Canada has imposed visa restrictions on nationals from two Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as the North American country clamps down on people making false claims for resident status.
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said that nationals from St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines would now need a visa to travel enter the country.
The new requirement also covers citizens from Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland.
He said that with immediate effect citizens of these countries who are in transit to Canada at the time the visa requirement takes effect on Wednesday will be able to receive a Temporary Resident Permit on arrival in Canada, free of charge, if they are not otherwise inadmissible to Canada.
“We continue to welcome genuine visitors to Canada. However, these visa requirements will give us a greater ability to manage the flow of people into Canada,” Kenney said.