The Canadian government has outlined the conditions under which citizens of four designated countries can transit through Canada without obtaining a Canadian visa under its Transit Without Visa (TWOV) programme.
According to the government’s guidelines, the arrangement applies to travellers flying through Canada to or from the United States.
The programme is available exclusively to passport holders from four countries. To qualify, travellers must hold a valid passport from one of the following:
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Taiwan, provided the passport does not contain a personal identification number.
Beyond nationality, applicants must also have a valid US visa and a confirmed airline ticket to the United States, with the flight departing Canada within 24 hours of arrival.
Travellers must use an airline participating in the TWOV programme and transit through designated Canadian airports.
What happens during the transit
Once they arrive at a Canadian airport, passengers using the programme must remain within the sterile international transit area throughout their stopover.
The area is designed to separate transit passengers and their luggage from other passengers and goods within the airport.
If a traveller needs to leave the designated area for any reason, they must report to an officer of the Canada Border Services Agency for inspection.
For passengers travelling to the United States, the process starts at the arrival gate and continues to the US connection area, where both the traveller and their luggage undergo security rescreening before proceeding to US Customs and Border Protection.
After being cleared, passengers can continue to the departure area and board their connecting flight.
For travellers returning from the United States to an international destination, passengers move from the arrival gate to a primary inspection kiosk at the connection centre, where they scan their passports before proceeding to the international departures lounge.
The Canadian government has warned that if a flight is cancelled or delayed and the layover extends beyond 24 hours, the traveller will no longer be covered by the TWOV programme and must report to a Canada Border Services Agency officer.
Travellers have also been advised to confirm their flight connections directly with their airline before departure.