Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced that Canada will start issuing 10-year visas.

Currently, the maximum validity period for a multi-entry visa is five years.

"A new 10-year multiple-entry visa will make applying more efficient for applicants and better use government resources," he said in Toronto recently.

"More applications and higher expectations mean that Citizenship and Immigration Canada needs a more responsive and flexible processing system. To achieve that, the department is providing applicants and staff with the right tools to deliver on those expectations," he added.

Ten-year visas are in place for parents and grandparents, with sponsorship in progress. It may now be extended to other categories like business travelers and others.

Candice Malcolm, Kenney's press secretary, said CIC's visa change policy was also influenced by the fact that increasing number of countries had started issuing passports valid for 10 years.