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13th September 2012
Canada Visa Restrictions Imposed on St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland
September 11, 2012 Visa To. com

Canadian Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney has announced that nationals of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent), Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland must obtain a valid visa before commencing their travel to Canada effective from 12:01 Eastern Day Time on September 11, 2012.

Minister Kenney said, “We continue to welcome genuine visitors to Canada. However, these visa requirements will give us a greater ability to manage the flow of people into Canada.”

The minister explained that the visa requirements have been imposed on the citizens of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent), Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland due to the fact that criminals from these countries could easily enter Canada without any check by obtaining travel documents with new names. Furthermore, human trafficking and bogus documentation from some of these countries also lead to imposition of visa restrictions.

“These requirements will better protect the safety of Canadians by preventing foreign criminals from coming to Canada in the first place,” Mr. Kenney added.

Applicants from St. Lucia and St. Vincent can now submit their applications by mail or in person to the Canadian visa office in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
 
 

Applications will be accepted by the visa office in Pretoria, South Africa, for those from Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland.

Immigration minister Kenney said that the Canadian government is determined to keep the Canadian borders safe to protect Canadians. He said, “The Government of Canada remains committed to preserving the security of our borders and immigration system, and to protecting the safety of Canadians.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has recently introduced new legislation such as Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, and those proposed in Bill C-43, the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act in a bid to strengthen the Canadian immigration and asylum system.

During the first 48 hours, or until 11:59 a.m, September 12, all those nationals of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and St. Vincent, Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland who have already embarked on a journey to Canada at the time of implementation of these new visa regulations will be able to receive Temporary Resident Permit once they arrive in Canada provided that they are not inadmissible.

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