To visit Canada, one has to apply for a visitor visa and needs approval from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Although Canada is an immigration-friendly country, many visa applications get rejected due to improper documentation or incorrect/incomplete form filling.

Canada, is one of the most popular destinations in the world. Here one can explore the beauty of nature, geographical diversity, incredible culture and a lot more!

If you are planning to travel to Canada, read this informative article on how to apply for a visitor visa.

Visitor Visa

A Visitor Visa, also called as Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), is an official documentation offered by the Canadian Government that permits an immigrant to enter Canada as a temporary resident.

Mainly two types of visitor visa are available:

• Single-entry visa: A single-entry visa allows an immigrant to enter Canada only once and can stay for 6 months.
• Multiple-entry visa: Multiple-entry visa permits its holder to travel to Canada multiple times as long as the visa is valid.

An applicant gets Visitor Visa in Canada based on 4 purposes:

• Tourism
• Education
• Work
• Temporary Resident (Business, family, and friend)

Note: A Visitor Visa authorizes an outlander to stay in Canada for 6 months.

Required documents

An immigrant needs to provide the under-mentioned documents along with a visa application to get a visitor visa in Canada.

• A valid passport
• Bank statement (last 6 months)
• Visa application form IMM 5257 E
• Two recent passport-size photos
• Income Tax Return (last 2 years)
• Medical report approved by Canadian Embassy
• No criminal record
• Letter of invitation (for visiting with family/ friends)
• Declaration letter to the Government of Canada
• Detailed itinerary (For tourists)

Application process

Complete and correct application is one of the most crucial parts of getting a visitor’s visa for Canada. Note the steps given below and follow them through to make the application process less complicated, whether you are applying online or offline.

• Fill up the visa application IMM 5257E
• Pay application processing fees
• Visit the nearest Canadian Visa center with the above documents
• Complete biometrics process
• Submit the application form at the embassy
• Get the receipt from the application center
• Track your application with the tracking number

Fee required to apply for a visitor visa

To apply for a visitor visa in Canada, an applicant needs to pay a processing fee. The application fee is CAD$100 per person, and for a family of 5 or more, the fee is CAD$500. In addition, you have to pay the biometric fee of CAD$85 per person and a maximum of CAD$170 for a family.

Processing time to get a visitor visa

The processing time to get Visitor visa depends on the application process and the applicant’s country of residence. On an average, the time taken varies from 16-40 days.

Extend Visitor Visa Permit

At the end of 6 month, the legal status of the Visitor Visa in Canada expires. If anyone wants to extend their permit as a visitor or wants to change their status (study permit or work permit), they should apply a minimum 30 days prior of the current status expiration.

If the application for an extension is still being processed and the current Visitor Visa permit has expired, in that case, the applicant may stay in Canada until the final decision is made on the application. This status is called implied status.

Final Note

Hoping the article has been able to answer some of the basic questions that one might have regarding the visitor visa to travel to Canada. For any more help, you can reach out to VisaSpot based in North York, Toronto, and we will be happy to help!