More Than Half of World Cup Ticket-Holders Denied Entry as Canada's Visa Crunch Deepens

New data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada shows that a striking share of visitor visa and electronic travel authorization applications tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been refused, according to reporting from CTV News and immigration-focused outlets including Jain Immigration Law. The figures, covering applications submitted between November 2025 and March 2026, point to an overall approval rate of roughly 41 percent across close to 17,000 World Cup-linked applications.

The refusal rate varied sharply by country. Indian applicants saw only 355 of 1,225 visitor visa applications approved, a refusal rate above 70 percent, while Bangladeshi applicants fared similarly poorly, with just 45 of 285 applications approved, according to figures cited by Jagonews24 and other outlets tracking the IRCC release.

Canadian officials have pushed back on the narrative that the country is uniquely restrictive, noting through the Canada Border Services Agency that there is no dedicated 'FIFA visa' and that World Cup travel does not create any special immigration status, exemption, or path to asylum. Applicants are instead evaluated under the same visitor visa and eTA rules that apply to any other trip.

Immigration lawyers say the refusal patterns reflect long-standing risk assessments tied to an applicant's home country, travel history, and ties to their country of residence, factors officers weigh regardless of a traveler's purpose. IRCC has encouraged World Cup-related applicants to reference 'FIFA World Cup 26' in their paperwork, officials say, primarily to allow the data tracking that produced this week's figures rather than to secure preferential treatment.

With Canada, the United States and Mexico co-hosting matches through the summer, immigration advisors are urging fans who were refused entry to review the specific grounds cited in their refusal letters before reapplying, since a failed application for one match can complicate future travel to Canada if the underlying concerns are not addressed.