Canada Tourist / Visitor Visa

Canada has always been a dream destination for a large number of Visitors from different parts of the World. Visitor visas are required for certain foreign nationals who wish to visit or travel through Canada. You may or may not require a temporary resident visa depending on your citizenship. If you do not require a visa to travel to Canada, a determination as to whether you will be allowed into Canada will be made upon your arrival to Canada at either the border or airport.

Each year, many thousands of 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

A person who is neither a Canadian Citizen nor a Permanent Resident of Canada and wants to visit Canada on holidays/vacations, visit family or conduct business etc. such Foreign National will need Temporary Resident Visa also known as Visitor Visa to enter Canada. The requirement for a visa also applies to temporary residents who are transiting in Canada. All the foreign nationals do not need Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada. Citizens of certain countries does not require Temporary Resident Visa. They need Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. What you need will depend on where you are from, how you are travelling, and what documents you are travelling with. Before applying for Temporary Resident Visa, it is advisable you check if your country is in the list of visa exempt countries. In that case, you will require -Electronic Travel Authorization- eTA.

If you are not the Citizens of countries exempt from getting TRV, you will need to apply for Temporary Resident Visa before you enter Canada. It cannot be applied at the border/Port of Entry. Therefore, if you need Temporary Resident Visa before entering Canada, there are a number of factors which Immigration, Refugee & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will consider while reviewing your application for grant of Temporary Resident Visa. The most important one is that you shall have to satisfy the Visa Officer that you will be in Canada for a temporary stay. You must also:

• satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay for reasons like family, employment, financial assets, home etc.
• show that you have enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home
• not intend to work or study in Canada unless authorized to do so
• be law abiding and have no record of criminal activity
• not be a risk to the security of Canada
• provide any additional document requested by the officer to establish your admissibility, and
• be in good health (complete a medical examination if required)

In accordance with the requirements of Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, An officer must not issue a temporary resident visa (TRV) to a foreign national unless they are satisfied that the applicant will leave Canada at the end of the period authorized for their stay. This authorized period must be temporary, because it applies only to temporary residents. Applicants may intend to eventually apply for permanent residence or, in fact, have an application in process, as provided for in A22(2). However, the officer must be satisfied that the applicant will respect the temporary period of stay that will be authorized upon entry.

If the foreign national meets these requirements and the Visa Officer decides to grant Temporary Resident Visa, an official counterfoil document will be placed in person’s passport showing that the person has met the requirement for admission to Canada as a temporary resident. However, holding a TRV does not guarantee entry to Canada. The admission of foreign nationals into Canada as temporary residents is a privilege, not a right. The foreign national must satisfy both the officer assessing the TRV application and at the port of entry that they have the ability and willingness to leave Canada at the end of the temporary period authorized, regardless of a future decision with respect to permanent status.

Applying for Visitor Visa

You can apply to IRCC office responsible for your home country OR IRCC office responsible for your current county of residence where you have been legally admitted. There is no restriction to apply in your current country of residence. Even if you are legally in a country for a few days, you can apply to the visa office responsible for that country.

Single/Multiple Entry Visa

The main difference between these two visa types is that a single entry visa allows entry to Canada for one-time only and a multiple entry visa allows entry many times. The foreign national does not need to choose between Single or Multiple Entry Visa. Visa applicants are automatically considered for a Multiple Entry Visa. However, Visa Officer will review the Visitor Visa Application of the applicant and issue a visa depending on his/her situation.

Application Processing under Tourist Visa

On receipt of TRV Application, appropriate authority goes through to ensure that all the forms are properly filled in, signed and supported by the required documents. Incomplete applications will be returned/rejected.

If the application is complete, it goes through the following process:-

1. Medical Exam : Sometimes applicants can be asked to provide medical exam results to gain entry into Canada. In this situation, there are chances of delay as applicant will need to set appointments with penal physician, undergo medical examination and then doctor will take time to send in the required results to IRCC.
2. Police Clearance Certificate : The applicant can be asked to get police verification done and get a Police certificate for himself and any other family member, under or above the age of 18 years, who will be accompanying him or her to Canada.
3. Interview : Sometimes, Visa Officer can fix applicant’s interview for clearing his/her doubts though decision on most of the TRV Applications are taken without conducting interview.
4. Application Approved : If the application is approved, in the case of ONLINE applications, the applicant will be advised to submit Passport for sticking visa counterfoil. If paper application was submitted visa will get stamped inside the passport of applicant.
5. Application Refused : In the scenario wherein the application is refused, the applicant will be notified for same with the reason for refusal.

It needs to be clarified that granting of visa is just an authorization to travel to Canada. The Holder of Temporary Resident Visa has to offer himself/herself for examination at the Port of Entry. At the Port of Entry, if the Border Security Officer is convinced that the person is entering Canada for a short period of time and is likely to leave at the end of the authorized stay, he/she will allow the person to enter Canada. Border Security Officer, if not satisfied, can refuse the holder of TRV to enter Canada.

The procedures for applying for Visitor Visa does seem simple. Many applicants may think that they can apply on their own without seeking help of an expert in the field. In doing so, there is ample risk of refusal. Potentially, the application may not have been prepared properly because it entails high standards. The Visa Officer has to form an opinion and take a decision based on the available documents. Essentially, it is important that relevant forms are filled properly and presentation of supporting documents should have cohesion to these statements thus facilitating Visa Officer to form positive opinion on the application. Lack of one important document substantiating the vital intent can risk refusal. Therefore, you can increase your chances of positive outcome on your TRV application with the assistance of professional immigration experts.