The following information was provided to the DIRB by a representative of the Ministerial Inquiry Unit at Citizenship and Immigration Canada in Ottawa on 11 March 1994.

Any Ethiopian athlete who intends to visit Canada to take part in an international competition must apply for a visa through the Embassy of Canada in Addis Ababa. The applicant must satisfy Canadian visa officials in Ethiopia that he will return to Ethiopia before his visa expires. Canadian visa officials may grant the visa if, among other considerations, the organizers of the competition confirm that the athlete will be taking part in the event and will return to Ethiopia before the visa expires. To obtain a visa, the applicant must fill out an application and submit his passport to the Embassy of Canada. If application is made by mail, the applicant must mail in his passport.

Canadian visa officials will usually grant a Canadian visitors visa to an Ethiopian citizen if they are satisfied that he is employed in Ethiopia, that he will still be employed when he returns from Canada, that he has his employer's permission to take leave for the purpose of his trip, that he has the financial means to travel to and return from Canada, that he has relatives in Canada who can sustain him financially during his stay, and that his relatives are employed and have permanent resident status in Canada. If Canadian visa officials are not satisfied with the information provided in the application form or require further information, the applicant will be given an appointment for an interview. The maximum waiting period to obtain a visa should not exceed three months, and applicant must pay a Cdn$50 fee to cover the cost of processing the application.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ministerial Inquiry Unit, Ottawa. 11 March 1994. Telephone interview with representative.