WINDHOEK – Namibians will no longer be allowed to enter Canada without a visitor’s visa.
The new visa requirement is applicable from this week.As part of the visa, Namibians will be required to meet a number of criteria before they are allowed into Canada, according to a media statement issued by the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria yesterday.Canada’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multi-culturalism, Jason Kenney, said in the statement that Canada continues to welcome ‘genuine visitors’.Other citizens affected by the new visa rules are of St Lucia, St Vincent, Botswana and Swaziland.The visa policy change means that nationals from St Lucia, St Vincent, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland who want to travel to Canada will first need to apply for a visitor’s visa, subjecting them to various requirements.It will be up to applicants to satisfy visa officers that their visit to Canada is temporary, that they will not overstay their authorised stay, that they have enough money to cover their stay, that they are in good health, do not have a criminal record, and are not a security risk.Applications for visas should be submitted to the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa.Canada has changed the visa requirements for Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland over concerns of human trafficking, especially of minors and fraudulent travel documents.Canada started to tighten the screws on Namibian visitors last year.A number of Namibians lost thousands of dollars in airfares after Air Namibia at the Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek prevented them from travelling to Canada, where many had planned to go in search of menial jobs.Other than visa requirements, Namibians travelling to Canada also have to buy a return air ticket of N$16 000 and have N$20 000 in a bank account, while carrying a further US$2 000 pocket money. – Nampa
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