Dominica Exempted From List of 13 Countries That Travel to Canada without Visas

The government of Canada has exempted Dominica from the list of countries that could visit the country without visas. While a list of 13 countries was recently added to the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) programme – meaning their citizens are exempt from obtaining visas – Dominica has not been included in the countries whose citizens are excluded from obtaining Canadian visas.

According to the Canadian government, “If you are a full citizen of Dominica living in your country, you are required to apply for a Canadian visa to be granted access. This is because Dominica is not part of the visa-exempted nations, whose citizens need to apply for Electronic Travel Authorization only.”

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, listed the newly added 13 countries as:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Costa Rica
• Morocco
• Panama
• Philippines
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Seychelles
• Thailand
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Uruguay

Why Dominica is exempted from the list of eligible countries is not known yet, but the Canadian government revealed that making it possible for people to visit Canada without visas will grow the country’s economy, boost tourism, enhance international trades, and strengthen Canada’s bilateral relations with eligible countries.

Citizens from the ETA programme that travel to Canada without visas are eligible to stay for only six months. Dominicans with valid Canadian visas can still visit the country without hassles, while those who wish to obtain new visas must visit the Canadian High Commission in Trinidad. They must present their valid Dominican passport, passport-sized photos, and pay the necessary application fee.

Applications are usually processed within 10 days.

Meanwhile, thousands of Dominicans expressed shocks over the exclusion from the visa-free access to Canada slammed on Dominica. People speculate on social media that Canada may have excluded Dominica due to the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme which drew controversy from the United States last year.

Others think the exclusion may be due to the fact that people buying Dominican passports or citizenships through the CBI initiative are not well-vetted with adequate background checks done. And some people simply blame the Skerrit-led administration for creating a distrust of Dominica in the international community.

One online commenter revealed the supposed consequences of the exclusion. According to him, “this has wider consequences [and it will affect] our faltering economy. It reduces the value of our passport, making it less attractive for prospective citizenship candidates. [And] it makes it more likely that European Schengen countries and the UK may reconsider their position and join Canada in their visa decision,” making Dominicans appear like second-class people anywhere.

It must however be pointed out that St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia among others run CBI programmes that also draw controversies like that of Dominica, but they are listed in the countries that could travel to Canada without visas. And Jamaica and Guyana which do not run passport programmes are favoured to visit Canada visa-free – meaning that CBI may have little to do with Canada’s decision to exclude Dominica – for now.

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