The number of Chinese nationals who are being approved for 10-year multiple entry visas is skyrocketing, according to the South China Morning Post. Since 2010, the number of approvals for the program has increased twenty fold to 400,000 for 2015.

Long-term temporary resident visas began becoming popular in China in 2010 when Beijing granted Canada Approved Destination Status, allowing the Canadian Tourism Commission to market directly to Chinese tourists.

According to Statistics Canada, China is rapidly approaching the number two spot for foreign residents visiting Canada, which would knock the United Kingdom out of that spot. The U.K. had over 700,000 visitors come to Canada in the last year alone. The indisputable leader, however, continues to be the United States where over 22 million visitors crossed the border in 2015, almost equalling the population of Canada itself!

The dramatic increase in Chinese tourism is also the product of Canadian government policy. On February 6th, 2014, Canadian Immigration began to consider all visa applicants for the multi-entry visas, even if applicants had only requested a single entry visa.

It is true that the increased traffic in long-term visitors has put pressure on local housing markets, particularly in Vancouver. However, Canada’s reputation as one of the premier destinations for international travel in the world is set to continue. For information on how to apply for a multiple-entry visa, contact your local immigration and refugee law offices.