Visitors to Canada

I am  a visitor. What documents do I need?

• Unless you are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, you will need permission to enter this country.
• You will also need permission to re-enter, should you leave Canada, in the form of a valid temporary resident visa (TRV).  In other words, visas allow you to knock at Canada’s door, while permits allow you to remain.

Visa Types

There are two types of Visitor’s Visas:

• Single-Entry Visas – Allows visitors to Canada to enter once. After leaving Canada, visa-required foreign nationals will need a new visa to travel back to Canada.
• Multiple-Entry Visas – Allows Visitors to Canada to come and go, usually for a period of six months, without the need to reapply for a new visa. This type of Visa is valid for up to 10 years, or one month before the visitor’s passport expires (whichever comes first).

Basic Requirements

Visitors to Canada have to meet certain basic requirements in order to enter Canada, including, the need to:

• Have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• Be in good health
• Have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
• Have ties that will ensure return to home country – such as a job,  financial assets, family, or community obligations.
• Have sufficient funds to support a stay in Canada – this may vary on the duration of visit, where you will be staying (hotel or with friends) and other factors.

Visa Process

The Visitor’s Visa application process involves two steps:

Step 1
Future Visitors to Canada must submit a visa application to the Canadian visa office responsible for their country or region where they currently reside. In some cases, interviews may be requested (in order to verify the reasons for visiting Canada) and to assess an ability and willingness to leave Canada before the visa expires. Officers will also assess an applicant’s overall admissibility, including health and security checks.

Step 2
Once the visa has been issued, applicants may travel to Canada. Upon landing, a Port of Entry (POE) officer will ask a series of questions in order to ensure admissibility requirements remain met.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Visitors to Canada from certain countries are not required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa. They are; however, required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization is-sued by the government of Canada. The eTA is a pre-screening system that has been introduced in August 2015 and it will be fully operational as of March 15, 2016.This authorization will be electronically linked to the visitor’s passport and it will be valid for five years, or until the passport expires – whichever comes first. The application process is quite simple and inexpensive (the processing fees are $7 CAD) and the entire process is done online.