Title: Canadian Passport Offers More Visa-Free Access Than U.S. Passport

OTTAWA - Canadian passport holders now enjoy greater visa-free access to countries around the world compared to their American counterparts. According to the Henley Passport Index, Canada ranks 9th in terms of the number of countries its citizens can visit without a visa, while the U.S. passport is ranked 12th. A year ago, both countries were tied at 7th place in the same ranking system, which categorizes countries based on their visa-free access.

Henley and Partners, which has published this ranking for 20 years, attributes the change to several countries implementing reciprocal policies in response to new U.S. visa restrictions and stringent entry requirements. As a result, Canadians can travel to Belarus, Papua New Guinea, and Uzbekistan without needing a visa. They can also enter Bolivia and Rwanda without a visa upon arrival.

When examining the passport index in more detail, Canada ranks 32nd for overall visa-free travel, while the U.S. ranks 37th. Both countries held the 26th position in the previous year's rankings. This shift highlights the evolving landscape of international travel and the impact of visa policies on global mobility.