Have you been planning for a special vacation to Canada and wondering how you can go about getting a Canada visitors visa? Worry no more because in this article, we have put together all the information that you need to make your vacation dream in Canada come through.

Usually if a foreign national wants to travel to the Canadian port of entry to seek entry into Canada to stay for a short period of time, usually less than 6 months, a Canada visitors visa is needed.

What is a Canada Visitors Visa?

A Canada visitors visa is a travel document issued by the Canadian government to foreigners who seek to gain admission into Canada to stay for a short period of time usually less than 6 months.

What am I allowed to do in Canada with a Canada Visitors Visa?

As a Canada visitors visa holder, you are allowed to engage in the following activities below while you are in Canada;

• Attend business meetings

• Visit family and friends

• Negotiate deals

• Sign contracts

• Engage in short term studies that is not more than 6 months

• Engage in cultural activities

• Attend conference

• Engage in tourism activities

Types of Canada Visitors Visa

There are two main types of a Canada visitors visa;

• Single Entry Visa: A single entry Canada visitors visa allows a foreign national to gain entry into Canada only once, not more than 6 months.

• Multiple Entry Visa: A multiple entry visitors visa allows a foreign national to gain multiple entries into Canada but must not stay more than 6 months on each entry.

It is important to note that the visa officer has the sole discretion to issue either a single entry visitors visa or a multiple entry visitors visa. The visa officer evaluates each application on a case-by-case basis and decides applicants to grant a single entry visitors visa and a multiple entry visitors visa.

The single entry visitors visa has a maximum validity period of 6 months while the multiple entry visa has a maximum validity period of 10 years but the visa officer has the discretion to decide the validity period of each visa that is granted to each successful applicant.

Canada Visitors Visa Required Documents

• International Passport: You must have ready a valid international passport with a validity period of at least 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in Canada.

• Proof of funds: You must provide your bank account statement for at least the last 6 months. This helps prove to the visa officer that you have the financial capability to sponsor your trip to Canada and any other family member that will be accompanying you to Canada.

• Police Character Certificate: You must get a police character certificate from an authorized issuing government agency in your home country. This helps prove to the consulate officer that you do not have any criminal record in your home country.

• Statement of Purpose: You must have ready a well crafted statement of purpose. It is not a mandatory document but it is an important document as it helps explain to the visa officer your intentions of visiting Canada, the activities you plan engaging in when you arrive Canada, your itinerary, when you plan to enter and leave Canada, etc.

• Proof of Strong Ties to your Home Country: You must provide a document showing that you have strong ties to your home country (employment offer letter, property deeds, mortgage documents, marriage certificate, birth certificate of children etc.). This helps demonstrates that you have something to go back home to after your short period of stay in Canada.

• Civil Documents: You must provide your civil documents like your birth certificate, national ID, drivers license.

Do I need a Medical Certificate for a Canada Visitors Visa?

Generally you don’t need a medical examination for a Canada visitors visa if you intend staying for 6 months or less in Canada. You would only be required to have a medical examination if;

• You plan to stay in Canada for more than 6 months

• If you plan to work in a job that involves close contact with others

Canada Visitors Visa Application Process

Online Application

• Create an IRCC Account: The first step to applying for a Canada visitors visa is to create an IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) account on the canada.ca website.

• Gather your Supporting Documents: After creating an IRCC account from the canada.ca website, gather all your required and supporting documents.

• Start your Application: After gathering all your documents, start your application.

• Fill out all the fields in the Application Form: Complete your application form correctly and answer all the questions in the form truthfully.

• Upload your Documents: After completing the application form, upload all your documents in accepted formats.

• Pay the Visa and Biometrics Fee: After uploading all your documents, kindly proceed with the payment of the visa and biometrics fee. You don’t need to pay the biometrics fee if you have already done biometrics for a previous Temporary Resident Visa that you applied for within the last 10 years.

• Submit your Visa Application: After paying for the visa and biometrics fee, kindly submit your application and wait for confirmation from IRCC.

Offline Application

• Download the TRV Application Form: Visit the canada.ca website and download the TRV application form.

