TORONTO — If you have clients who are dual citizens, take note: starting Sept. 30 these travellers will need a Canadian passport to fly back into Canada, reflecting new policy from the federal government.
Currently dual citizens flying back into Canada only need to show their passport from one country. A traveller who holds both Canadian and U.S. citizenship, for example, can right now use their U.S. passport to gain entry back into Canada, as long as they also show proof of residency in Canada (like a driver’s license).
According to reports in the Toronto Star, that will all change on Sept. 30, when dual citizens must have a Canadian passport to get back into the country. The new policy is part of Canada’s new electronic screening system, and so far only applies to air travel.
Some are calling the move a cash grab, and discriminatory. But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson Lindsay Wemp told the Star that a valid Canadian passport is the only acceptable travel document for the purpose of air travel. “As the government does not want Canadians to face travel-related delays, we strongly encourage all Canadian citizens to travel using a valid Canadian passport.”
