Until May 1, 2017, all citizens of Bulgaria, Romania, and Brazil were required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (“TRV”) before applying for admission to Canada. However, as of May 1, 2017, many citizens of these countries are now permitted to enter Canada without a TRV.
The prior TRV requirement for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania was a significant issue for the European Union (“EU”), of which Bulgaria and Romania are Member States. The EU has a common list of countries whose citizens must have a visa and of countries whose citizens are exempt from that requirement. A fundamental principle of EU visa policy is to ensure that third countries on the visa-free list grant a reciprocal visa waiver to citizens of all EU Member States.