Canada Visa – Complete Guide To Canada Visitor Visa Application And Requirements

Canada – a land of fabulous cities, some of the most beautiful natural attractions in the world, and delicious food and drink! Visit Quebec for stunning architecture or Ottawa for the Niagara Falls or relax with a Montreal-styled bagel. You would be disappointed with this wonderful country! In this article, learn more about how to apply for a Canada visitor visa – online and in person, processing time at the Canadian visa application center, documents required, checklist, visitor visa fees, download application form and Canada visitor visa application process.

Applying for a Canada Visitor visa

If you are planning on visiting Canada, you must obtain a temporary resident visa. You can do this from the country where you live. However, some nationalities do not require this visa.

Source: Wikipedia.org

If you are from any of the above countries, you are permitted to stay in Canada for up to 6 months. Visitors from these countries do not need a temporary resident visa, however, you must still apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). (US citizens and nationals do NOT need an eTA.)

In addition to the eTA, visa-exempt visitors must also comply with further conditions such as:

1. Be in good health
2. Have ties in your home country
3. Have enough money for your stay in Canada

Types of visas for Canada

There are 5 types of temporary resident visas:

1. Visitor
2. Students
3. Temporary foreign workers (TFWs)
4. Temporary resident permit workers (TRP)
5. Transit visa – only required if you are traveling through Canada for less than 48 hours on your way to another country

If you wish to go to Canada for tourism purposes, then you will apply for the Visitor Visa. These will usually be issued as single or multiple entry which means that you are permitted to enter Canada once or multiple times respectively during the 6 month period.

The Canada Visitor Visa Application Process

Processing times vary depending on where you are applying from. For example:

1. Azerbaijan – 80 days
2. Bangladesh – 15 days
3. Kenya – 118 days

You can check the processing times for your application on the visa website. You should apply for your Canada Visitor Visa as early as possible to ensure there is enough time for it to be processed before your travel date.

How to apply for a Canada Visitor Visa

You can apply for your Canada Visitor Visa online or on paper. There are benefits to applying online:

To apply online, go to the official website – www.canada.ca and click on:

1. Menu
2. Immigration and citizenship
3. Visit

On the next page, scroll down to “Services and Information” and click on “Apply for a Visitor Visa”:

You will be directed to a new page which gives information on the following:

1. About the document
2. Who can apply
3. Apply
4. After you apply

Read the information and once you are happy to proceed, click on “Apply”:

Scroll down to “How do you want to apply” and choose “Online” and click on “Get Instructions”:

On the next page, it may be a good idea to read the instructions before you start. Then, click on “Apply for a Visitor Visa”:

In order to apply online, you’ll need to register for an account which will allow you to start an application, submit and pay, get messages about your application and check the status:

Once you have registered, you can sign in and get started:

If you are applying on paper, get the instructions for this type of application:

Before you start, you should read the instruction guide:

There are 4 steps which you must follow:

1. Gather documents
2. Complete the application
3. Pay the fees
4. Submit the application

Step 1: Gather documents

There is a general document checklist that you can use to gather your documents for your visa application. Please refer to this checklist for the full list, but documents include:

1. Visa application form
2. Family information form
3. Valid passport with 1 blank page
4.  Detailed travel itinerary
5. 2 photos with your name and date of birth written on the back. Please refer to the checklist for full specifications
6. Proof of financial support
7. Marriage certificate
8. Proof of medical insurance
9. Purpose of travel
10. Proof of legal residency status in your home country
11. Letter of authorization (if the applicant is a minor)
12. Hotel Bookings
13. Letter of invitation (if required)
14. Medical certificate (if required)
15. Visa fee

It is important to note that further documents may be required. This will depend on your nationality and where you are applying from. You can find the specific documents for your country on the Government of Canada’s website.

Follow the steps laid out above until you get to “How to apply for a visa”. Click on “Read the instruction guide”:

Scroll down to “Gather your documents” and it will tell you that some visa offices may require additional supporting documents specific to your country. Click on the link for “Application for a visitor visa”:

On the next page,

1. Scroll down to “Apply on paper”
2. Select the country you are applying from. For example, India
3. Click on “Get documents”

 

Please note, you MUST select the country/territory from which you will be applying to get your local visa office instructions. If you do not, you may inadvertently submit an incomplete visa application which could result in your visa request being rejected.

On the next page, you will see that this is the application package for India. Click on “Visa office instructions – Visit (IMM 5881)”:

You will then be directed to the visa office instructions:

As you will see, this document must be used in conjunction with the document checklist IMM 5484 (see above):

You should go through the visa office instructions as you are gathering your documents and use the checklist to make sure you have everything. As you will see, applicants from India must also provide the following documents depending on the purpose of their trip:

Visiting family and friends

1. Proof of financial support
2. Proof of professional status
3. Invitation letter

For tourism

1. Detailed itinerary
2. Proof of financial support
3. Employment status details

For Super Visa (to visit family members who are citizens of Canada for up to 2 years)

1. Evidence of medical insurance
2. Proof of medical exam
3. Invitation letter

For business

1. Invitation letter
2. Letter from your employer
3. Proof of attendance in any type of event

For study

1. Proof of attendance
2. Invitation letter
3. Proof of diploma
4. Parental employment letter
5. Bank statements

You should read these requirements carefully, so you include everything before you submit your application.

All documents should be in English or French. If not, you should provide the English or French translation and an affidavit from the person who completed the translation and a certified copy of the original document.

Make sure you have all the required documents for your visa to prevent your application from being delayed or rejected.

Step 2: Complete the application

You will find the link for the visa application if you scroll down the instructions:

Complete all the relevant fields and don’t forget to sign it before printing it. The instructions give information about what is required, so keep that to hand when you are filling in the form. Once the application is completed, click on the “Validate” button located on the form. This will generate a barcode page. If this application form is completed on a computer and printed, you must place the barcode page on the top of your application before submitting it.

Step 3: Pay the fee

There are 2 types of fee:

Bio-metric Fees: