Skip links

Canada’s Visitor Visa

Canada’s visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa or TRV) is an official document that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sticks in your passport. It shows that you meet the requirements needed to enter Canada. Most travelers need a visitor visa to travel to Canada. You may also need one if you’re transiting through a Canadian airport on your way to your final destination. To apply for a visitor visa, transit visa, or super visa you can apply either online or on paper.

Different Types of Visitor Visa

There are two types of Canadian visitor visas: Single Entry visas and Multiple Entry visas. There is also a special type of tourist visa called Super Visa.

Single Entry Visa

A Single Entry visa allows foreign nationals to enter Canada for one time only. Therefore, if you intend to travel to this country again, you must apply for a visa again.

Multiple Entry Visa

A Multiple Entry visa allows you to enter and leave Canada as often as you want as long as the visa is valid. It’s good to know that applicants are automatically considered for Multiple Entry visas and are only issued Single Entry visas under special circumstances.

Super Visa

Canada’s super visa is a kind of temporary residence visa that is granted to qualified applicants in the form of a Multiple Entry visitor visa. This visa, which is valid for up to 10 years, allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to enter and stay in Canada for 5 years in a row without the need to leave the borders or extend their residence status at each entrance.

Length of stay

Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada. Nevertheless, service officers at the border may allow you to stay for less or more than this duration. If so, they’ll put the date you need to leave in your passport. In case of not getting a stamp in your passport, you can stay for 6 months from the day you entered Canada or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. If you need a stamp, you can ask a border services officer for one.

Who Needs a Visitor Visa?

Except for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or visa-exempt nationalities, others require a visitor visa. It’s noteworthy to mention that Canadian permanent residents are not allowed to apply for a visitor visa, even if their permanent resident card has expired. So, they should instead apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD). Also, Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, are not allowed to apply for a visitor visa and they should be traveling on a valid Canadian passport.

How to apply for a Visitor Visa?

As an applicant who needs a visitor visa to enter Canada, you can apply online, with a paper application, or in person at a Visa Application Center (VAC). If you are traveling as a family, each family member must complete their own application form. You may be required to include biometric information in your application, depending on your country of citizenship. If biometrics are required, you will need to provide your fingerprints and photograph at a biometric collection service point. Normally, biometrics are collected after submitting the visitor visa application; nevertheless, they can be collected at the same time as submission if you are submitting your visa in person at a Visa Application Center (VAC).

Extending a Visitor Visa

Visitor visas, whether Single Entry or Multiple Entry, allow you to legally stay in Canada for up to six months at a time; at the end of this period, your legal status will expire and you must leave Canada. If you would like to extend your stay beyond six months, you must apply to do so while your temporary resident status is still valid. Keep in mind that you should apply for an extension at least 30 days before your status expires. If your current visa expires while your extension application is being processed, you are allowed to stay in Canada while waiting for the final decision of IRCC.

Steps to Apply for a Visitor Visa

You can apply for a Visitor Visa by following the below steps:

Step 1: Provide the necessary documents

The documents you need to submit with your visa application depend on the purpose of your travel to Canada. Assuming that you are visiting a close family member for less than 6 months, here is a list of the documents you must or better submit with your visa application and bring when you travel. Some of these documents are not required, but they can change the opinion of the immigration officer in your favor.

Document

Required?

Identity document

(passport/refugee travel documents/etc.)

YES

Use of a representative (IMM 5476 form)

YES (if applicable)

Family information (IMM 5645 form)

YES

Minor children documents

(traveling with only 1 parent, a relative or friend, or alone)

YES (if applicable)

Letter of invitation

NO (optional)

Proof of Relationship (to the inviter)

YES (if presenting a letter of invitation)

Travel history

NO (optional)

Itinerary

NO (optional)

Account statement

NO (optional)

Employer information

NO (optional)

Step 2: Apply online

In this step, you need to create an account and upload your documents.

Step 3: Pay your fees

The visitor visa government fees include the visa application fee as well as biometrics (for eligible nationalities). The amount paid to the immigration office is non-refundable, regardless of the result.

  • Visa application fee: 100 Canadian dollars
  • Biometrics fee: 85 Canadian dollars
In this step, you need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics).

Step 4: Wait for your application process

The immigration office will review your application to make sure you have all the required documents. If the documents are incomplete, your application will be returned without review. Immigration may also ask you to do the following:

  • Have an interview with the immigration authorities in your country (or the nearest VAC);
  • Send additional information
  • Take medical exams
  • Get a police certificate

Step 5: Send your passport

If your visa request is approved, you will be asked to send your passport to the related VAC and get a visa label on your passport.

Passport Request Letter Sample

Frequently Asked Questions

Depending on the type of visa received, the validity period of the visas is different:
  • Single entry visas are valid for six months.
  • Multiple-entry tourist visas may be valid for 5 years, 10 years, or up to one month before the expiration date of the passport.
Expired visas cannot be renewed and you can apply for a visa again by going through the relevant procedures. But if you are inside Canada and your visa is valid for at least one month, you can apply for an extension of visa by stating convincing reasons.
Visitor Visa applicants do not need to take medical exams unless requested by IRCC.
No. If you are thinking about enrolling your accompanying child in Canadian schools, you must apply for school admission and a study permit.
You can re-apply for this visa from the day of rejection; but before doing so, it is better to resolve the issues that the officer has mentioned for rejecting your visa application.
Explore
Drag