Operational Bulletin 168 – December 18, 2009

Enhanced visa services offered in the Czech Republic

Background

On December 5, 2007, the visa section of the Embassy of Canada in Prague was closed after the Government of Canada had removed the visa requirement for nationals of the Czech Republic on October 1, 2007. Following the removal of the visa requirement, there was a review of the visa criteria causing Canada to re-impose the visa requirement on July 14^th, 2009.

Since the visa requirement was re-introduced in July, CIC has provided applicants from the Czech Republic with a number of options to submit their applications to the Canadian Embassy in Vienna which have included mail, using the service of an authorized travel agent, and a drop-box at the Canadian Embassy in Prague.

New Procedures

Effective December 21, 2009, applicants for temporary resident visas (TRVs) may now submit applications directly at the re-established visa office in Prague in person, by mail or through an authorized travel agent. They will also be able to pick up their visas at the Embassy in Prague. It should be noted that visa counterfoils will be printed by remote CAIPS and will state: “issued at PRAGUE”.

Responsibility for managing the visa office in Prague rests with the Canadian Embassy in Vienna which is a regional processing centre for visa operations in several countries, including the Czech Republic. Applicants from the Czech Republic applying for study permits, work permits, travel documents (for permanent residents abroad) or permanent residence visas will be required to submit their applications directly to the Canadian Embassy in Vienna for processing.

Processing time for TRV applications in Prague will be 10 working days. Travel agents, like individual applicants, will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. One locally-engaged staff will be available in Prague to receive TRV applications and answer questions. The visa office in Prague will be open to the public Monday to Friday from:

• 8:30-11:30 to receive new applications, and
• 14:30-15:30 to pick up passports/visas

A Canada based visa officer from Vienna will travel to Prague on a regular basis to manage the TRV application process in Prague. TRV applications from residents of the Czech Republic will continue to be accepted at the Canadian Embassy in Vienna as well as at other Canadian missions offering TRV services. Detailed information is available on the websites of the Canadian Embassies in both Vienna and Prague.