The two central questions
Why are you coming—and will you leave?
An immigration officer must be satisfied that the proposed visit is genuine and temporary.
The application should present a coherent purpose, realistic dates, adequate funds and evidence of the applicant’s continuing obligations outside Canada. Family ties in Canada can explain the trip, but they can also lead to questions about whether the applicant intends to remain. The answer is a carefully documented case—not a generic invitation letter.
Entry documents and status
A visitor visa is not a visitor record.
| Document | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (TRV) | A counterfoil placed in a passport that allows a visa-required traveller to seek entry at a Canadian port of entry. It may be single-entry or multiple-entry. | It does not guarantee admission and its expiry date is not the date the visitor must leave Canada. |
| Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) | An electronic authorization linked to the passport of many visa-exempt travellers who fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. | It is not a visa, does not establish status in Canada and normally is not required by visa-exempt travellers arriving by land or sea. |
| Visitor record | A status document that gives a person a new deadline to leave Canada, commonly after an in-Canada extension application or at a port of entry. | It is not an entry visa and does not guarantee that a person who leaves Canada can return. |
How long can a visitor stay?
A visa officer can issue a visitor visa for a shorter period, but a visa may generally be valid for up to 10 years or until the passport or biometrics expires, whichever comes first. That is the period in which the person may travel to Canada—not the authorized length of each stay. Most visitors are admitted for up to six months. A border officer may allow less or more time and may stamp a departure date in the passport or issue a visitor record. If there is no stamp or separate document, the stay is generally six months from entry, subject to earlier passport or biometrics expiry.
Building the application
Evidence should tell one credible story.
Purpose of the visit
- Invitation letter and the host’s status in Canada
- Itinerary, accommodation and intended travel dates
- Family event, conference, business meeting or medical documentation
- A realistic explanation of why this trip is being made now
Temporary intent
- Current employment or business ownership
- Approved leave and expected return to work
- Studies, dependants and family responsibilities
- Property, financial commitments and lawful status where the applicant lives
- Previous international travel and compliance
Financial support
- Personal bank and income records
- Host support, where genuine and adequately documented
- Travel and medical insurance where appropriate
- A budget consistent with the length and purpose of the visit
Potential concerns
- Weak or inconsistent purpose
- Limited ties outside Canada
- Prior refusals or overstays
- Unexplained deposits or incomplete employment evidence
- Criminal, medical, security or misrepresentation issues
Visa-exempt travel
Visa-exempt countries and territories
Citizens travelling with a qualifying passport from the countries and territories below generally do not need a visitor visa. Most need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. An eTA is linked to the passport and does not guarantee admission. When arriving directly by land or sea, these travellers generally do not need an eTA but still require a valid passport and must satisfy the border officer.
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Chile
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong SAR
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Papua New Guinea
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea
- Romania
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City State
Qualifying British overseas territories
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Island, Saint Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The traveller must hold a qualifying British overseas territory passport or another qualifying British passport or status.
Passport conditions
Hong Kong travellers must use a Hong Kong SAR passport; Israeli travellers need a national Israeli passport; Romanian travellers need an electronic passport; Taiwanese travellers need an ordinary Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport containing their personal identification number; and Vatican travellers need a Vatican-issued passport or travel document.
United States travellers
United States citizens generally need neither a visitor visa nor an eTA. Lawful permanent residents of the United States also do not need a visa or eTA, but must carry the required passport and valid proof of U.S. permanent-resident status.
Important: Some citizens of otherwise visa-required countries can apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa in limited circumstances. That does not make those countries fully visa-exempt. Entry-document rules depend on the passport, the method of travel and the traveller’s individual circumstances.
Criminal inadmissibility
Resolve the admissibility issue before relying on a visa or eTA.
A past conviction—or sometimes conduct that resulted in no conviction—can make a person inadmissible. This includes impaired driving and offences that may appear minor in another country. Admissibility is assessed when a person applies for a visa or eTA and again at the border.
Depending on the Canadian-equivalent offence, the sentence and the time that has passed, the solution may be deemed rehabilitation, an individual criminal rehabilitation application, a Canadian record suspension or a Temporary Resident Permit. An eTA applicant who requires rehabilitation should generally obtain that decision before applying for the eTA. We can assess the foreign offence, obtain and organize the required records, identify the appropriate remedy and prepare the legal submissions.
Limited work-permit exemptions
Some activities may be performed without a work permit.
Most foreign nationals require a work permit. The following people may qualify for an exemption only if they satisfy the precise requirements for the activity:
- Business visitors
- Convention organizers
- Public speakers
- Examiners and evaluators
- Short-term researchers
- Certain short-term high-skilled workers
- Aviation accident investigators
- Civil aviation inspectors
- Crew members
- Emergency service providers
- Expert witnesses and investigators
- Foreign government, diplomatic and qualifying UN representatives
- Certain family members of foreign representatives
- Military personnel under applicable arrangements
- Advertising and commercial crews
- Athletes, coaches, judges and referees
- News reporters and certain film or media crews
- Certain short-term performing artists
- Certain health-care students
- Eligible students working on or off campus
- Certain recent graduates awaiting a work-permit decision
- Religious leaders
Important: a work-permit exemption does not remove the requirement for a visitor visa, eTA or admissibility assessment. The exemption should be documented before travel because the border officer decides whether the proposed activity fits.
How we can help
Prepare the case before the officer identifies the gaps.
We assess the purpose, travel history, finances, employment, family ties, host evidence and any inadmissibility concerns. We prepare the legal strategy, forms, document list, invitation and purpose letters, submissions and responses to procedural fairness concerns. We also advise visitors about extensions, restoration and maintaining status in Canada.
General information only. Entry documents, admissibility and status decisions are fact-specific and remain within the discretion granted by Canadian immigration law.