The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the Carney government is exploring a kind of “quasi-membership” relationship between Canada and the European Union, bringing this bold idea into public discussion for the first time. However, this is not a formal application that has been submitted. There is currently neither an agreement text nor a clear legal framework. “Association membership” is not a unified status currently held by the EU and may ultimately be just a package of cooperation arrangements covering trade, security, energy, and the movement of people. The background is not complicated: Since Trump’s return to the White House in early 2025, trade friction between the US and Canada has continued to escalate, with tariffs imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars of cross-border trade, forcing Ottawa to accelerate its “turn toward Europe.” The EU has stated that it hopes to establish an “unprecedented new relationship” with Canada, but the two sides have not yet determined the specific form. What exactly does being a “prospective member” mean?1. Is it easier for Canadians to obtain visas to work in Europe?
What’s the situation now? Currently, Canadian passport holders can enter the Schengen Area visa-free for stays of up to 90 days (within 180 days), which is fine for tourism and short-term business. However, to obtain a regular employment contract in an EU country, you must comply with that country’s local immigration laws and apply for a separate work visa—there are no shortcuts. What might the future hold? Referring to existing non-EU “associate member” countries, there are two scenarios: Citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein (a member of the European Economic Area, EEA), and Switzerland (through bilateral agreements) have the same right to work and reside within the EU as EU citizens and do not require a work visa.
No free movement: Following Brexit, the UK signed the UK-EU Trade Cooperation Agreement (TCA). From January 1, 2021, UK citizens seeking regular employment within the EU still need to apply for work visas in each country. The TCA only facilitates exemptions from local labour market tests for intra-company transfers and certain independent professionals; it does not grant free movement.
It is currently impossible to determine whether Canadians will receive the same freedom of movement as members of the European Economic Area. A more realistic possibility is that key industries such as energy, artificial intelligence, defence, and critical minerals will be granted easier access to personnel, while whether ordinary employment will still require work permits applied for in each country remains to be negotiated. Carney has discussed visa arrangements for Canadians living and working in Europe with French President Macron, but details of the negotiations have not yet been made public.
What can you do now? Step 1: Confirm the type of work visa for your target country. Immigration policies vary among the 27 EU member states. For example, Germany’s skilled worker visa, the Netherlands’ highly skilled worker visa, and Ireland’s critical skills employment permit all have significantly different requirements and timelines. Step 2: Consider the EU Blue Card as an existing option. The EU’s 2021 updated Blue Card requirements have been lowered, applicable to highly skilled workers with employment contracts in EU member states. Canadians meet the basic eligibility criteria. However, applicants must first obtain a qualifying employment contract, and the rules vary from country to country; Ireland and Denmark do not participate in the EU Blue Card system. Step 3: Don’t wait for “prospective members” to be officially recognized before taking action. If you can apply under the existing rules, follow those rules. If the agreement is implemented, those already working in Europe will generally find it easier to apply the new rules. 2. If the child or the individual wants to go on an exchange program in Europe, is there an upgrade for Erasmus+?
What’s the situation now? Canadian students can now apply for the Erasmus+ exchange program—but the prerequisite is that your university must have signed an inter-institutional agreement with a European university. Without this agreement, individuals cannot apply directly, regardless of their academic performance. You can first check your university’s list of partner universities to see if any European institutions you are interested in are included. What might the future hold? Canadian universities are now able to participate in some Erasmus+ programs through partnerships with European institutions, but students typically cannot apply directly as individuals and must do so through their respective schools. If a future EU-Canada agreement expands Canada’s participation in Erasmus+, Canadian universities could gain access to more collaborative projects, exchange opportunities, and funding.
However, neither side has announced that Canada will become an Erasmus+ affiliate, and scholarship standards, credit transfer, and the scope of participating institutions remain undecided. Even if Canada becomes an affiliate in the future, student exchanges will typically still require participating institutions and signing academic or inter-institutional agreements. What can you do now? Step 1: Log in to the official website of the international office of your school and check the list of existing Erasmus+ partner institutions. Step 2: Find the Erasmus+ coordinator at your school and find out the school’s current ICM (International Credit Transfer) quota and application timeline—most schools only open an application window once a year, and if you miss it, you have to wait a year.
Step 3: If the school does not yet have a cooperation agreement with the target institution, it can report to the International Office to encourage the school to take the initiative to expand cooperation. The negotiation of the agreement is initiated by the school, and the students’ feedback on their needs is an effective driving force. As a fallback option: The Erasmus+ official website (erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu) has participation guidelines for non-EU countries, where you can directly check the latest rules and scholarship standards. 3. After becoming a “prospective member”, will it be cheaper to buy Canadian goods online from Europe?
What’s the situation now? In terms of tariffs, since CETA temporarily came into effect in September 2017, the EU has eliminated tariffs on 97.7% of Canadian goods, with a target of 99% zero by 2024. Almost all Canadian industrial products, forest products, and technology products face zero tariffs when entering the EU. Conversely, Canada also enjoys reciprocal openness to EU goods. There is essentially no room for further reductions in tariffs at the numerical level. Currently, less than 1% of goods that are not exempt from tariffs are mainly concentrated in sensitive agricultural products (such as poultry and eggs) that are strictly protected by tariff quotas.
Where do the real benefits of being a “prospective member” lie? There is virtually no room for further tariff reductions. Non-tariff barriers are the real frictions at present—repeated customs inspections, non-interoperable product standard certifications, and cumbersome animal and plant health quarantine procedures all increase customs clearance time and compliance costs for businesses. If both sides further recognize product standards and reduce redundant inspections, businesses’ customs clearance time and compliance costs may decrease. However, whether these savings will be reflected in retail prices depends on transportation, exchange rates, market competition, and retailer pricing; consumers may not feel the difference in the short term. What can you do now? No special action is needed at this stage. However, if you are involved in cross-border e-commerce or import/export trade, the following is recommended: Step 1: Check the CETA tariff classification table to confirm whether your product is within the zero-tariff range—many people don’t know that their products are actually already subject to 0 tariffs, and they end up paying extra compliance service fees.
Where do the real benefits of being a “prospective member” lie? There is virtually no room for further tariff reductions. Non-tariff barriers are the real frictions at present—repeated customs inspections, non-interoperable product standard certifications, and cumbersome animal and plant health quarantine procedures all increase customs clearance time and compliance costs for businesses. If both sides further recognize product standards and reduce redundant inspections, businesses’ customs clearance time and compliance costs may decrease. However, whether these savings will be reflected in retail prices depends on transportation, exchange rates, market competition, and retailer pricing; consumers may not feel the difference in the short term. What can you do now? No special action is needed at this stage. However, if you are involved in cross-border e-commerce or import/export trade, the following is recommended: Step 1: Check the CETA tariff classification table to confirm whether your product is within the zero tariff range—many people don’t know that their products are actually already subject to 0 tariffs, and they end up paying extra compliance service fees.