Transiting in Canada: Do I Need a Visa?

Canada

Cheap transpacific fares between China and the U.S. on Star Alliance airlines often involve a connection in Canada, especially on Air Canada and Air China. Cathay Pacific flights departing from Hong Kong also sometimes show up. Canada also has one of the most complicated visa-free transit programs for Chinese citizens, the China Transit Program. In this article, we will explain in detail the visa requirements for transiting through Canada on the way to the U.S., or transiting through Canada from the U.S. to somewhere else.

If You Hold a U.S. Passport or a Canadian Visa

You can enter Canada, so there is no visa issue for transit. If you want to apply for a Canadian visa while in the U.S., you can refer to this guide.

If You Hold a U.S. Green Card, Hong Kong SAR Passport, British National (Overseas) Passport, or Republic of China (Taiwan) Passport

You may enter Canada without a visa, but you must obtain an eTA in advance. You can apply for an eTA here. We recommend applying at least two weeks in advance to avoid rare delays.

CTP (China Transit Program)

If you are a Chinese citizen, Canada offers a visa-free transit program because of the large number of Chinese transit passengers. It allows travel from certain cities in Asia through Canada to the U.S., or from the U.S. through Canada to anywhere else. You must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a Chinese citizen and hold a U.S. visa (if you are transiting onward to the U.S., the visa must be valid).
• You must have a ticket to Canada and a ticket for an immediate onward connection from the same airport to the U.S. (while this does not necessarily have to be on one itinerary in theory, you may run into problems at departure if it is not).
• Your transit must be at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Calgary Airport (YYC), or Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Terminal 1 (inter-terminal transfers are not allowed).
• Your flight to Canada must be operated by Air China (CA), China Southern (CZ), Hainan Airlines (HU), Cathay Pacific (CX), WestJet (WS), Philippine Airlines (PR), or Air Canada (AC), including Air Canada codeshare regional partners (generally sold by Air Canada under an AC flight number and operated under the Air Canada Express brand: Air Canada Rouge, Jazz Air, Sky Regional Airlines, and Air Georgian). The airline you use to leave Canada does not matter.
• Your transit must be completed on the same calendar day; overnight connections are not allowed.

Additional Requirement for Transiting to the U.S.

If you are traveling from Asia to the U.S. via Canada, your flight to Canada must depart from one of the following cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Manila, Taipei, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang, or Harbin (13 cities total).

Additional Requirements for Departures from the U.S.

If you are departing from the U.S., you must also:

• not be subject to a Removal or Deportation order;
• not have overstayed your period of lawful stay in the U.S.; and
• have the required travel documents for your third-country destination, such as a visa.

CBP Preclearance and Checked Bags

Toronto Pearson and Vancouver are both CBP Preclearance airports, so your U.S. entry inspection is completed in Canada. When you arrive in the U.S., you will enter as a domestic arrival. After you arrive in Canada, there is a dedicated transit corridor that leads directly to the CBP inspection area. Normally, when clearing U.S. customs and immigration, you may be asked to collect your checked bags, but at CBP preclearance facilities in Canada, bags can usually be checked through. Of course, if a CBP officer decides to inspect you or your bags, your luggage can still be pulled from the back for inspection. Also, even though you are in Canada, CBP still has a secondary inspection room. If you are frequently sent to secondary, make sure to leave plenty of connection time.

Exception: Flights That Stop in Canada

Cathay Pacific and Philippine Airlines both operate flights to New York JFK with a stop in Vancouver. Passengers on these two flights do not need a Canadian visa.

Examples: Traveling to the U.S.

China--（Air China/Air Canada）-->Canada--（Air Canada/United）-->U.S.

Air China and Air Canada routes between China and Canada all fall within the 13 eligible cities, and both airlines are eligible carriers, so this works. Just make sure the connection is on the same day, and if connecting in Toronto, you cannot change terminals.

Hong Kong--（Cathay Pacific）-->Vancouver--（American Airlines）-->U.S.

Hong Kong is an eligible city, and Cathay Pacific is an eligible carrier, so this works.

Shanghai--（China Eastern）-->Vancouver--（Delta）-->U.S.

Not allowed. China Eastern is not an eligible carrier.

Dalian--（ANA）-->Tokyo--（Air Canada）-->Vancouver--（Air Canada/United）-->U.S.

Allowed. Although Dalian is not one of the 13 cities, the CTP only looks at the departure point of the flight arriving in Canada, and Tokyo qualifies. The entire itinerary is visa-free.

China---->Vancouver---->Toronto---->U.S.

Not allowed. You cannot make an additional domestic connection within Canada.

Examples: Departing from the U.S.

U.S.--（Air Canada）-->Toronto or Vancouver--（Air China/Air Canada）-->China

Air Canada is an eligible carrier, so this works.

U.S.--（United）-->Toronto or Vancouver--（Air China/Air Canada）-->China

Not allowed. United is not an eligible carrier, so you cannot enter Canada on a UA flight under this program.

U.S.--（American Airlines）-->Vancouver--（Cathay Pacific）-->Hong Kong

Not allowed, for the same reason as above.

U.S.--（Air Canada）-->Montreal-->Third Country

Not allowed. Montreal (YUL) is not an eligible airport.

U.S.--（Air Canada）-->Vancouver--（Lufthansa）-->Frankfurt

Allowed, but you must have the required Schengen visa for Europe. Air Canada is an eligible carrier, and the CTP does not restrict where you fly after transiting Canada.

Flight Delays

Travel disruptions happen. If for any reason you miss your next flight, or you miss CBP’s closing time (20:30 in Vancouver and 21:00 in Toronto), do not panic. You can ask CBSA for permission to enter Canada. CBSA may issue a free temporary visitor visa so that you can enter Canada and wait for your next flight.

A Cautionary Tale

We’ll end with a true story. X flew from the U.S. to Canada on American Airlines without a Canadian visa, but the AA check-in agent missed it and let X board. After arriving in Canada, X was not removed by CBSA. Instead, X received VIP-style treatment, was escorted throughout the process, and was personally taken to the flight to a third country. “Visa-free transit” succeeded. Disclaimer: Do not try this at home. In reality, the simplest solution is still to apply for a Canadian visa. It gives you much more flexibility no matter how you transit, and it can be valid for 10 years, making it a very useful visa to keep on hand while living in the U.S.