Visitor Visa

Canada welcomes millions of temporary residents (non-immigrants) each year. People enter Canada as tourists, to travel and see this great country, to visit friends and relatives or to decide if they wish to immigrate permanently. Over the past several decades, increasing numbers of travelers from a growing variety of countries have been making Canada their destination for business or pleasure.

If you wish to come to Canada for a temporary purpose like a vacation or to visit family/friends, you may need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), unless you are a citizen from a “visa exempt” country. Citizens of visa-exempt countries willing to travel Canada by air are expected to have applied for an obtained an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before their departure to Canada.

The TRV is a document issued by a Canadian Element Immigration Visa Office outside of Canada, showing that the holder has satisfied the requirements for admission to Canada as a visitor. TRVs may be for single entry or multiple entry. Typically, tourists are admitted for a period of six months. Temporary foreign workers (TFW) and international students are admitted for varying periods of time, as determined on a case-by-case basis.

Obtaining a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)

If you require a TRV before entering Canada, there are several factors that Element Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will consider when reviewing your application. Each case is a different depending on your specific situation, but generally following factors are considered:

Connections to home country

This is one of the main tests in issuing a temporary resident visa (visitor visa) to the applicant. Will the applicant return to his/her country once the status expires? The visa officer will first look at applicant’s socio-economic connections to his/her home country. Having an employment, business, family, property and obligations and previous travel history are positive points in the application.

Supporting yourself in Canada

Another critical factor the applicant should address in the application is how he/she will support in Canada.  Enough funds in bank account, travel insurance, hotel bookings, and invitation letter from friend/family in Canada are positive factors in the application.