VISITOR VISA
Are you planning to visit Canada for tourism, business, or family reasons?
You need a visitor visa to enter this beautiful country. In this blog, we will share with you everything you need to know about the visitor visa in Canada, from the eligibility criteria to the application process. we will also give you some tips and tricks to increase your chances of getting approved.
A Visitor visa is a travel document that allows the beholder to enter a foreign country temporarily for a specific reason. The visitor visa is issued by the host government and it usually permits the visitor to stay in the country for a few weeks to several months. If the visa is approved, the visitor will receive a stamp in their passport or a separate travel document permitting them to enter. It is important to note that a visitor visa does not allow the holder to work or study in the country.
Canada welcomes more than 5 million people to visit Canada. Applicant needs to meet specific requirements depending on your country of residence or citizenship and the reason for your visit to Canada.
You can learn here more about Moving to Canada
A visitor visa (also known as a temporary resident visa “TRV”) is an official document that the IRCC sticks to in your passport. It shows that you meet the requirements needed to enter Canada.
Most travellers need a visitor visa to travel to Canada. You may also need one if you are transiting through a Canadian airport on your way to your final destination.
Do you need a visitor visa before you apply?
You may need a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization. The entry document you need depends on the following:
- the type of travel document you plan to travel with
- the country that issued your travel document
- your nationality
- your method of travel to Canada for this trip
Find out if you need a visitor visa. You can apply for a visitor visa online or on paper.
To visit Canada, you must:
- have a valid travel document, such as a passport;
- be in good health;
- satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home, and family, that will take you back to your country of origin;
- satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit, and
- have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay, and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region.
You may also need:
- a temporary resident visa, depending on your citizenship;
- a medical examination; and
- a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.
How long you can stay:
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada. At the port of entry, the border services officer (visa/immigration officer) may allow you to stay for less or more than 6 months. If so, they will put the date you need to leave in your passport. They might also give you a document, called a visitor record, which will show the date you need to leave by.
If you don’t get a stamp on your passport, you can stay for 6 months from the day you entered Canada or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can ask a border services officer (visa/immigration officer) for a stamp if you need one. If you arrive at an airport that uses primary inspection kiosks, ask the border officer after you finish at the kiosk.
Countries and territories whose citizens require visas to enter Canada as visitors: Click here
Inadmissibility:
Some people are inadmissible—they are not allowed to come to Canada. Several things can make you inadmissible, including involvement in criminal activity, human rights violations, or organized crime. You can also be inadmissible for security, health, or financial reasons.
Criminal inadmissibility:
If you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, you may not be allowed to enter Canada. Criminal offences include both minor and serious offences, such as theft, assault, manslaughter, dangerous driving, and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For a complete list of criminal offences in Canada, consult the Canadian Criminal Code.
Visitor Visa Exemptions
Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:
- Citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia (Republic of), Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa;
- Persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who have their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence;
- British citizens and British Overseas Citizens who are re-admissible to the United Kingdom;
- Citizens of British dependent territories who derive their citizenship through birth, descent, registration, or naturalization in one of the British dependent territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, or the Turks and Caicos Islands;
- Persons holding a British National (Overseas) Passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized, or registered in Hong Kong;
- British subjects who hold a passport issued by the United Kingdom and who have the “right of abode” there
- Persons holding a valid and subsisting Special Administrative Region passport issued by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;
- Persons holding an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes their personal identification number.
To learn more about this visa category, please visit: Citizenship and Immigration Canada