CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

New Canadian E-passports to be launched in 2012

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Passport Canada is set to launch the new ePassport in 2012. Appearance wise the new ePassports will look similar to the old Canadian passports except they will have an electronic chip encoded with the individual’s name, gender, date of birth and a digital picture.

According to Passport Canada, "The use of ePassports will allow Canada to follow international standards in the field of passport security to protect our borders and maintain the ease of international travel that Canadians currently enjoy."

Canadians will have the choice of the current five-year passport or one that is valid for 10 years. The cost of the new passports is yet to be decided.

As per the User Fees Act, Canadians will be consulted and asked to complete an online questionnaire available on the Passport Canada website as of May 7th.

Opinions gathered from the questionnaires will be used towards the development and price of the ePassports.

The old Canadian passports will remain valid until they expire.

If you are interested in Immigration to Canada, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada.