Tag Issuance

There is a new low in Canada–India relations after India allegedly was involved in the killing of a Sikh Canadian on Canadian soil.

India halted visa issuance for Canadians on Thursday, but Canada continues to issue visas to Indians. Existing visas that India has issued are valid.

The suspension of visa issuance to Canadians applies to visas issued worldwide, including e-visas that you can apply on the government website without visiting an Indian embassy or consulate.

Air Canada has issued the following Travel Waiver:

Flexible change fee waiver due to suspension of India visa services

September 21, 2023

Because of the suspension of India’s visa services, we understand that you may want to make alternate travel arrangements. If you currently have a reservation, Air Canada has implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary without penalty if:

You purchased an Air Canada ticket no later than September 21, 2023, for travel between now and October 15, 2023.

Your itinerary includes a flight from anywhere in Canada to India as a final destination.

If you are scheduled to travel during the affected period, you can retrieve your booking to change your flight one time, without penalty up to 2 hours before your departure. Please note that any difference in fare would still apply.

If you purchased your ticket with Air Canada Vacations, please reach out to them directly.

And if you require assistance, you can contact us at 1-888-247-2262 (or 1 800 361-5373 if yours is an Aeroplan flight reward).

Conclusion

It is quite unprecedented if the Indian government or its diplomats have been involved in the killing of a naturalized Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.

India has unilaterally stopped visa issuance to Canadians, which likely won’t help their cause. It is not like India is the most exciting tourist destination for those without any connections to the country.

I applied for the e-visa the other week, which was issued within 24 hours, as I am heading to New Delhi for a few days this coming week.

India’s government should hire one of the outsourcing consultancies in the country to redo the e-visa website, which reminds me of the 1990s.

On Friday (August 4, 2023), Japan suspended the registration and card issuance for its Trusted Traveler Program with no advance notice but resumed the service today (August 7, 2023).

Japan launched a Trusted Travel Program (TTP) in 2017 with very scarce information about its eligibility requirements (read more here, here, and here).

You can access Japan’s page for TTP here.

The program was relaunched with little fanfare in early 2023, and the eligibility criteria were significantly expanded. Sebastian and I wrote about our application experiences (read more here and here).

Notice on TTP’s website (Google Translate):

* TTP has been temporarily suspended since August 4, 2023, but is now available for all users. (As of August 7, 2023)

TTP Application Issues:

The issue with this TTP program has been the rather long inspection progress once you fill out the required information and upload documents on the website (six weeks, in my case).

The time it takes at the airport to inspect the documents, collect the revenue stamps, read the fingerprints, and issue the card at the airport (mine took 50 minutes). (You can do this at select immigration offices too, but they may be even more congested.)

Japan Trusted Traveler Program Registration Experiences in 2023:

Experience Report: Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Is Now Open For New Applications & Entry Via Automated Gates

Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Application Experience

Conclusion

Not sure why Japan suspended the program for the weekend with no notice that they are bringing it back three days later. Those that had planned to collect their TTP card at the airport while exiting the country couldn’t.

As I have said before, they should restructure this entire application process because the processing time once you upload the documents on the website is weeks, and the final inspection and card issuance takes significant time at the airport.

The entire program has been under the table and only worthwhile due to the red tape for those visiting the country several times a year and want to ensure that their arrival experience is smooth.

I am back in Japan this autumn and happy to see how these automated gates work with the issued TTP card.

Japan launched a Trusted Travel Program (TTP) in 2017 with very scarce information about its eligibility requirements (read more here, here, and here).

The program was relaunched with little fanfare in early 2023, and the eligibility criteria were significantly expanded. Sebastian and I wrote about our application experiences (read more here and here).

You can access Japan’s page for TTP here.

UPDATE: Japan reinstates the TTP program on August 7, 2023.

Japan Resumes Trusted Traveler Program Registrations & Card Issuance

A reader sent us a message that there is now a note on TTP’s website that new registration for the program and card issuance have been suspended. The existing cards can be used until they expire.

Notice on TTP’s website:

Currently, TTP is temporarily suspending User registration applications and immigration card information registration .
Those who have already registered immigration card information can use the automated gates.
We will inform you about the reopening date on this page as soon as it is decided. (As of August 4, 2023)

The issue with this TTP program has been the rather long inspection progress once you fill out the required information and upload documents on the website (six weeks in my case). The time it takes at the airport to inspect the documents, collect the revenue stamps, read the fingerprints and issue the card (mine took 50 minutes).

Japan Trusted Traveler Program Registration Experiences in 2023:

Experience Report: Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Is Now Open For New Applications & Entry Via Automated Gates

Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Application Experience

Conclusion

Japan should relaunch the program but make it more streamlined because, in its current form, it takes way too much time and human resources at the airport.

The entire program has been somewhat under the table and really only worthwhile, due to the red tape, for those visiting the country several times a year.

There are instances where the immigration lines have been backed up due to many arriving foreign passengers, but my experiences in the past 10 months have been smooth.

I am back in Japan this autumn and happy to see how these automated gates work with the issued TTP card.