IRCC announced on May 25, 2026 that eligible citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia can now apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) — a $7 online approval that arrives in minutes — instead of a full visitor visa. The change takes effect May 26, 2026 at 5:30 a.m. ET and is the latest move in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy. Here is exactly who qualifies, what it costs, and what stays the same.
On May 25, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that eligible citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia will no longer need to apply for a full Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to fly to Canada. Instead, they can apply for an electronic travel authorization — an eTA — online for $7 CAD, and most approvals arrive within minutes. The change takes effect May 26, 2026 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time. It is one of the most significant updates to Canada's visitor visa framework this year, and it tells you something important about where Canadian visa policy is heading more broadly.
Who Exactly Qualifies for an eTA?
The new eTA option is not available to every Indonesian or Malaysian citizen. It is targeted specifically at travellers IRCC already considers "known" — people who have been previously screened by Canadian or close-ally immigration authorities. To qualify, a citizen of Indonesia or Malaysia must meet at least one of the following conditions:
- Have held a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (visitor, study or work) at any point within the last 10 years — even if it has now expired, AND
- OR currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa (e.g. a valid US B1/B2 visitor visa) at the time of the eTA application
- AND be travelling to Canada by air — eTA only applies to flights
- AND be travelling for tourism, short business or transit (the same uses as a regular visitor visa, capped at 6 months per entry)
Who Still Needs a Visitor Visa
If none of the above apply to you, the visitor visa rules are unchanged. Specifically, a Temporary Resident Visa is still required for:
- Indonesian or Malaysian citizens who have never held a Canadian TRV and do not currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa
- Anyone entering Canada by car, bus, train or boat — eTA only covers air travel
- Travellers intending to work or study in Canada — those still require the appropriate work or study permit on top of any travel authorization
- Any traveller previously refused entry, with serious inadmissibility issues, or with an active immigration application that requires a visa
How an eTA Works — Cost, Speed, and Validity
An eTA is genuinely simple compared to a visitor visa. The full process happens online — there is no in-person appointment, no biometrics step for most applicants, no paperwork shipped to a visa office. What you need:
- A valid passport from Indonesia or Malaysia (passport number is entered on the form)
- A valid email address (your approval and any updates are emailed)
- A credit or debit card to pay the CAD $7 fee
- Honest answers to a short series of background questions (criminal history, prior refusals, immigration history)
- Processing: most eTAs are approved automatically within minutes; a small percentage are referred for manual review and can take a few days
- Validity: an approved eTA is valid for 5 years OR until the passport expires — whichever comes first; you can use it for multiple visits during that period
Why Canada Is Doing This — The Indo-Pacific Strategy
This is not a stand-alone announcement. It is the latest move under Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, a multi-year plan to deepen economic, diplomatic and people-to-people ties with the region. Indonesia and Malaysia are both major ASEAN economies with growing middle classes, strong student-mobility numbers, and meaningful tourism flows to Canada — IRCC reported 18,300 Indonesian and 11,500 Malaysian visitors to Canada in 2025 alone. Reducing friction for trusted travellers from these markets supports Canadian businesses, universities and tourism operators that depend on Indo-Pacific flows, while keeping the visa requirement in place for citizens who have not yet been pre-screened. It is the same model Canada has used in recent years to extend eTA eligibility to selected travellers from countries like Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and the Philippines.
Is Security Being Reduced? No — Here Is What Changes
Eligible travellers still go through layered screening. The eTA system runs all applicants through automated risk checks against IRCC, CBSA and partner agency databases before approval. On arrival, every traveller — eTA or visa — is screened again at the border by a CBSA officer who can refuse entry. What changes is the procedure for the applicant: instead of completing a full TRV file (forms, photos, supporting documents, processing time measured in weeks, and a fee of $100+), they complete an eTA application (5 minutes online, $7 CAD, decision usually within minutes). The eligibility filter — needing a prior Canadian TRV in the last 10 years or a valid US non-immigrant visa — is what makes this acceptable from a risk-management perspective: you have already been vetted by either Canada or the United States.
What This Means If You Are Already Planning a Trip
If you are an eligible Indonesian or Malaysian citizen with a pending TRV application filed before May 26, 2026, IRCC has confirmed your existing application will continue to be processed under the visa stream — you do not need to withdraw it. If you are still planning your trip and you qualify under the new rules, apply for the eTA instead: it is faster, cheaper and arrives in minutes. If you are unsure whether you qualify (for example, your old Canadian visitor visa expired more than 10 years ago, or your US visa is borderline expired), confirm before booking flights. Travelling to Canada without the correct authorization will lead to boarding being refused at the departure airport.
Get Clear Advice for Your Situation
For most eligible travellers, the new eTA pathway is straightforward and can be completed without professional help. But if your case involves any of the more complex factors — past refusals, criminal history questions, an expired Canadian visa near the 10-year cutoff, or you are travelling for purposes that border on work — talk to a licensed RCIC before you apply. A wrong answer on the eTA form can trigger a refusal that becomes part of your permanent immigration record and complicates future applications. ITC iLand's RCICs Babak Yaltaghian (RCIC #R422527) and Ramin Asadi (RCIC #R407111) can review your specific situation and confirm the right authorization before you submit anything.
