Canadian Immigration News

Visiting Canada This Summer? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Applying for a Visitor Visa

3 minute read
Canada is full of exciting cities and various distinct natural sights to see. Spending your summer visiting Canada is a great choice, but if you’re from a visa-required country, you’ll need to learn all about the visitor visa application process to ensure you can follow through with your travel plans.
Written by My Visa Source Team
Published on:  May 29, 2023
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Planning a trip to Canada this summer means you may need to apply for a visitor visa. Residents from many countries require a visitor visa to travel to Canada.

Canada is full of exciting cities and various distinct natural sights to see. Spending your summer visiting Canada is a great choice, but if you’re from a visa-required country, you’ll need to learn all about the visitor visa application process to ensure you can follow through with your travel plans.

Types of Visitor Visas

The visitor visa, also known as the temporary resident visa, is issued as a single-entry or multiple-entry travel permit. With the single-entry visitor visa, you can enter Canada once and then must leave upon the expiration of your visa. With a multiple-entry visitor visa, you can travel in and out of Canada without restrictions while your visa is still valid.

Temporary resident visas are granted for different lengths of time based on various factors. In this case, as a tourist, you can expect your visitor visa to be granted for six months.

Application Requirements

To be the primary applicant for a visitor visa, you’ll need to meet specific requirements. These requirements include:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have a valid passport or other travel documents
  • Be in good health
  • Have enough money to support and pay for your stay in Canada
  • Not be deemed inadmissible for criminality or medical reasons

You may also need to provide evidence of a medical examination or get a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada to prove the purpose of your visit.

With your application, you must convince the reviewing immigration officer that you will exit Canada when your visa expires. An important factor in doing this is demonstrating your ties to your home country. These ties include family and home life, jobs and financial assets. 

When To Apply

Apply for your visitor visa as early as you know your travel plans. The processing time can vary from as short as a week to as long as several months, depending on the country and consulate you are applying from. A backlog of applications can result in delays, so applying as early as possible is your best option.

You can always check updated visitor visa processing times from your country on the IRCC’s website.

Common Reasons for Refusal: What to Avoid

Visitor visas can be denied for several reasons. Some of these include the following:

  • A lack of connections to your home country
  • Strong existing ties to Canada suggesting that you may not intend to leave
  • Insufficient funds to support your stay in Canada
  • Unclear or suspicious purpose of your visit to Canada
  • Poor immigration history
  • Unable to convince the reviewing immigration officer that you will leave Canada when your visa expires

Avoiding these will help to ensure that your visitor visa has a higher chance of getting approved. Ultimately, make sure you are transparent and truthful about the purpose of your visit and clearly demonstrate that you have a reason to return to your home country. Of course, it is possible to later apply for an extension and extend your visitor visa or apply for another temporary or permanent residence permit. Still, you must be clear about your situation and intentions.

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