ARCHIVED – Operational Bulletin 106 – March 30, 2009 (expired)
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Visa Exemption Requirements – Croatia – Instructions for Missions
This Operational Bulletin has expired. Please refer to manual OP 11 – Temporary Residents for current information.
Background
By law, all visitors to Canada require a temporary resident visa, except citizens of countries where an exemption has been granted. Visa requirements for travellers to Canada are the country’s first line of defence in maintaining the safety, security and health of Canadians. Canada’s visa policy decisions are based on a country-by-country assessment of the established visa review criteria and thresholds. A comprehensive review of the conditions and trends in Croatia was conducted and information was gathered during a technical visit in 2008. The review has shown that the immigration violation and visa application refusal rates for Croatian nationals have steadily decreased over the past five years, while the number of refugee claims and removals has remained low.
As a result of the positive trends identified in the review and in an effort to improve ties with Croatia and to facilitate travel for Croatian nationals, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has added Croatia to the list of countries and territories whose citizens are exempt from the requirement to obtain a visa before traveling to Canada.
Current Status
Effective March 29, 2009, citizens of Croatia are exempt from requiring a temporary resident visa to travel to Canada. An amendment has been made to R190(1)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Additional information is available at: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=439729.