Canada Visitor Visa Application

Travelling to Canada as a Tourist

If you wish to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa, usually referred to as a Visitor Visa, there are a number of factors that should be considered before applying. This article will give you some useful information on applying for Temporary Resident Visas in the following sections: What is a Temporary Resident Visa? Do I need a Temporary Resident Visa? Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), and What are the Main Requirements?

What is a Temporary Resident Visa?

A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is most often called a tourist visa or visitor visa, as it name implies it is only for temporary stay in Canada, therefore issued for a limited period of time. A TRV is most often applied by foreign nationals who wish to stay in Canada for a limited period of time that come to Canada for the most common reasons tourism, conducting business or visiting family or friends in Canada.

A Temporary Resident Visa is relatively quick to process in comparison to other types of visa. There are many restrictions on a TRV including:

Length of Stay

• A TRV is always limited in duration. A typical period granted for a TRV’s validity is 6 months. However, depending on the circumstances, the period of validity may be shorter. For example, if someone is coming to Canada to attend a business conference for a couple of weeks, the immigration officer may grant the visa for only that period.

• If your Temporary Resident Visa doesn’t state the length of validity, it is most likely the standard 6 month period.

Working while in Canada

• A TRV does not allow a foreign national to work in Canada while visiting. If you wish to work in Canada, you should apply for a work permit instead of a Temporary Resident Visa.

Studying while in Canada

• A TRV grants the visitor the opportunity to study, as long as certain conditions are met. The academic program cannot be longer than 6 months, otherwise a study permit will be necessary.

No Access to Health Benefits

• Naturally, because of the temporary nature of a TRV, visitors to Canada do not have access to Canadian health benefits and other social services. Depending on the application, the immigration officer may request a medical examination before allowing a Temporary Resident Visa application to be finalized.

Do I need a Temporary Resident Visa?

If you are already a permanent resident of Canada, you should not apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. Additionally, if you are a foreign national who has already applied for and received a study or work permit, you will not require a Temporary Resident Visa. The work or study permit already allows you to come into Canada on valid status.

Foreign nationals for certain countries do not require a TRV to come to Canada as a visitor. Currently countries that are considered “visa-exempt” include:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, British Citizen, British Overseas Citizen (re-admissible to the United Kingdom), British Overseas Territory Citizen (citizenship through birth, descent, or naturalization), Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States citizen or permanent resident (Green Card holder)

If you are not from one of the countries listed above, you will need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa before being allowed to enter Canada. If you are from one of the countries listed above, you can enter Canada without applying for a TRV. When you enter Canada, the border officer will most likely stamp your passport and you can be on your way. If you receive a stamp on your passport with no other specific instructions, this means that your period of stay will be the default 6 months.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

As mentioned above, if you are a foreign national coming to Canada and are not on the “visa-exempt” list, you will need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. However, being from a visa-exempt country may still require extra paperwork, depending on your situation.

In March of 2016, the government of Canada introduced a new requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals traveling in to Canada by air. Air travelers in this category now require a document called an Electronic Travel Authorization or eTA. Upon arriving at the airport in Canada, visa-exempt foreign nationals will need to show a valid eTA and passport in order to come into the country. Keep in mind that this does not apply for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, dual citizens and U.S. citizens.

The good news is that an eTA is not too difficult to obtain. It can be applied for online and is usually processed in a matter of minutes after applying. Once the eTA is approved, it will be electronically linked to your passport and is valid for 5 years or until your current passport expires. The eTA functions like a multiple entry document, which means you don’t have to renew it each time you fly in to Canada.

Because the eTA is a new requirement, border officers will allow air travellers from visa-exempt countries to enter Canada until September 29, 2016. This leniency period has been implemented as not everyone is aware of the new requirement. However, since the eTA is quite easy to obtain, there is no reason not to apply for one before traveling.

Visitor Visa What are the Main Requirements?

Regardless of whether you are from a visa-exempt country or not, the conditions attached to a Temporary Resident Visa in Canada are the same. Immigration officers are mindful of many factors when assessing a foreign national for temporary entry into Canada. These will be discussed in further detail below:

You must not be criminally inadmissible to Canada

• Having a criminal offense on record from any country is a serious red flag when trying to enter Canada. If you do have an arrest or conviction on your record, you may be deemed a risk to Canadian society and be refused entry. Furthermore, the offence on your record may not be a major crime or may have happened many years ago and still qualify you as inadmissible. Unless you can prove to the immigration officer that you are rehabilitated and have complied with all terms of sentencing from your offence, it is likely that your Temporary Resident Visa will be rejected.

You must be in good health

• Having a serious medical issue or being at risk of health complications can also make you inadmissible to Canada. Immigration regulations state that a foreign national coming to Canada should not have the potential to threaten the health of Canadians or to place a burden on Canadian medical services. An immigration officer may request that a foreign national undergo a medical examination before approving a Temporary Resident Visa.

You must not intend to work or study in Canada

• In most cases, a Temporary Resident Visa will only allow a foreign national to visit Canada as a tourist. Working in Canada illegally is a serious issue with immigration officials. If the immigration officer suspects that you may be coming into Canada to work without a valid work permit, then a refusal of entry is most likely. Taking classes or short term studies is often allowed on a Temporary Resident Visa, as long as the academic program does not exceed 6 months.

You must satisfy the immigration officer that you will leave Canada

• Many Temporary Resident Visas are denied because the immigration officer has reason to believe that the foreign national will not leave Canada at the end of the period authorized for his or her stay. For example, let’s say a man has applied for a Temporary Resident Visa. He is unable to provide evidence of any tangible assets or employment in his country of origin. Also, he has no strong family ties back home and is coming to Canada to meet a woman he has been in a long-distance relationship for a while. In this man’s case, the immigration officer would be likely to deny his request for a Temporary Resident Visa. If the man had a return ticket, a job, and family members waiting for his return back home, the officer may have been satisfied that his visit to Canada would indeed be temporary.

Conclusion

A Temporary Resident Visa is a great way to visit Canada and experience Canadian geography and culture. Relative to other types of Canadian immigration visas, it can be granted fairly quickly and the government fees are not too expensive. However, this does not mean that the application for a Temporary Resident Visa should be taken lightly. There are no guarantees that the immigration officer will allow you entry into Canada. All requirements must be satisfied, and if you are applying for a Temporary Resident Visa, all documentation must be present and in order.

If you are planning to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa and are not from a visa-exempt country, we’d be happy to help! Our team of Canadian Immigration Lawyers and Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are ready to help you with any immigration matter that you may have. Allow us to use our knowledge and experience to ensure that you submit the best application possible.