How Much Time Does It Take to Apply for Canada ETA?
When we try to make a trip plan in Canada, there are a whole host of factors we need to consider, like itinerary reservations, medical needs, and, of course, the destinations we wish to visit. However, the most impactful aspect of any trip plan in Canada is time needed for acquiring the eTA from the Canadian government to travel legally within the country.
This is why planning your trip to Canada in advance is necessary in order to avoid complications that may arise in the future. But in order to judge how early you should start planning for your trip to Canada, you need to know how much time it takes to apply for Canada eTA.
There are many factors that affect the time needed to apply for a Canada eTA. So, keep reading to learn the many factors that affect the time required to apply for a Canada eTA.
How Much Time Does it Take to Fill the Application Form for Canada ETA?
Your ability to answer the questions on the application form is one of the major factors that determine how much time it takes for you to get your Canada eTA from the Canadian government. The Canadian eTA application form can be divided into 6 parts based on the type of questions it asks.
Each part will ask a different series of questions and your ability to answer all of them will determine how quickly you submit your eTA application for scrutiny.
Questions Related to Identification
The first part of the application form will ask basic information about your identity like name, place of birth, citizenship, etc. This part should not take you more than 5 minutes to complete which depends on how fast you can type the answers.
Your Employment Details
Next after your basic identification details, the application will ask you to provide your employment details. This part will include a pre-determined list of occupations and job titles from which the prospective applicant needs to choose their occupation and job title.
After this, they are required to provide the name and address of their employer, company, or in case of a student, the details of their school or university. This section will not take you more than a couple of seconds to finish.
Details of Your Valid Passport
After asking for your employment details, the application form will ask questions about your valid passport. This part can also be filled in very quickly if you have your passport with you; however, if you need to find your passport first, then this step will take more time to complete.
Generally, it won’t take you more than 5 minutes to complete this part if you have your passport with you.
Information on Your Travel
This part only asks you one question which is related to the date and time you wish to visit Canada. Here, you will have to answer yes or no depending on whether you have bought the tickets before applying for Canada. If you have, then this section will ask for details regarding your tickets.
Generally, it is not advised that you purchase tickets before applying for Canada eTA. However, if you have, this part will take about 5 minutes to complete, provided you have your ticket with you during filling the application.
Background Details
Once you have provided the details of your travel to Canada, you are required to provide your background details. This part will have 5 questions that you have to answer with either a yes or a no.
The questions ask things like your criminal record, history of past eTA rejections from other countries, and whether you are suffering from or had any relations with a person who has been suffering from any communicable chronic disease. If your answer to these questions is a no, then this part takes only a matter of seconds to complete.
On the other hand, if your answer is yes to any of these questions then you will be required to provide additional documents and proof of your claims with the application process. This can extend the time significantly ranging from hours to days depending on what kind of document you require.
Declaration and Consent
Finally, after filling in all the details, you are then provided with the declaration part of the application where you are required to provide your consent to agreeing with the declaration terms. While it takes only a second to choose the “I Agree” option, we highly recommend reading the terms declaration contents, before agreeing to the terms.
The declaration will not take more than 5 minutes to read carefully, so make sure you always read the declaration before clicking to give consent to the terms.
After you have consented to the declaration, you are required to submit a fee upon payment of which your application will be submitted to the Canadian government for scrutiny. You can also track the progress of your Canada eTA application.
How Much Time Is Needed for Essential Documents?
Filling out the details asked by the application form is only one section of the application process. You are also required to attach the necessary documents to your application before submitting it to the Canadian government. The necessary documents to be attached will be different for everyone according to the answers you provided in the application.
Generally, you will need to attach a copy of your valid passport (and your tickets, if you have already purchased them before). Other necessary documents may include a business letter or invitation for business eTA, medical reports, financial statements (depending on your financial status, you may need to attach additional financial documents),etc.
If you have gathered all of these documents beforehand, then attaching the necessary documents will not take more than a couple of minutes but, if you have to acquire the said documents or renew certain documents like a passport, then it can increase the time needed to several months.
It is highly advisable as a result that you keep your documents in a well-organized manner and up-to-date, to avoid such delays.
How Much Time Is Needed to Process the ETA Application?
The time needed to process some ETA applications generally does not take more than a couple of minutes. However, it can also take a couple of days to finish as well depending on your answers and supporting documents that you have attached with your application.
It will also take more time to process the application if additional security and background checks are necessary for an applicant. Filling in incomplete and inaccurate information will also contribute to increasing the time required to approve the eTA application.
In addition to this, several technical glitches can also cause delays in filling the application form and during peak periods, the time needed to process individual applications will take a lot of time.
Conclusion
Canada is a great place to travel and explore for tourists across the globe, and ETA application approval is a major part of any plan to travel to Canada. Several factors affect the approval of a Canadian eTA application form, which is why it is highly advised that you start planning.
Hopefully, the above-mentioned details in the article help you plan your timeline better. Generally, it is a good idea to start planning 1-2 weeks early to compensate for any possible delays; however, this will change depending on the special circumstances discussed above.
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The emergency visa to visit Canada is an exclusive service available for foreign nationals who want to visit Canada for a crisis or urgent reason such as the death of a close relative, a medical appointment, seeking safe refuge, visiting the court for legal proceedings, etc. Learn about them in The Emergency Visa to Visit Canada.
Check your eligibility for eTA Canada Visa and apply for eTA Canada Visa 72 hours in advance of your flight. British citizens, Finnish citizens, Spanish citizens, Singapore citizens and Costa Rican citizens can apply online for eTA Canada Visa.