Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)

Conditions you must meet

• Hold a valid travel document, such as a passport

  You must: have a valid travel document, like a passport

• Be in good healthIRCC lists this under the lead-in "you must:" on the eligibility page. The lead-in is not part of this quote because it does not sit adjacent to this bullet on the page.

  be in good health

• Have no criminal or immigration-related convictionsIRCC also lists separate grounds of inadmissibility, including criminal activity, human rights violations, organized crime, and security, health or financial reasons. Listed under the same "you must:" lead-in as the other basic requirements.

  have no criminal or immigration-related convictions

• Satisfy an officer that you have ties to your home countryIRCC names a job, a home, financial assets or family as examples of ties.

  convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country

• Satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit

  convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit

• Have enough money for your stayIRCC does not publish a fixed threshold: the amount depends on the length of the stay and on whether you stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives.

  have enough money for your stay The amount of money you will need depends on how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives.

Official forms

• Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) (IMM 5257)

  Application for visitor visa (temporary resident visa) (IMM 5257)

  Official form
• Family Information form (IMM 5645)IRCC lists this among supporting documents your personalized checklist may include.

  Your document checklist may include supporting documents such as the following: Family Information (IMM 5645) form

• Use of a Representative (IMM 5476)Required when anyone — paid or unpaid, including a friend or relative — represents you on this application. Complete and sign IMM 5476, have your representative sign it, and upload it with your application. A paid representative must be authorized (a licensed immigration consultant, a lawyer or a Quebec notary in good standing). Your representative can never sign the application for you.

  Use of a representative (IMM 5476) (opens in a new tab) (if using an authorized representative)

• Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual (IMM 5475)

  Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual (IMM 5475) form (opens in a new tab) (if authorizing information from your case file to be released to someone other than yourself)

Documents you must provide

• Digital copy of your valid passport or travel documentA clear, colour copy of the passport you will travel on, including the page showing your birth date and country of origin, and any pages with stamps, visas or markings. IRCC states the document should be valid for at least 6 months from your planned travel date.

  All applicants need to include a digital copy of your valid (not expired) passport or travel document Your passport or travel document should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you plan to travel.

• Letter authorizing a minor child to travel to CanadaIRCC notes other documents may also be needed depending on whether the minor travels alone or accompanied.

  a letter that authorizes a minor child to travel to Canada (if applicable) You may need to include other documents, depending on whether the minor child travels alone or not.

• Letter of invitation from someone in CanadaIRCC states a visitor may also need a letter of invitation. Where you are visiting family, IRCC also asks for proof of your relationship to the person inviting you — a marriage certificate, a statutory declaration of common-law union (IMM 5409), a birth certificate, or an official document naming you as a parent.

  You may also need a medical exam and letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

Steps in the process

• Immigration medical examIRCC states a visitor may need one. It does not state a universal trigger on this page.

  You may also need a medical exam and letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

• Give your biometrics (fingerprints and photograph)Required for citizens of certain countries or territories; IRCC publishes a separate tool to check whether you need to give them. VisaAI lists this for everyone because that country list has not been extracted yet, so it cannot yet tell you which side of the line you fall on.

  If you are a citizen of certain countries or territories, you have to give your biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) when you apply for a: visitor visa

Government fees

• Visitor visa processing feeCAD 100 · CAD 500 family maximumCAD 100.00 per person. A family of 5 or more people applying at the same time and place pays a maximum of CAD 500.00.

  Visitor visa - per person Single or multiple entry temporary resident visa What's this? Single or multiple entry temporary resident visa The same fee applies to both types of visas. We’ll decide which visa to give you based on your application. Find out more about the difference between single and multiple entry visas. 100.00

• Biometrics feeCAD 85CAD 85.00 per individual. IRCC states a family maximum applies to a family of 2 or more eligible people. Payable only if you must give biometrics, which depends on your citizenship — see the biometrics step above.

  Biometrics – per individual 85.00

VisaAI suggestions

Not required by the authority. These are VisaAI’s suggestions for presenting a clearer application.

• Evidence of previous travelIRCC lists this under a heading it labels "recommended documents", not as a requirement. Copies of previous passports or visas used in the last 10 years, entry and exit stamps, and study or work permits showing time spent outside your country.

  Recommended documents Travel history If you’ve travelled to Canada or to other countries, this can show that you’ve been able to get a visa in the past.