Visitor Visa

A visitor visa, commonly known as a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), is a kind of immigration document that permits foreign individuals to visit and stay in Canada. Unless you are travelling to Canada as a student, temporary worker, or merely to visit, you will require a visitor visa unless you are from a visa-exempt nation.

Single entrance visas and multiple entry visas are the two kinds of visitor visas available in Canada. Foreign nationals may only enter Canada once with a single entry visa. A multiple entry visa permits its bearer to come and go as frequently as they desire while the visa is valid. You do not have to pick the kind of visa to apply for; all applicants are automatically evaluated for multiple entry visas, and single entry visas are only awarded in exceptional situations.

Multiple entry visitor visas allow the bearer to visit Canada as many times as they wish for six months at a time as long as the visa is valid. They may be valid for up to ten years, although the precise length of time depends on the immigration officer who issues it. If you have another status document, such as a study or work permit, and you are not otherwise visa-exempt, you will be awarded a visiting visa that will enable you to enter Canada to get your permission. This is usually a multiple-entry visa. You will not need to apply for a new visitor visa to re-enter Canada if you want to briefly leave the country for studies or temporary job as long as your permission and visa are both current.

Who Is Eligible for a Visitor Visa?

A visiting visa is required for anybody who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or who is not otherwise visa-exempt. Even though their permanent residence card has expired, Canadian permanent residents are not eligible to apply for a guest visa. Instead, they must apply for a travel document for permanent residents (PRTD). Nationals of Canada, including dual citizens, are unable to apply for a guest visa. They must have a valid Canadian passport to go. A business visitor visa may be required if you are transiting through or travelling to Canada for business purposes rather than as a temporary foreign worker.

Countries that do not need visas

Individuals who are visa-exempt are the only persons who do not need a visiting visa to enter Canada, apart from Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Several countries have agreements with Canada that prevent its nationals from needing a visa to visit the country for up to six months. If visa-exempt foreign people intend to fly to Canada by air, they must have a valid electronic travel authorization (eTA).

They simply need a valid passport issued by a visa-exempt nation if they prefer to travel by land or water. Citizens of the United States are the lone exception. The Canada-United States border is the world’s longest undefended land border, and thousands of Canadian and American residents pass it every day. Citizens of the United States may go to Canada with a valid passport and do not need a visiting visa or eTA if they are not staying for more than six months. Permanent residents of the United States, also known as Green Card holders, are not required to get a visa, regardless of their place of origin. To travel to or transit through a Canadian airport, they must have an eTA and must enter Canada with a valid Green Card and passport.

How to Make an Application

Applicants who want a visiting visa to enter Canada may submit an application online, on paper, or in person at a Visa Application Center (VAC). If you’re travelling as a family, each family member, including youngsters under the age of 18, must fill out a separate application. You may, however, submit all of the applications at once. Depending on their nation of citizenship, applicants may be asked to provide biometric information in their application. If biometrics are necessary, the applicant must submit fingerprints and a picture to a biometric collecting service point. When you are requested to collect biometrics after submitting your visitor visa application, you may do so, or you can do it at the same time if you are submitting in person at a Visa Application Center (VAC).

Getting a Visitor Visa Extended

Single-entry or multiple-entry visitor visas enable foreign individuals to stay in Canada lawfully for up to six months at a time. Your legal status will expire at the conclusion of this term, and you will be required to leave Canada. Foreign nationals who want to remain longer than six months must apply while their temporary residence status is still in effect. At least 30 days before your current status expires, you should request for an extension. If your existing visa expires while your application for an extension is being reviewed, you may stay in Canada until a decision is reached. This is referred to as inferred status. If you are qualified for one of Canada’s immigration programmes, you may also apply for permanent residence status.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about visiting visas, and a member of the Global Sky Immigration Team would be pleased to talk you through your choices.