Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced June 4 that foreign nationals traveling by sea from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to Canada will now require an electronic travel authorization (eTA) before departure. The requirement takes effect immediately and applies to visa-exempt travelers using the marine route between the French territory and Canadian ports. Up to 1,000 foreign nationals per year could be affected by the change.
The new screening measure follows Canada's 2025 expansion of authority to cancel eTAs, visas, work permits, and study permits on a case-by-case basis when fraud or misuse is detected. That policy shift, part of the broader Canada Border Plan, gave IRCC enhanced powers to revoke travel documents for applicants who fail to meet admissibility requirements or who provide false information. The Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon eTA requirement extends those screening tools to a marine corridor that previously allowed visa-exempt nationals to arrive without advance authorization.
The eTA system requires travelers to submit passport details, biographical information, and answers to admissibility questions online before boarding. Applications are processed electronically, typically within minutes, and link to the traveler's passport for five years or until passport expiry. The $7 CAD fee applies per applicant. IRCC states the requirement will "strengthen Canada's ability to screen travellers before they arrive at a port of entry and help identify people who may not meet Canada's entry and admissibility requirements," according to the official release on canada.ca.
"This will help to stop irregular migration and protect public safety," the backgrounder states, while noting the measure aims to "facilitate legitimate travel."