• Complete the Application Form: After downloading the application form, fill all the fields in the form correctly and truthfully.

• Gather all your Documents: After completing the application form, gather all your required and supporting documents and arrange them together with your application form.

• Pay the Visa and Biometrics Fee: After gathering all your documents, pay for the visa and biometrics fee if you have not done biometrics for a TRV in the last 10 years.
• Print out your Payment Receipt: After paying for the visa and biometrics fee, ensure that you print out the payment receipt as proof of payment.

• Submit your Application: Gather your completed application form, supporting documents and the payments receipt and send to the nearest Canadian VAC (Visa Application Centre) for submission.

Canada Visitors Visa Exempt Countries

The government of Canada signed a visa waiver agreement with different countries of the world which aims to facilitate travel and corporation between Canada and those countries.

Canada Visitors Visa Exempt Countries (International Passport)

• United States citizens with valid US passport can travel to Canada borders and seek entry into Canada without the need of applying for a visa or an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization).

• Canadian-Americans with either a Canadian passport or a United States passport can travel to the Canadian port of entry to seek entrance to Canada without a visa or eTA.

• Lawful permanent residents of the US can travel to the Canadian port of entry to seek entrance into Canada without a visa or eTA. All they need is a valid passport from their country of origin and a valid green card from the United States.

Canada Visitors Visa Exempt (eTA eligible) Countries

If you are a citizen of the listed countries below, you don’t need a visa to travel to Canada but you must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization before you board a flight to the Canadian port of entry to seek admission into Canada.

In the case where you are travelling by sea or by land to the Canadian port of entry, you don’t need an eTA, you only need a valid passport from your country.

Do I need to submit my biometrics for a Canada Visitors Visa Application?

Yes biometrics collection is a crucial part of Canada temporary resident visa application (visitors visa). After successfully submitting your visitors visa application, IRCC will contact you with instructions on how to submit your biometrics to the Visa Application Centre (VAC) in your home country.

Cost of applying for a Canada Visitors Visa

• Application Fee: The Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (visitors visa) application fee is 100 CAD

• Biometrics Fee: The biometrics fee is is 85 CAD

What is the validity period of a Canadian TRV Biometrics?

The Canada Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) biometrics is valid for 10 years. So once your biometrics is collected for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application, you are not required to submit another biometrics for subsequent Canada Temporary Resident Visas that you will apply for until the 10 years validity expires.

Canada Visitors Visa Processing Time

The processing time for a Canada visitors visa varies based on different factors like the country where you are applying from, the number of applications in your home country, the number of staffing at the Canadian embassy in your home country, the complexity of your application, etc.

It can take from a few weeks to several months to get your visa application processed. You just have to wait patiently until IRCC makes a decision on your application.

You can visit the canada.ca website to check how long it will take for your Canada TRV (Visitors Visa) application to be finalized. Kindly note that this is not an exact time frame, it is just an estimate and it is calculated based on the time it took IRCC to process recently finalized applications.

Can my family members accompany me to Canada?

Yes certain members of your family like your spouse and dependent children under the age of 18 can accompany you to Canada but they would have to apply for a Canada visitors visa separately for each person joining you and pay for the visa and biometrics fee.

It is also important to declare your family members in your application with necessary documents that proves your relationship with them.

How do I increase my chances of getting my application approved?

• Fill out your application correctly

• Have enough money to sponsor your trip to Canada

• Have enough strong ties to your home country

• Do not have a criminal record in your home country

• Submit a convincing statement of purpose

• Do not submit fraudulent or altered documents

• Do not have an immigration intent

• Prepare a travel Itinerary

• Have a good travel history

• Provide any additional documents requested by IRCC on time

Possible reasons for a Canada Visitors Visa Denial

• Lack of strong ties with your home country

• Incomplete application

• Having a criminal record in your home country

• Having a deadly and communicable disease

• Lack of financial capability

• Bad travel history

• Inconsistent application

• Having an immigration intent

• Lack of proper travel plan or itinerary

At Schmick Travel, we are always ready to assist our clients with their visa application process to make the process a lot more easier for them. Kindly get in touch with us today!