Canada is a beautiful country. From the serenity to hustling cities, from wonders of
nature to sky lined by skyscrapers, from snow-covered canopies to rushing waterfalls and fields stretching to the horizon, everything about Canada is refreshing and irresistibly inviting.
Millions of visitors flock to the maple leaf country every year to experience its essence. Visitors are non-Canadian citizens and who are legally authorized to enter Canada for vacations, visiting family, conducting business, etc. Visitors to Canada must have a visitor visa with them and are subject to several
conditions.
Read further to know about visitor visa, its requirements, and how to apply.
What is a visitor visa and who needs it?
A Visitor Visa or Temporary Resident Visa is an official document that is placed in your passport and it shows that you meet the eligibility criteria required to enter Canada. You can apply for it online or on paper.
Most of the tourists need the visitor visa to travel to Canada or it may also be required if you are transiting through a Canadian airport on your way to some other destination. A Transit visa allows you to transit through a Canadian airport for up to 48 hours.
Most people need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada, but not both. Some may only be required to carry their valid passport. Whether or not you need a visa depends upon:
● Type of travel document you are planning to travel with
● The country that issued that travel document
● Nationality
● Your method of travel to Canada.
You can find out here if you need a visa or not.
How long can you stay?
Canada tourist visa is of two types: a) Single-entry which allows you to travel once, and b)Multiple-entry which permits you to travel for 6 months at a stretch and is valid for 10 years or till your passport expires (whichever is shorter).
At the port of entry, border services officer may allow you to stay more or less than six months, in whichever case, they will put the date in your passport by which you need to leave the country. You may also receive a document called Visitor Record showing the date you need to leave by. If you do not get a stamp in your passport, you can stay for 6 months or until your passport expires.
Eligibility
● You must
have a valid travel document like a passport
● Your passport is valid if- it is legal, not expired, and is acceptable to Canada (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada)
Unreliable travel documents which are not accepted:
– Any passport issued by Somalia
– Non-machine-readable passports issued by the Czech Republic
– Temporary passports issued by Republic of South Africa
– Provisional passports issued by Venezuela
● You must be in a good health state
● You must not have any criminal record or immigration-related convictions
● You should be able to convince an immigration officer that you have ties/ assets (job, home, financial assets, or family) that will take you back to your native country
● You must convince the immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit/ visa duration
● You must have enough money/bank balance for your stay in Canada
● You may need a medical exam and letter of invitation as well from someone who resides in Canada
People not allowed to enter Canada- You can be denied entering Canada due to several reasons including:
● Indulgence/ record of criminal activity
● Being involved in human rights violations
● Involved in organized crime
● Security, health, or financial reasons
Read more about inadmissibility to Canada.
Important Documents Required
You can apply for a visa through various Visa services. Before applying, the following documents are required (Remember, for any international trip, proper documentation is very important):
● Your original and real passport with a minimum 2 blank Visa pages
● 2 latest and recognizable passport size photographs with no borders and having a white background. The photos must have a semi-matte or matte finish and significant face cover. Your date of birth and name must be specified on the backside. It should have not been used for Visas earlier and must be clicked within the last 90 days.
● Employment proof from the current employer. It can be a NOC – No Objection Certificate, or an appointment letter or a Salary slip. These documents must clearly specify all the details relevant to your current job.
● A bank statement that has details of all the transactions in the last 6 months. It must include all transactions such as occupational viability, fixed deposits,
property purchases, and foreign slips.
● A cover letter for your Visa on the letterhead of your company
● You will be required to pay 100CAD as the visitor visa fee. Also, you must have enough bank balance to show that you will be able to support yourself during the visit. It will take around 45 days for the processing of your request.
In case any of your document is not in English or French, you must submit the
following:
● The English/ French translation
● An affidavit from the person who completes the translation if they are not a certified translator
● A certified copy of the original document
How to Apply?
You can submit your application online/ via mail, or on paper. For visa application and detailed instructions as per your method of application visit HERE.
If you apply online or via mail, you will have to pay the biometrics fee after that
you can give your biometrics when you get a biometric instruction letter (BIL). It will have a list of official locations that you can choose from for submitting biometrics. If you are planning to submit your application in person at a visa application centre (VAC), you may book an advance appointment to give your biometrics and visa application at the same time. Biometrics can be submitted later as well. You have to submit your biometrics at an official biometric collection service point.
Visit HERE for the complete step-by-step guide and FAQs.
After applying
After applying you need to give biometrics (fingerprints and photo). Upon submitting the application and paying the biometrics fee, you will receive a letter regarding how and where to give your biometrics in person. You will have 30 days for the same.
Your visa application will be processed and checked thoroughly. If it is incomplete the application will not be processed. You may be asked to:
● Go to an interview with Canadian officials in your country.
● Send more information.
● Get a medical exam done.
● Get a police certificate
You will be instructed on how to do any of the above if required.
The processing time of visa application varies with country, visa office, and whether you need to do any extra steps. After processing the original documents and passport will be returned to you except the original bank statements or any document found to be fake.
If your application is approved, you will get your passport with the visa stamped inside it otherwise, you will be informed about the reason for the rejection of visa application. When you arrive in Canada, you will be checked for correct identity, through your fingerprints and information provided by you, depending on how you enter the country.
If you pass the identity check and meet the entry requirements, the border services officer may stamp your passport or let you know the period for which you can stay. Normally, you will be allowed to stay for 6 months.
