Canada Pilots Digital Visas

The pilot is part of IRCC’s broader Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) initiative. The DPM program aims to upgrade the department’s technology platforms and processes and improve service delivery.

Here’s a look at what is being tested, why, and what it could mean for future visitors and newcomers to Canada.

Key Takeaways:

• The digital visa pilot will allow selected Moroccan citizens to get a digital version of their visitor visa.
• The initiative is part of IRCC’s digital modernization efforts to improve applicant experience, reduce processing times, and enhance service delivery.
• Feedback from pilot participants will help IRCC plan a safe, accessible, and user-friendly digital visa program.
• For most visa applicants, nothing changes right now. Dates for broader rollout have not been planned.

Quick Refresher on Visas

Most foreign nationals need a visa (also called a Temporary Residence Visa or TRV) to travel to Canada. Travellers from some countries are visa-exempt and require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) instead. Unlike the online eTA process, the visa process involves placing a physical sticker in the applicant’s passport.

A TRV isn’t just for visitors. Other temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers, are also issued visas along with their study or work permits.

The difference between a visa and a permit? A visa only allows you to enter and remain in Canada. On the other hand, a permit allows you to work or study after entering Canada.

Why is IRCC Testing Digital Visas?

In 2023, IRCC began modernizing its digital systems and adopting new technologies to improve back-end processing and the applicant experience.

One of the approved projects under the DPM program is a digital visa/permit pilot, with IRCC just announcing the digital visa pilot. The results of this pilot will help the government ensure that digital visas are safe, accessible, and easy to use. The pilot will also allow IRCC to check if digital visas work with the technology used by international airlines and airports.

But why? The government eventually wants to move toward fully digital documents and eliminate the printing and mailing of visas and permits. This could lower costs for applicants and improve processing times.

Digital visas will also have security and verification features to make travel to Canada safer and more convenient.

What Exactly is The Digital Visa Pilot About?

A small group of Moroccan citizens whose visitor visa applications have already been approved will be invited to receive a digital visa. This will be in addition to the printed counterfoils that are pasted in the applicants’ passports.

The current pilot is for a limited time only. Only visitor visa applicants who have been invited to participate by the IRCC can be part of the pilot. The feedback IRCC collects from participants will help design safe, secure, and user-friendly digital immigration documents.

What We Don’t Know Yet

Given the limited scope of the pilot, many details are still unclear. We’re keeping an eye out for more information on these questions.

• How many participants will be invited for the pilot?
• When will the pilot project end?
• How will airlines and international airports process digital visas?
• What is the planned timeline for a wider digital visa rollout?

The Transition Binder, prepared when Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab was appointed in May 2025, also mentions a digital permits pilot. It remains to be seen whether a separate pilot for permits will be announced.

What This Could Mean For You

Nothing changes for you right now, unless you’re part of the small group of Moroccan citizens selected for this pilot.

Most applicants approved for a Canadian visitor visa will still be asked to submit their passports to receive visas. The visa or TRV is a physical counterfoil or sticker placed in your passport by your local visa office.

Eventually, if the digital visa pilot is successful, we expect that the government might phase out printed visas over time. If digital visas are launched, the temporary residence application process for Canada will change. Visitor visa, study permit, and work permit applicants will no longer have to send their passports to the visa office to receive visas. Once your application is approved, you’ll receive a digital version of your visa, perhaps through your IRCC account.

Digital visas could mean faster visa delivery, so future travellers can fly to Canada sooner. The digital process may cut the risk of lost or delayed paperwork from postal issues. It could also lower courier costs for applicants.

What Happens Next?

If you’re from a visa-required country and plan to apply for a visitor visa, work permit, or study permit in 2026, keep an eye on IRCC’s updates. The pilot could expand to include participants from other countries, or the government could decide to test digital permits as well.

When the pilot ends, watch for official communication from the IRCC on next steps. That said, we don’t expect a full-scale rollout of digital visas any time soon. The DPM Main Estimates and the Minister’s Transition Binder do not mention expanding digital visas beyond this pilot until at least the end of 2026.

This pilot is an important starting point. it signals real movement toward a more modern, digital system. We’re hoping to see the teased digital permits pilot launch in 2026, because shifting from paper-based permits to digital ones, once widely implemented, could bring major benefits for all foreign nationals in Canada. But at the very least, this new visa pilot is a clear first step in that direction.

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