MB


Online citizenship application
2 MB


Asylum portal
4 MB


Permanent Residence Portal
4 MB
Question: What file formats can I upload to my account?
Answer: The file formats you can upload depend on which online account you use.




Online account type
Accepted file types




IRCC secure account
.jpg, .png, .doc, .tiff, .pdf


IRCC Portal
.jpg, .png, .doc, .docx, .tiff, .pdf


Online citizenship application
.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff, .pdf


Asylum Portal
.jpg, .png, .tiff, .doc, .docx, .pdf


Permanent Residence Portal
.pdf (for application forms and supporting documents), .jpg, .jpeg, .doc, .docx, .png
Question: In an Express Entry profile, should I only include the minimum work experience needed to qualify for one of the programs, or should I include more?
Answer: To qualify for the broadest range of programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you should include work experience for the last 10 years. We also need this information for an application for permanent residence, no matter which program you are applying under.
Question: In an Express Entry profile, what do you mean by the “date the applicant first became qualified to practise this occupation?
Answer: If you’re listing a skilled trade as your primary occupation
It’s the date when you first became qualified to practise on your own in that trade. For example, the date you moved from apprentice to fully qualified tradesperson.
If you’re being assessed for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, work experience in a trade will only count if you’re qualified to independently practise in the region where you got your work experience.
If you’re listing any other primary occupation
It’s the date when you finished the minimum level of education needed for the occupation according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. If the NOC only states high school, it’s the date you graduated from high school.
Question: How do I fill out my Express Entry profile when I have maintained my status?
Answer: “Maintained status” means you can stay in Canada and, if eligible, keep working while we make a decision on your application.

If you’re in Canada with maintained status and are still authorized to work at the time you complete your Express Entry profile:

Answer “yes” to the question “Does [your name] have a valid work permit for the current job in Canada?”


If you’re in Canada with maintained status, you’re still authorized to work, and the original work permit was supported by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA):

Answer “yes” to the question “Was a positive LMIA issued for the current work permit?” 
Where it asks for the LMIA number, enter the number of the expired LMIA.



If (2) is true, for the question “Was a positive LMIA issued for the job offer in Canada?”
answer “no” if:

you’re still working for the employer named on the original work permit, and
you have a job offer from your current employer for at least 1 year

answer “yes” if:

you’re working for a different employer than the one named on the original work permit
you have a job offer from your new employer for at least 1 year and
your new employer has a positive LMIA