Canada Launches Digital Visa System, Morocco Selected as First Pilot

(MOROCCO) Canada has launched a new digital visa pilot system, choosing Morocco as the first country to participate, in a move that could change how millions of people apply for and use visas in the coming years. The pilot started on November 27, 2025, and applies to a selected group of Moroccan citizens who are approved for Canadian visitor visas.

Instead of relying only on the usual visa sticker placed in a passport, these travelers will now receive a digital version of their visa as well. The digital record is kept securely inside Canadian government systems and is linked to the traveler’s passport details. Airlines and border officers will be able to check the visa electronically when the passenger checks in or arrives at the border, without needing to see a physical sticker.

What the pilot does and why it matters

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal department in charge of visas and immigration, is running the project as part of a wider plan to move toward paperless immigration documents. The pilot currently focuses on visitor visas (temporary resident visas) issued through Canadian offices serving Moroccan applicants.

IRCC says the goal is to eventually make digital visas the standard format if the test with Morocco goes well. The pilot is intended to:

• Cut processing times
• Improve security checks
• Raise the quality of data shared between Canadian systems, airlines, and partner border agencies

A digital record can be updated, checked, and confirmed quickly, and it is harder to damage or lose than a sticker printed in a passport.

Key point: The pilot started on November 27, 2025, and Morocco is the first country selected for this pilot.

How the digital visa works

• The digital visa is an electronic entry stored in Canadian systems and linked to passport data.
• It is not a visible stamp or label on a phone or laptop.
• When an airline or border officer enters a traveler’s passport number, the system checks Canadian records behind the scenes to confirm that a valid digital version of their visa exists.
• Airlines and border officers can verify the visa electronically at check-in or arrival, so no physical sticker is strictly required for those checks.

This process follows models used in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States 🇺🇸, and the European Union, where many visas exist mainly as electronic records checked through passport data (analysis by VisaVerge.com).

Immediate benefits for travelers

One major change for selected Moroccan travelers is the chance to travel as soon as their visa is approved, instead of waiting days or weeks for a physical counterfoil to be printed and placed in their passport.

Currently, many applicants must send or deliver their passports to a visa office or a center that works with the Canadian government, then wait for the passport to be mailed or handed back. The digital system aims to reduce or remove this step, which could:

• Shorten the wait time between approval and travel
• Reduce the risk of passports being lost or stolen during mailing
• Help people who hold only one passport and need it for work, exams, or family emergencies

Dual issuance during the pilot

During the pilot, Canada will still issue the traditional paper visa sticker alongside the digital record. Travelers in the test group will have both forms linked to the same approval.

Officials say this dual system is important in the early stages because:

• Some airlines, airports, or border agencies in other countries may still expect to see a visible visa sticker
• The paper backup reduces stress for travelers and frontline staff while systems adjust
• It allows IRCC to compare digital and paper usage for the same travelers

Who is included and why Morocco was chosen

The pilot focuses on Moroccan travelers who have already received approved visitor visas, rather than brand-new applicants with no travel history. This choice allows Canada to test the digital process with people who have already met visa requirements and to:

• Compare digital vs. paper checks for the same travelers
• Measure how often airlines rely on digital checks
• Observe any issues at check-in or arrival

Morocco’s selection is strategic: Canada and Morocco share strong historical, cultural, and language links, particularly in French-speaking provinces such as Quebec and parts of Ontario. There is already a steady flow of Moroccan visitors, students, and family members traveling to Canada 🇨🇦, which makes it easier for IRCC to study real travel patterns, collect feedback, and track system performance.

Compatibility, standards and fraud reduction

Officials say the system is designed to be compatible with global travel standards, including:

• Machine-readable passports
• Airline check-in rules

Potential benefits include:

• Reduced risk of boarding denials caused by missing stickers or damaged passports
• Lower chances of fraud linked to altered visa labels, since the electronic entry is harder to alter than a printed sticker

Privacy and data protection

IRCC stresses that privacy and data protection are built into the program. The digital visa:

• Is stored in secure government systems
• Is not a visible digital stamp on a personal device
• Is accessed by border systems when passport data is scanned or entered

Official information about these changes is available on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship.html

Scope, evaluation and possible expansion

For now, the digital visa pilot system remains limited in size and scope:

• Only a small group of Moroccan citizens with approved visitor visas are included
• Participants still receive a paper sticker along with their digital record

Canada will use data from this group to evaluate:

1. How often airlines rely on digital checks
2. Whether border crossings proceed smoothly
3. How comfortable travelers feel without relying only on a visible visa label

If the test proves successful, officials have signaled the system could expand to more travelers and, over time, more countries. Any wider rollout would likely happen in stages, with additional pilots and technical work to match airline and border systems worldwide.

Traveler experience and transition

Even with a paper backup, the experience may feel new and uncertain for some travelers. Many people are accustomed to showing a physical visa in their passport as proof of permission to travel.

Canada’s decision to keep both digital and paper versions during the pilot is meant to:

• Reduce passenger anxiety
• Allow airline staff and foreign border officers time to trust electronic records
• Provide a smoother transition while IRCC collects real-world feedback

Feedback and next steps

As the pilot continues, IRCC is expected to collect comments from:

• Travelers
• Airlines
• Frontline border staff

That feedback will guide technical changes and policy decisions before any shift to digital-only visas.

Final takeaway: While the pilot currently affects only a limited group, its results could shape how Canada — and potentially other countries — handle visas for millions of visitors each year, starting with Morocco as the first country to participate in this digital era of border control.