Canada’s Digital Visa Pilot Could Speed Airport Clearances

(CANADA) Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, known as IRCC, has launched a pilot digital visa that lets a small number of visitors keep a Canadian visitor visa on their phone and show it at the airport. The test, announced on November 27, 2025, is limited to invited Moroccan nationals who already received approval for a visitor visa. IRCC says the goal is to “speed and simplify airport checks” while keeping the familiar visa counterfoil in the passport as a backup if anything goes wrong with the device or system. Participants get both versions, so travel plans should not change today.

How the pilot works

In the pilot, travellers download a Government of Canada digital wallet that works on Apple and Android devices, store their digital visa inside it, and present it during airline check-in and again on arrival.

• The digital credential is protected by cryptographic safeguards, allowing verification of authenticity without relying on a screenshot or email.
• Airline agents and border officers are expected to use established validation tools to confirm the visa is real and still valid.
• The system is intended to let clients share only the information required for travel during this test.

Paper visa remains in place

IRCC stressed that the pilot does not remove the paper visa. Everyone invited will still receive the physical counterfoil (the sticker placed in the passport that airlines and the Canada Border Services Agency are used to seeing).

• The dual system matters because phones can fail — a battery can die, a screen can crack, or a traveller can arrive with roaming disabled.
• IRCC aims to reduce the need for clients to mail passports or submit them for counterfoil printing when a visa is already approved.
• The digital version lets IRCC test faster delivery without risking travellers during the pilot.

Scope, selection and voluntary participation

Media reports published on December 14, 2025 said up to 7,000 approved travellers could be invited, though IRCC describes the effort as a limited test.

• The choice to start with Moroccan nationals appears designed to keep the experiment controlled, limiting language and document variations while the technology is checked in travel.
• Invitations are voluntary: travellers who prefer the passport sticker can ignore the offer and travel as usual.
• The digital visa is not a new immigration status or a separate authorization; it is a digital copy of a visitor visa that IRCC has issued.

Broader goals and interoperability

Behind the experiment is a push inside Canada 🇨🇦 to move travel documents away from paper and toward credentials that can be verified in seconds. IRCC said the pilot aims to:

• Modernize service delivery
• Improve verification and security
• Test whether travellers can present only what an airline or officer needs, rather than exposing extra personal data

A crucial part of the work is compatibility with third parties, especially airlines that must confirm documents before boarding. If the test succeeds, airlines could scan a digital visa and receive a yes/no confirmation, reducing checks and errors.

How this fits with existing digital tools

Canada has been shifting parts of arrival screening online. Through ArriveCAN’s Advance Declaration, travellers can submit a declaration up to 72 hours before landing, then retrieve it at airport kiosks or eGates.

• The digital visa pilot is separate from ArriveCAN, but IRCC says it is meant to work with airline check-in systems and Canada Border Services Agency procedures.
• Identity checks still rely on scanning a passport or permanent resident card, so a digital visa would add to, not replace, those documents.

ArriveCAN info is on the CBSA website for travellers who want to complete paperwork before travel.

Benefits and operational challenges

For airlines:
– Faster processing at the check-in desk
– Fewer mistakes when staff try to read damaged or smudged passport pages or counterfoils

For travellers:
– Less fumbling with documents while juggling bags and boarding passes

Operational asks and challenges:
– Carriers must update training and equipment so staff can validate the digital visa, not just glance at a screen.
– Interoperability with third parties is a core test objective because airlines are gatekeepers.
– Border officers need workflows that treat a digital credential as trustworthy while remaining vigilant against fraud.

Open questions, privacy and public reaction

IRCC has not identified any invited travellers, and it has not published the technical rules behind the wallet, leaving applicants and privacy advocates watching closely.

• Canada has had mixed public reactions to digital border tools.
• Officials want to avoid confusion that could strand passengers at the gate.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com highlights whether airline systems in different countries can read the credential reliably, especially when a flight is delayed or rebooked.
• The government’s insistence on a dual paper-and-digital setup suggests it expects glitches and wants a safety net.

The digital visa is described as a supplement, not a replacement for a passport, and it is not the same as an electronic travel authorization (eTA) used by visa-exempt travellers.

Practical reminders for travellers

• Anyone outside the invitation group should assume nothing has changed: airlines will still ask to see a passport with the visa counterfoil when required, and officers will decide admissibility at the border.
• Travellers in the pilot are expected to keep their passport on hand even if they plan to show the credential on a phone.
• IRCC says the physical visa remains valid for all participants as backup.

Timeline, expansion and outlook

IRCC has not set a public end date for the pilot or promised expansion beyond Moroccan nationals, but it calls the test a step toward “modernize service delivery.” Any broader rollout would depend on:

1. How often travellers face technical trouble.
2. Whether airlines can validate credentials quickly during check-in.

The experiment comes as governments worldwide move toward digital travel credentials, raising worries about phone access and data protection. For now, the pilot keeps the counterfoil in place — a sign that Canada 🇨🇦 is not ready to go fully paperless at the border. IRCC said results will guide future decisions.