Canada Strikes Major Blow to Russian Travellers in 2026 as Visa Processing Halted In Russia, Forcing Applicants to Travel Abroad — Major Travel Chaos Unfolds!

On January 28, 2026, Canada implemented a major change in its visa operations that has left hundreds of Russian travellers scrambling to find alternative routes to enter Canada. The Government of Canada’s immigration and visa service infrastructure in Russia has stopped accepting passports and visa application documents — meaning Russians can no longer apply for Canadian tourist visas or other entry permits within their home country. This decision has immediate implications for anyone planning to visit Canada for leisure, family reasons, or short‑term travel.

Visa Centres in Russia Close Document Submission; Online Still Possible

According to official information from the Government of Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publications and updates, visa application centres in Russia remain physically open but no longer accept the essential paperwork needed to process travel documents. Applicants can still submit parts of their application online and may give biometric data — fingerprints and photos — at these locations, but complete application submission has been suspended.

This change marks a shift from the traditional process, where Russian citizens could complete almost the entire application cycle inside Russia — from submission to issuance — without leaving their country. Now, after applying online, they must travel to third countries where Canadian visa services are still fully operational.

Third‑Country Visa Centres Become the Only Path

Visa application centres for Canada in Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan have emerged as the closest alternatives for Russians. These centres accept visa document submissions and can process applications in full, meaning applicants must travel there to complete the process.

The official Government of Canada site listing visa application centres worldwide confirms that IRCC maintains a network of international offices and partner locations where visa processing normally continues for foreign applicants outside their home nations.

Official Government Position and Reasoning

Canadian authorities have not publicly framed the visa suspension as a punitive diplomatic response. Statements cited by secondary reporting suggest that halting document acceptance is part of broader efforts to modernize and streamline operations, enhance sustainability of services, and reduce overall administrative costs across global visa offices.

This approach mirrors other recent Canadian immigration updates on official IRCC pages, where temporary changes, operational policies, and resource reallocations are regularly communicated. However, Canada’s limited bilateral engagement with Russia, suspended since 2022 due to geopolitical circumstances linked to the Ukraine conflict, remains part of the broader context of cross‑border cooperation decisions.

Why It Matters to Russian Travellers

For Russian residents planning to visit Canada, this policy shift transforms a once‑routine visa application into a complex travel requirement. Instead of simply submitting documents in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, or other Russian cities, applicants must now:

• Pay for travel to a neighbouring country offering Canadian visa services;
• Find accommodation and transport outside Russia while the visas are being processed;
• Navigate foreign entry requirements and potential quarantine rules in the destination country.

These added logistical and financial burdens significantly increase the cost and complexity of visiting Canada, compared with the previous approach of local in‑country processing.

Visa Processing Times and Status Tracking Still Available Online

Despite the operational change, the Government of Canada maintains online tools that allow applicants to check their application status once the submission is complete. Through IRCC’s secure portal, travellers can track their visitor visa, work permit, or other documents once accepted for processing.

This means that while the initial submission has become more cumbersome, the online system continues to operate as before, providing internal visa status updates and communication from IRCC.

Comparative Global Context

Canada is not the only country to adjust visa access for Russian nationals. A number of Western countries have introduced stricter requirements or limitations in recent years against Russian visa processing, often citing geopolitical tensions. Such actions include enhanced screening, longer processing timelines, and in some cases suspension of services in major Russian cities.

For travellers and migration analysts, this reflects a broader trend in international visa policy, where geopolitical relations, security considerations, and global resource reallocation play into how countries manage foreign access.

Practical Advice for Affected Travellers

Authorities recommend that Russian nationals seeking Canadian visas now:

1. Apply for the visa online through the official IRCC portal;
2. Schedule biometric appointments at local centres in Russia;
3. Plan travel to a nearby country with full visa processing services — such as Yerevan (Armenia) or Almaty and Astana (Kazakhstan) — to complete submissions; and
4. Check entry requirements and travel advisories for the third country chosen.

These steps are essential in securing access to Canada under the newly updated system.

Looking Ahead: Policy Uncertainty and Future Travel Plans

The Government of Canada has not specified whether this change is temporary or permanent. Official visa policy notices on IRCC’s web pages continue to update other aspects of immigration, but no immediate reversal of the Russia document acceptance ban has been announced.

In the meantime, travellers must adapt to the new system — weighing extra travel costs and planning time against the desire to visit Canada. For many, what was once simple paperwork has now become a significant logistical challenge.

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