With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in full swing, new figures obtained by AS USA reveal that Canada approved barely four out of every ten visitor-visa or eTA applications flagged as World-Cup-related between 14 November 2025 and 31 March 2026. Of the roughly 17,000 files processed, just 41 % received a green light, highlighting stark disparities among source countries. Ghanaian supporters faced the steepest hurdle: only 11 % of 1,725 Ghanaian applicants were approved, compared with acceptance rates above 95 % for eTA-eligible nations such as Australia and Germany. Latin-American fans fared better—Colombia saw a 69 % approval rate and Panama over 80 %—reflecting both bilateral visa-waiver arrangements and earlier consular-outreach campaigns by IRCC and FIFA. IRCC officials defended the numbers, stressing that national security and immigration-integrity checks “remain unchanged” for the tournament. Applications that mention “FIFA World Cup 26” in the purpose-of-travel field are channelled to specialized teams for expedited processing, but normal admissibility rules apply. Immigration lawyers say the low overall approval rate is partly explained by a surge of first-time travellers from countries with historically high refusal rates, many of whom submitted incomplete financial documentation. From a business-mobility standpoint, the data matter because corporate sponsorship programmes rely on short-term transfers of staff, brand-ambassadors and VIP clients. Event agencies advise companies to file any remaining visa requests immediately and to identify employees who can enter Canada visa-free via the U.S. land border as a contingency. Airlines serving Toronto and Vancouver have quietly increased customer-service staffing to handle last-minute refusals at check-in. FIFA, which negotiated a bespoke accreditation system with U.S. and Mexican authorities, opted not to push Canada for a ‘special-event visa’ similar to those used at past World Cups in Brazil and Russia. Stakeholders say the absence of a streamlined permit may have deterred some international spectators, but hoteliers in host cities report near-full occupancy regardless, fuelled by domestic travellers and U.S. visitors who do not require Canadian visas.
Source: AS USA
