The Canadian Visa requirement for Mexican nationals will be discussed during a two-day visit by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
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25 May 2010
Canadian visa for Mexican nationals on the agenda during bilateral talks
The issue of Canadian visas for Mexican nationals will be one of the topics discussed when Mexican President Felipe Calderon arrives in Canada today for an official visit.
It has been almost a year since Ottawa imposed a Canadian visa requirement for Mexicans visiting the country.
Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the requirement was to cut down on “bogus” refugee claimants.
Calderon has a busy schedule for his two-day trip with a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, an address to the House of Commons and meetings with Canadian business in both Toronto and Montreal.
Alberto Lozano, a spokesman for the Embassy of Mexico, said the goal of the visit is to promote trade and investment, and develop more co-operation on issues of security, the environment and education.
“Of course the president will discuss with the prime minister topics related to the mobility of people,” Lozano added, a diplomatic reference to the ongoing dispute over the Canadian visa required for Mexicans to travel to Canada.
Minister Kenney announced a new immigration program last month for Mexican business travellers, guaranteeing 24-hour processing for pre-approved companies, and allowing ease of movement and trade between the two countries.
Lozano said the move “was a big, big step and we will look forward and hope also that this would be the beginning of a simplified process for our people to travel to Canada”.
The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge their Canadian Visa applications with the Canadian Embassy.
