Canada’s immigration authorities have disclosed new details of the country’s visitor screening system, including the more than 40 national policy criteria used to determine visa requirements for foreign travellers.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) disclosed the details in its 2026 Deputy Minister transition briefing, published on its X account on Wednesday.
The department said visitor applications were projected to reach about 5.8 million, prompting the continued use of risk-based measures to protect the integrity of Canada’s immigration and border systems.
IRCC explained that its Visa Policy Framework uses more than 40 national-level criteria to determine whether citizens of a particular country require a traditional visitor visa or qualify for visa-exempt travel.
The criteria include safety and security considerations, the integrity and management of foreign passports, economic and bilateral interests, as well as migration trends.
Migration-related considerations include asylum claim volumes and records of visa violations, such as unauthorised work or study.
However, IRCC stressed that the more than 40 criteria are used to determine visa requirements at the country level and are not a points-based system for assessing individual applicants.
For individuals applying for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), immigration officers conduct case-by-case assessments based on the applicant’s circumstances.
Officers consider factors such as travel history, employment, family ties and other evidence to determine whether an applicant is likely to leave Canada at the end of an authorised stay.
Applicants must also demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support themselves during their visit, although IRCC said there is no mandatory minimum bank balance applicable to every applicant.
Individual applicants are also subject to admissibility checks covering health, criminality and security concerns.
Files considered higher risk may be referred for additional screening involving the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
To manage increasing application volumes and identify potential risks, IRCC said it had also strengthened its broader integrity-monitoring systems.
One of the measures is the Global Risk Framework (GRF), launched in late 2025 as an early-warning mechanism for monitoring international migration trends and identifying potential integrity risks before they contribute to processing backlogs.
The department also highlighted its biometric enrolment system, which processes nearly 3.5 million biometric records annually through 166 overseas Visa Application Centres.
The biometric information is used to help verify applicants’ identities and check them against relevant security and previous immigration records.
IRCC said the enhanced screening measures were intended to address potential misuse of Canada’s immigration system while continuing to facilitate legitimate international travel.
The department maintained that genuine visitors who meet Canada’s entry requirements remain an important part of the country’s tourism and wider economy.
