After high-level talks in Beijing on 16 January between President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Chinese officials told reporters that a 30-day unilateral visa waiver for ordinary Canadian passport-holders is “under active consideration.” Foreign-ministry spokespeople reiterated the plan on 17 January, yet the National Immigration Administration (NIA) has not issued the implementing circular required to make the policy legally effective.
Until that notice is gazetted, Canadians must continue to obtain visas unless eligible for China’s 24/72/144-hour transit-without-visa schemes or Hainan’s existing waiver. Airlines have warned check-in staff to deny boarding to Canadians who arrive without visas; mobility managers should therefore keep reserving consular slots and allow four-to-five working days for processing.
In the meantime, firms can leverage VisaHQ’s online China visa platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) to automate paperwork, lock in appointment times, and receive real-time status alerts—saving HR teams valuable hours while the waiver details are finalized.
![Beijing signals possible 30-day visa-free access for Canadians—implementation still pending]()
If enacted, the exemption would scrap multi-entry visa fees that often exceed CAD 200 per executive per year and simplify last-minute travel for Canada-to-China agri-food audits and critical-minerals negotiations. HR teams should be ready to update travel-policy matrices covering length-of-stay limits, barred activities (employment, study, journalism) and proof-of-funds thresholds.
Diplomatically, Beijing’s olive branch follows years of chill stemming from the 2018 detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou and Ottawa’s 5G equipment ban. Analysts caution that Canada is unlikely to reciprocate soon because Chinese nationals are already subject to eTA screening rather than full visas for short visits.
Global-mobility teams should monitor NIA bulletins daily and prepare for a surge in bookings once the waiver launches—particularly in the run-up to Canada-China trade fairs scheduled for Q2 2026.
Until that notice is gazetted, Canadians must continue to obtain visas unless eligible for China’s 24/72/144-hour transit-without-visa schemes or Hainan’s existing waiver. Airlines have warned check-in staff to deny boarding to Canadians who arrive without visas; mobility managers should therefore keep reserving consular slots and allow four-to-five working days for processing.
In the meantime, firms can leverage VisaHQ’s online China visa platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) to automate paperwork, lock in appointment times, and receive real-time status alerts—saving HR teams valuable hours while the waiver details are finalized.
If enacted, the exemption would scrap multi-entry visa fees that often exceed CAD 200 per executive per year and simplify last-minute travel for Canada-to-China agri-food audits and critical-minerals negotiations. HR teams should be ready to update travel-policy matrices covering length-of-stay limits, barred activities (employment, study, journalism) and proof-of-funds thresholds.
Diplomatically, Beijing’s olive branch follows years of chill stemming from the 2018 detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou and Ottawa’s 5G equipment ban. Analysts caution that Canada is unlikely to reciprocate soon because Chinese nationals are already subject to eTA screening rather than full visas for short visits.
Global-mobility teams should monitor NIA bulletins daily and prepare for a surge in bookings once the waiver launches—particularly in the run-up to Canada-China trade fairs scheduled for Q2 2026.
