It
is the responsibility of the conference registrants to ensure that
they have the required documents to enter into Canada. It may take
several months to obtain these documents so please allow yourself a
sufficient time. Note that Canada has introduced a new entry
requirement, known as an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), for
visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to Canada. This regulation
becomes mandatory March 15, 2016. Exceptions include U.S. citizens
and travelers with a valid visa. Read
about the changes
and how they may affect you.
Should
you need a visa assistance letter please email a request to
registration.networks2016@etsmtl.net
with the following information: full given name as it appears in the
passport, birth date and place, complete mailing address, telephone,
email address and passport number. Note that the visa assistance
letter will be issued only once the registration is complete and the
payment received.
For
additional information that may be helpful in obtaining the visa,
please check the points below:
Submission
of Visa Applications
Canada
does not have a visa office in every country so it is important that
the conference registrants visit the website of the visa
office responsible for processing their visa applications.
There you can find information on how to submit a visa application
and the required documentation.
The
conference registrants are encouraged to submit their visa
applications well in advance of the conference date at Visa
Application Centre or
on-line E-applications
(e-Apps).
e-Apps
This
system allows clients to submit applications online. The conference
registrants who need a visa but require their passport for other
travel purposes are strongly encouraged to submit their visa
applications on-line (e-Apps).
The registrants who choose to apply on-line will not have to submit
their passport until a decision has been taken on their applications.
If required, the visa office will send the applicant instructions on
how and where to send their passports to finalize the visa process.
Visa
Application Centres (VACs)
VACs
are commercial service providers authorized by Canada to provide
specific services to applicants. VACs provide a number of services
including helping applicants fill out forms, answering questions and
ensuring that applications are complete, thereby reducing unnecessary
delays or refusals due to incomplete applications. Applicants who
are required
to provide biometrics information as
part of the visa application process can do so at
a VAC.
Additional information
on the biometrics requirements is
available at the CIC website. VACs send applications to Visa Offices
and transmit decisions to applicants in a secure and confidential
manner. VACs do not process visa applications and play no role in the
decision-making process.
Visa
Application-Processing Times
Processing
time for visa applications vary depending on the office and the time
of the year. Participants are encouraged to apply early for their
visas, and to submit complete applications including all supporting
documents. Please visit the CIC website for information on the
time it takes to process visa applications at
the various visa offices.
Electronic
Travel Authorization (eTA)
eTA is
a new requirement for travelers who were previously able to travel to
Canada without prior authorization. We invite you to consult the CIC
website regularly
for information updates on eTA.