Canada lifts visa requirements for travellers from Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary

Mississauga, March 1, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, announced today that citizens of Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary no longer require a temporary resident visa to visit Canada.

“Canada enjoys strong ties with these countries,” said Minister Finley. “Lifting the visa requirement will help build those relationships to the benefit of Canadians and the citizens of Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has an ongoing review of the visa requirements for New Member States (NMS) of the European Union (EU). These reviews are done on a country-by-country basis.

“We are committed to the free and secure movement of people between the EU and Canada,” said Minister Finley. “We are also committed to the objective of visa-exempt status for all EU member states.”

In 2006, there were 33,363 temporary resident visas issued for citizens of Poland, 3,780 for citizens of Slovakia, 989 for citizens of Lithuania and 6,385 for citizens of Hungary.

Twelve countries joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. Initially, visas were required for traveller s from seven of the NMS. The requirement was lifted on traveller s from Estonia in 2006 and the Czech Republic and Latvia in 2007. With today’s announcement, travel to Canada from all but two of the EU’s 27 countries is now visa free. CIC will continue to work in cooperation with the two remaining countries, Bulgaria and Romania, with the goal of having visa-free travel for all EU citizens. Canadian officials will conduct technical visits to these countries as part of CIC’s ongoing review to determine when visa requirements can be removed.

To guard against abuse of older passports, by January 2009, traveller s from Poland and Lithuania will be required to carry a more secure e-passport for visa-free travel.

By law, all visitors to Canada require a temporary resident visa, except citizens of countries where an exemption has been granted. Visa requirements for travellers to Canada are the country’s first line of defence in maintaining the safety and health of Canadians.

For more information on CIC’s programs, consult our website at www.cic.gc.ca.

The Canadian Polish Congress would like to congratulate and thank all of the people and organizations that signed the on-line petition, completed and mailed in the thousands of postcards, and who over the last few years have signed the hundreds of petitions to request the Government of Canada to remove the Visa requirement for Polish citizens visiting Canada.  Polonia have at last been successful in our endeavour and no longer will Polish citizens be required to apply for a visa when visiting Canada.

The Canadian Polish Congress would like to extend a special thank you to Prime Minister Harper and his government for their decision in this matter and also special thanks to Minister Diane Finley, and Minister Jason Kenny for their hard work and perseverance in helping to make this a reality.

The following individuals and their organizations should also receive special recognition:

• Jessie Flis - former Member of Parliament,
• Peggy Nash - Member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park,
• Joe Comartin - Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh.,
• Borys Wrzesnewsky - Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre,
• John Maloney – Member of Parliament for Welland,
• Gregorz Sobotski, Alicija Rogacka, Lucien Conrad and the former Boards of Directors of KPK,
• Robert Zawierucha and the Board of Directors of the Polish Alliance of Canada,
• Chris Korwin-Kuczynski and the Toronto-Warsaw Friendship Committee,
• Presidents of CPC Branches across Canada who kept the issue alive and promoted the petitions and lobbying effort, Polish media across Canada who kept the issue alive and promoted the petitions and lobbying effort,
• A. Matelski (webmaster) R. Gwiazdowski & HostVector (webhosting)
• Piotr Ogrodzinski - Polish Ambassador to Canada whose assistance in applying diplomatic pressure and supporting Polonia in its efforts was crucial to our collective success.

The Congress has committed itself to the government of Canada to insure that visitors from Poland understand their obligations and will insure that the immigration system is not abused.

The Congress shall also continue to work with the Government of Canada and in particular the Minister of Immigration in any way that it can.

Thank you once agan for your support.