Why Canada ETA Application Needs Employment Details
An eTA or electronic travel authorization is a document that allows you to enter and travel within the borders of a country. The eTA is different from traditional travel authorization documents because it is a document in an online form that you can store on your mobile phone and show to the immigration officer upon arrival.
In order to obtain an eTA for your passport, you need to fill out a Canada eTA application. This form only asks for basic details like your family background, financial statements, and personal information. However, it can also ask some questions which are not related to your personal details.
When filling Canada ETA application, you will notice questions asking your employment details in the application form to provide you with the eTA. So, keep reading to learn how to fill in your employment details in the application form for Canada eTA and why these questions are asked.
What Questions Are Asked by the Application Form?
Occupation Title
When you reach the employment details section of your application form, you will first be asked to mention your occupation. In the application, you will be provided with a list of occupations created by the government of Canada. You are supposed to choose your occupation from the list.
If your occupation is not on the list, then try to find the occupation that closely resembles your actual work. While the list may change depending on when you read this article, the current list has 15 occupations mentioned on it which are:
- Art, culture, recreation, and sports
- Education, law, social community, and government services
- Finance and Administration
- Health
- Homemaker
- Management
- Manufacturing and utilities
- Military/armed forces
- Natural and applied sciences
- Natural resources, agriculture, and related production
- Retired
- Sales and service
- Student
- Trades, transport, and equipment operators
- Unemployed
Job Title
After selecting your occupation title from the list provided in the application form, another list will appear before you which will contain the job titles associated with your chosen option. If your selected occupation in the previous section was student, retired, or homemaker, then this step is skipped for you.
Make sure you read the list carefully and then only choose an occupation.
Name of Your Employer, School, and Company
Once you have selected your job title from the provided list, now you will be required to provide the name of the company or employer you work for. If you chose student as your occupation in the 1st step, then you will be asked to provide the name of your school or college where you are a student.
For retired and homemakers, this section is also skipped along with the 2nd step.
Address of Your Employer or School
For Business eTA applicants, the form after asking for the name of your employer or company will then ask for their address. For students, the address of your school or university is required. In the address section, you will be required to mention both the country and the city/town where your company, employer, school, or university is located.
Just like the previous 3 steps, this step is also skipped for homemakers and retired applicants.
Your Start Year of the Employment or School
Finally, after filling in all the details in the previous 4 steps, you will be asked to mention the year when you started your current employment with your company or employer. The students will need to mention their beginner year when they started their course with the school or college.
Just like all the previous steps so far, this last part is also skipped if you chose retired or homemaker as your occupation in the first step.
Why Are Your Employment Details Asked In the ETA Application Form for Canada?
The Canadian government asks you about your employment details before approving your eTA in order to assess multiple factors that led to your decision to travel to Canada. To the Canadian government, it is vital to assure themselves of the fact that you are not coming into the country to seek employment.
If you know the intentions behind the questions and the factors assessed by the Canadian government, then you can provide the requested information in a manner that will ensure that you get your eTA application approved by the Canadian government.
The various factors that the Canadian government assesses through the application form are mentioned below.
Economic Stability
Before providing eTA to foreign nationals, the Canadian government tries to assess whether the applicants are capable of supporting themselves during their stay in Canada or not. The economic stability also helps a little to ascertain whether the trip is purely for tourism or involves any business activities.
When providing your financial statements in the application form, make sure to include the statements for the previous 4 months to make a better case for your economic stability in front of the authorities.
The Purpose Behind the Visit
One major factor that the authorities need to ascertain before providing you your eTA, is the purpose behind your visit. If you are visiting Canada for a business purpose like a meeting or a conference, make sure to define it in a manner where it aligns with your current employment. Any discrepancies here can cause your eTA to get rejected.
Additional Background Checks and Security
Sometimes, for certain types of occupations, the Canadian authorities have to conduct additional background checks for security. If you work in any high-security industry, you need to provide many additional documents to assure the authorities of your purpose of visit.
Ties to Their Home
This is by far the main factor that determines whether you get your eTA application approved or rejected. Your details must assure the Canadian government that you have good ties with your home country and are not looking to migrate to any other country.
Details like your employment history and financial statements provide a good indication that the applicant will return to their country after their Canada visit.
If you have been unemployed for a long time or have a job history where you constantly changed jobs, then you will need to provide additional documents and information to assure the Canadian government that your ties with your home country are good and that you will return after your Canada visit.
Additional Tips for Filling the Application Form
Update Application if Employment Changes
If your current employment changes in a scenario where you have submitted an application for eTA but have not visited Canada, then immediately update the information provided in the application. This can be achieved through the same portal for the initial application.
Maintain Business Registers and Invitation Letters
Business registers are excellent proof to attach to your application form to provide a history of your employment. They are especially important for freelance and Self-Employed individuals as they need to provide a record of their work in their home country.
If your purpose for the visit is a business meeting, then make sure to provide the business letter sent by the Canadian company that invited you to the meeting.
Mention Accurate and Up-to-Date Information
You must take your time when filling out the application form to only mention what is asked and provide accurate and up-to-date details regarding yourself. Any discrepancies in the submitted application will result in your application being rejected.
Conclusion
A Canadian eTA is a necessary document for you to travel within Canadian borders. Your employment details are vital for the Canadian authorities to approve your application form.
Hopefully, the information provided in this article will prove useful in understanding the importance of employment details in a Canadian eTA application and how you can fill in these details to receive your eTA to visit Canada.
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Canada is one of the most important and economically-stable country in the global market. Canada has 6th largest GDP by PPP and 10th largest GDP by nominal. Canada is a major entry point to United States markets and may serve as a perfect test market for the United States. Learn about them in Guide for Business Visitors to Canada.
Check your eligibility for eTA Canada Visa and apply for eTA Canada Visa 72 hours in advance of your flight. In addition to Brazilian citizens, British citizens, Finnish citizens, Spanish citizens, Czech Republic citizens and Israeli citizens can apply online for eTA Canada Visa.