Expansion of the Transit Without Visa Program and the China Transit Program

Beijing :Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that our Government is committed to helping ensure the effective flow of legitimate travellers between Canada and China to promote trade, investment and closer people-to-people ties.

To this end, on November 8, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced the expansion of the Transit Without Visa Program and the China Transit Program with the addition of China Southern Airlines to both programs.

Transit Without Visa Program

The Transit Without Visa Program (TWOV), which was formally established in July 2009, facilitates legitimate travellers from select Asian locations transiting through Canada on their way to or from the United States. Under TWOV, travellers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan who normally require a visa to come to Canada are allowed to transit without a visa if they are travelling through Canada en route to or from the U.S.

To be eligible for TWOV, travellers must possess both a valid U.S. visa and a passport issued by their country of origin. They must be travelling to Canada on a TWOV-approved airline and arrive at a TWOV-approved Canadian airport (VancouverInternationalAirport and Toronto’s PearsonInternationalAirport, Terminal 1 only). TWOV travellers may depart from any country and transit Canada while en route to the U.S.

China Transit Program

The China Transit Program (CTP) became a permanent program in September 2012. It provides visa-free privileges to travellers to China transiting through Canada to or from the U.S. although some additional conditions apply. For example, CTP eligible travellers must be coming to Canada from one of the following six cities in Asia: Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Manila and Taipei.

Under today’s announcement, China Southern Airlines becomes the 10^th airline to participate in the TWOV and CTP. This airline currently flies into and out of the VancouverInternationalAirport. This expansion means more options for eligible China Southern Airlines passengers and more business for the airport in Vancouver, including spending by travellers.

All Chinese travellers who qualify for the CTP must meet the following conditions:

• Hold a valid passport issued by the People’s Republic of China;
• Hold a valid United States visa;
• Travel to Canada on an approved airline (Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Air Georgian Limited, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Southern Airlines, Jazz Aviation, Philippine Airlines, Sky Regional Airlines Inc., and WestJet); and,
• Transit through an approved Canadian airport (either VancouverInternationalAirport or Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1 only).