Canada has announced its decision to lift visas for Czech nationals as of November 14. The Canadian ambassador to Prague, Otto Jelínek, made the announcement at a press briefing on Thursday saying the move had been linked to the introduction of a stricter asylum law in Canada. Visa-free travel will be possible for a period of up to six months.

Ottawa reimposed visas on Czechs in 2009 following a wave of Czech asylum seekers. It had come under increasing pressure from Prague to remove the travel restriction, with Czech officials linking the issue to the country’s approval of a key trade agreement between Canada and the EU.