image source: bahamaslondon.net
One of the great things about being a Canadian Permanent Resident is the opportunity to travel more and explore! Many people like to travel and visit new places outside the country they live in but the hassle of applying for a visa and the financial implication kind of puts a clog in that adventure wheel. Thankfully, if you’re a Canadian permanent resident, there are quite a number of countries you can visit without needing a visa. Just buy your ticket, make accommodation arrangements and you’re good to go!
Here’s a list of countries you can visit visa-free as a Canadian PR and the conditions under which you can do this.
All Dutch Caribbean territories (90 days)
Bahamas (30 days)
Bermuda (maximum 6 months)
Cayman Islands (60 days)
Costa Rica (30 days, PR card must be valid for more than six months)
Cuba (30 days, PR card and a current and valid passport required)
Dominican Republic
Georgia (90 days in 180 days).
Guatemala
Jamaica
Mexico (6 months)
Nicaragua (90 days within 180 days, not applicable to all nationalities)
Panama (30 days or 180 days)
South Korea (30 days when in transit, not applicable to all nationalities)
Taiwan (30 days, online registration required, only applicable to certain nationalities)
Turks and Caicos Islands (90 days)
United Kingdom (applies to all nationalities; must be in transit to/from Canada; visa valid for 24 hours only).
Of all the places on this list, some of the places I’m most excited to explore are Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas and Mexico. Unfortunately, the United States is not on this list but as a Canadian Permanent Resident, getting a US visa is very easy. All you have to do is apply online with about $230 CAD and you will most likely be given a visa. The best part is that you would be given a 10-year visa in most cases.
I recently applied for mine and would be having my interview soon I’ll definitely share the outcome and tips for applying when I get it. There are many states in the US that are even closer to some parts of Canada than some provinces in Canada. There are 13 states which share a border with Canada-Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. You can do a road trip to many of them when you get your US visa.
In the meantime, the world is yours to discover. Go ahead and plan a vacation, celebrate your anniversary and basically live your adventure!
