We are pleased to share that our principal lawyer, Will Tao, was recently quoted in The Independent (7 August 2025) in an article titled “Why Canada isn’t the trouble-free alternative to America you think it is.”
The piece highlights how Canada’s Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) has become a hidden obstacle for many travellers. While the country has enjoyed a surge in tourism, countless visitors have been caught off guard at the airport, denied boarding because their eTA had not been approved in time.
Drawing on Will’s immigration law experience, he explained that while the eTA system is “mostly automated,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has expanded the rules and flags that trigger human review. This, combined with IRCC’s new cancellation powers introduced earlier this year, has led to longer and less predictable processing times.
Will added, with some irony: “They used to advertise eTAs as taking no more than 7 minutes. Go figure!”
Will also pointed out the oddity that eTAs apply only to air travel, not to land or sea entries. As he noted, the original government proposal assumed travellers wouldn’t switch their mode of transport just to avoid a $7 fee.
For travellers, the message is clear: apply for your eTA well in advance, even if the government website suggests it can be done quickly.
