Canada Launches Digital Visa Pilot

Canada Launches Digital Visa Pilot for Moroccan Travelers (November 2025)

A major step toward paperless immigration:

Everything you need to know about the NEW IRCC digital visa test.

Date: November 28, 2025 Category: Canadian Immigration News

At a Glance: The 2025 Digital Visa Pilot

• Launch Date: November 27, 2025

• Who is Eligible: Select Moroccan citizens (by invitation only).

• What You Get: A digital visa file plus the standard physical passport sticker.

• Purpose: To test airline compatibility and gather user feedback for a future full rollout.

The Future of Travel: Canada Tests Digital Visas

The Government of Canada has officially begun testing digital visas, marking a significant milestone in modernizing the country's immigration system. As of November 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is running a limited-time pilot program specifically for Moroccan citizens.

This initiative is part of a broader move to make travel to Canada faster, safer, and more convenient. By moving away from physical paper trails, Canada aims to align with international security standards while improving the experience for travelers.

How the Pilot Works

For this specific test phase, participation is by invitation only.

A small group of Moroccan citizens who have already been approved for a visitor visa will be invited to participate. If selected, these travelers will receive a digital version of their visa electronically. However, because this is a test, they will also receive the physical visa counterfoil (sticker) in their passport.

Participants will be asked to use the digital visa during their travel journey, allowing the government to test how well the digital credentials work with airline systems and border control verification.

Why Digital Visas?

Shifting to digital offers massive benefits for future applicants:

1. Speed: Eliminates the time spent mailing passports back and forth.

2. Security: Digital signatures make documents harder to forge than physical stickers.

3. Privacy: Travelers can share only the specific data required for verification, rather than handing over their entire physical passport for inspection at every checkpoint.

4. Cost: Reduces the environmental and financial cost of printing and shipping physical documents.

Important for Moroccan Travelers: Check Your eTA Eligibility

While this pilot is exciting, many Moroccan citizens may not need a visitor visa at all.

Moroccan nationals who have held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years, or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa, may be eligible for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). An eTA is faster to process and costs only $7 CAD.

[Link: Check if you are eligible for an eTA here]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We have compiled the most common questions to help you understand this new pilot.

Q: Can I apply for a digital visa directly? A: No. You cannot apply specifically for a digital visa at this time. The pilot is by invitation only for select Moroccan applicants who are already in the visitor visa process.

Q: Will I still get a sticker in my passport? A: Yes. During this 2025 pilot phase, all participants will receive both the digital visa file and the physical counterfoil in their passport to ensure seamless travel.

Q: Is the digital visa safe to use? A: Yes. IRCC has developed the digital visa in collaboration with federal partners to ensure it meets strict Canadian and international privacy and security standards.

Q: When will digital visas be available for everyone? A: There is no official date for a full rollout yet. The feedback gathered from this Moroccan pilot will determine the timeline for expanding digital visas to other countries and visa types.

What This Means for the Future

This pilot is a "learning phase" for the Government of Canada. The data collected will help design a user-friendly system that eventually removes the need for physical passport submission.

Stay tuned to our blog for updates on how this technology evolves and when it might become the standard for all travelers to Canada.

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