After you apply, IRCC emails you one of three messages — confirmation of receipt, a document request, or an approval — and the type is stated in the first few lines. An approval email lists three things: your eTA number, its expiry date, and the passport number it is linked to. The confirmation of receipt carries an application number starting with V. Most applications get a decision within minutes; if yours is taking longer, you’ll receive an email within 72 hours that tells you exactly what’s needed. ...

Many travellers believe an approved eTA lets them visit Canada as often as they want without reapplying. That’s partially true—but each arrival is a fresh border decision, and your eTA can expire or become invalid between trips in ways you might not expect. So: does one eTA approval cover unlimited future trips? The short answer is that a single eTA can support multiple visits within its validity window, but it does not pre-approve you for any of them. Every time you land at a Canadian airport, a border services officer decides independently whether you meet the entry requirements that day. The eTA is a prerequisite for boarding the flight—not a guarantee of what happens next. ...

You’ve submitted a Canada eTA with the wrong passport number. There’s no amendment process — the only path forward is a fresh application with the correct number. An eTA is electronically linked to the passport you used to apply, which means the one you submitted is tied to a number that doesn’t match your physical document. Even if it was approved, it won’t clear the airline’s system when they scan the passport you’re actually carrying. Submit the new application before you do anything else. ...

Before you open the application form, stop and confirm one thing: is an eTA actually the document you need? This is the error that wastes the most effort. Eligibility first, form second. An eTA only covers air travel to Canada as a visitor — if you’re transiting, studying, or working, or if your nationality puts you in a different category entirely, you may need something else altogether. Confirm that now, before you type a single character into a form. ...

Many dual nationals assume they can pick whichever passport is most convenient for a Canada trip. That’s not how it works. The passport you must use depends entirely on which citizenship you hold — and in most cases, there’s exactly one right answer, not a menu of options. For a worked example, see Canada eTA for UK citizens. Check the full list of eTA-eligible countries to confirm which of your passports actually needs an eTA in the first place. ...