Updated 04:49 AM EST, Sat, Nov 23, 2024

Canada to Remove Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens

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Canada has expressed its plan to eliminate visa requirements for Mexican citizens during a meeting with foreign ministers including Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu.

Vanguardia reported that Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion revealed the visa requirement will be removed after its imposition six years ago.

The visa requirement, as per the minister, "will be removed, finite, kaput."

However, Mexico News Daily mentioned that the promise from Canada remains a promise since no date has been announced yet.

Looking back, the requirement was implemented during the leadership of Stephen Harper in 2009.

The same report said this affected the relationship between the two countries and created a diplomatic rift.

Wall Street Journal noted that Canada resorted with the decision in the past to prevent having false refugee claims from the South American country.

It also noted that business leaders in Canada have been encouraging its government to remove this policy since they claim that it hinders a good trading relationship between their country and Mexico.

It was added in the Mexico News Daily report that the new prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, also promised during his campaign that the visa requirement would be scrapped.

Massieu reportedly asked Canada when this would eventually be implemented but the country has not yet revealed the details.

Meanwhile, The Huffington Post revealed that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has stressed on the importance of this move especially on the economy of the countries.

He mentioned that more than $3.5 billion worth of goods are shipped between Mexico, Canada and the United States daily.

"We have to continue to do more... to increase investment, reduce costs for trade, business, travel and make tourism easier without jeopardizing safety," Kerry added.

In November last year, Trudeau already promised Mexicans that they can soon travel to Canada without any visa. The Canadian prime minister, during that time, met with Enrique Peña Nieto during G-20 summit held in Turkey.

"Justin Trudeau confirmed he has instructed his cabinet to eliminate the need for a visa for Mexicans in the near future," Nieto said, as per Vice News.

He noted that it was a sign of a new phase of renewed relationships between Canada and Mexico.

It was also highlighted that this measure will end long queues of Mexican tourists at the Canadian embassy in Mexico City.

Fernando Hernan, an academic from Mexico, told Vice News that he previously had to cancel an important trip because he was required to get a visa.

The rule was a bit eased in April last year when the country already allowed Mexicans bearing valid U.S. visas.

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