Indonesia and Malaysia added to eTA-eligible countries; Provincial Nominee Class rules tightened

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

Two significant changes have been made to Canada's immigration regulations. First, Indonesia and Malaysia have been added to the list of countries whose nationals may qualify for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) — meaning eligible citizens of those countries who hold, or have recently held, a qualifying visa may apply for an eTA instead of a full temporary resident visa to fly to Canada. Second, the rules for the Provincial Nominee Class have been restructured: a foreign national can now only be nominated if the nomination certificate was issued under a provincial agreement that was in force at the time, the selection criteria were approved in writing by the federal Minister, and the evaluation of both economic establishment potential and intent to reside in the province is explicitly the province's sole responsibility. The previous federal officer override mechanism (substitution of evaluation, with a second-officer concurrence requirement) has been removed. Businesses, immigration consultants, and individuals from Indonesia and Malaysia should note the new eTA pathway, while employers and applicants using provincial nominee programs should be aware of the tighter nomination criteria and the shift of evaluation responsibility to provinces.

Who this affects: citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia seeking to travel to Canada by air · provincial nominee program applicants · provincial governments issuing nomination certificates · immigration consultants and lawyers advising on provincial nominees · employers sponsoring workers through provincial nominee programs