Canada’s immigration department has released new details on how it screens inbound visitors and decides visa requirements.

The information shows that more than 40 national policy criteria are used to assess country-level visa rules amid rising global application numbers.

The details appear in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada 2026 Deputy Minister transition briefing. Visitor applications are projected to reach about 5.8 million, prompting a tighter, risk-based approach to border management.

At the national level, the criteria cover safety and security risks, the integrity of foreign passports, economic and diplomatic ties, and migration trends such as asylum claims and past visa violations. These factors determine whether citizens of a country need a traditional visa or can travel without one.

Individual applicants who require a Temporary Resident Visa are assessed case by case. Officers examine travel history, employment, family ties, financial capacity and admissibility on health, criminal and security grounds. High-risk files may be referred for further checks.

To manage the high volume of applications, the department has introduced a Global Risk Framework as an early-warning system and processes nearly 3.5 million biometric records each year. Officials said the goal remains to facilitate legitimate travel while protecting the integrity of the system.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper