VISITORS

Who is eligible to visit Canada?

These requirements apply to everyone who wishes to visit Canada. To visit Canada, you must:

• Have a valid travel document, such as a passport. See below for a list of travel documents not acceptable for travel to Canada.
• Be in good health,
• Not be inadmissible (see People Who Cannot Come to Canada below),
• Satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit, and
• Have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives.

You may also need a:

• Medical examination,
• Letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada, and
• Temporary resident visa, depending on your citizenship.

Who should apply for a temporary resident visa?

See Countries and territories whose citizens require visas in order to enter Canada as visitors below.

What kind of visa: multiple entry, single entry or transit?

A multiple entry visa allows you to enter Canada from any country multiple times during the validity of the visa. If you plan to visit Canada multiple times in the near future (for example on business or to visit family), you should consider applying for a multiple entry visa. You may be granted a visa valid for up to 10 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. If you wish to come to Canada to visit a child or grandchild, you may wish to apply for a Super Visa. (See Visiting Canada: Parent and Grandparent Super Visa below for more information.)

A Parent and Grandparent Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status.  To obtain a Super Visa, the applicant must be admissible to Canada and meet certain additional requirements.

A single entry visa allows you to enter Canada only once. This visa may also be used for repeated entries into Canada from the USA or St. Pierre and Miquelon provided you do not enter another country. Such entries must occur within the time authorized by the officer at the port of entry for your stay in Canada.

A transit visa is required for travel through Canada to another country by those persons who need a temporary resident visa and whose flight will stop in Canada for less than 48 hours. To obtain a transit visa you must provide specific evidence of your travel arrangements.

Important information for visa exempt travellers

Even if you are a citizen of a country where you do not require a visa to visit Canada, you must still have a valid passport and be admissible to Canada. Some citizens from visa exempt countries have more requirements such as having a machine readable passport or an e-passport to travel to Canada. Examples of this are certain passports issued by Lithuania and Poland.

For specific information about passport requirements read the Embassy of Canada website for your country of citizenship.

Note: a visa exemption does not guarantee you automatic entry into Canada. You must still satisfy an immigration officer at the port-of-entry that you are admissible as per the requirements that are listed on this page. If you do not meet these requirements, you may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Information for landed immigrants or permanent residents

If you have ever been a landed immigrant or permanent resident and would like to visit Canada, please refer to the additional information on Permanent residents outside Canada.

Learn about:

• How to apply for a temporary resident visa

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Travel documents

Transport companies, such as airlines, must ensure you have proper, valid travel documents when you enter Canada. If you do not have the proper documents, you may be delayed or denied boarding.

On March 11, 2010, CIC amended the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to clarify the factors used to determine which travel documents can be used to apply for a visa, and to travel to or enter Canada.

Under these Regulations, the following travel documents are considered unreliable and are not acceptable for entry into Canada:

• any passport claiming to have been issued by Somalia;
• non-machine readable passports issued by the Czech Republic;
• temporary passports issued by the Republic of South Africa; and
• provisional passports issued by Venezuela.

This list is subject to change. Check it regularly for up-to-date information.

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People who cannot come to Canada (Inadmissibility)

This information is for guidance and reference only. A decision on your admissibility can only be made when you apply to come to Canada or at a port of entry.Some people are not allowed to come to Canada. They are known as “inadmissible” under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).There are a number of reasons you can be found inadmissible, denied a visa or refused entry to Canada under IRPA, such as:

• security
• human or international rights violations
• criminality
• organized criminality
• health grounds
• financial reasons
• misrepresentation
• non-compliance with IRPA or
• having an inadmissible family member

If you have committed or been convicted of a crime, you have a few options.

Note: If you have been convicted of driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, you will probably be found criminally inadmissible to Canada.

More detailed explanation of the reasons for inadmissibility.

Normally, if you are inadmissible to Canada, you will not be allowed to enter. In some cases, if you have a compelling reason to travel to Canada, you may be issued a Temporary Resident Permit.

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Counties and territories whose citizens require visas in order to enter Canada as visitors

Citizens of the following countries and territories require a Visa to VISIT or TRANSIT Canada:

A

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Angola
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan

B

• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi

C

• Cambodia
• Republic of Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• People’s Republic of Colombia
• Comoros
• Congo, Democratic
• Republic of the Congo
• Republic of the Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Czech Republic

D

• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic

E

• East Timor
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia

F

• Fiji

G

• Gabon
• Gambia
• Georgia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana

H

• Haiti
• Honduras

I

• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel (only Israeli citizens holding valid Israeli “Travel Document in lieu of National Passport”)
• Ivory Coast

J

• Jamaica
• Jordan

K

• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Korea, North
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan

L

• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Lithuania (holders of non-biometric passports only)

M

• Macao S.A.R.
• Macedonia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives Islands
• Mali
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia, Fed.States
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar (Burma)

N

• Nauru
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria

O

• Oman

P

• Pakistan
• Palau
• Palestinian Authority
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland (holders of non-biometric passports only)

Q

• Qatar

R

• Romania
• Russia
• Rwanda

S

• Sao Tomé e Principe
• Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Surinam
• Syria

T

• Taiwan (except holders of the ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes their personal identification number)
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu

U

• Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan

V

• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Vietnam

Y

• Yemen

Z

• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

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Visitor Visa Exemptions

Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:

• citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia (Republic of), Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa;
• persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence;
• British citizens and British Overseas Citizens who are re-admissible to the United Kingdom;
• citizens of British dependent territories who derive their citizenship through birth, descent, registration or naturalization in one of the British dependent territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands;
• persons holding a British National (Overseas) Passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong;
• British subjects who hold a passport issued by the United Kingdom and who have the “right of abode” there
• persons holding a valid and subsisting Special Administrative Region passport issued by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;
• persons holding passports or travel documents issued by the Holy See;
• persons holding an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes their personal identification number.

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Visiting Canada: Parent and Grandparent Super Visa

Who Can Apply?

To apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, you must:

• be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;
• be found admissible to Canada; and
• meet certain other conditions.

Note: You cannot include dependants in this application. Only your spouse or common-law partner is eligible to accompany you under this provision.

Visa officers consider several factors before deciding if a person is admissible. The person must be a genuine visitor to Canada who will leave by choice at the end of the visit. Among the things that could be considered are:

• the person’s ties to the home country;
• the purpose of the visit;
• the person’s family and financial situation;
• the overall economic and political stability of the home country; and
• an invitation from a Canadian host.

In addition to being found admissible to Canada, the parent or grandparent must also:

• provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold;
• prove that they have bought Canadian medical insurance coverage for at least one year; and
• complete an Immigration Medical Examination.

How To Apply

In order to obtain a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, you will need to submit an Application for a Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IM5257] to a visa office and provide certain additional documents to support your application.

Note: You may request a multiple-entry visa for up to ten years if you submit the applicable fees along with your application.

Visa-Exempt Visitors

If you are the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident whose citizenship exempts you from requiring a visitor visa to enter Canada, you are still eligible to benefit from the provisions of the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa.

If you would like to enjoy a two-year authorized stay in Canada, you must:

• submit an Application for a Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM5257] to the nearest visa office; and
• provide additional supporting documents with the application.

If the application is approved, you will be issued a letter to present to a Canada Border Services Agency officer at the port of entry when you arrive in Canada. The officer may authorize a visit to Canada for up to two years.

Note: Visitors from visa-exempt countries are not required to submit fees with their application for a Parent or Grandparent Super Visa.

How to apply for your temporary resident visa

• Obtain a temporary resident visa application package.
• Read the instruction guide.
• Complete the application forms and attach the necessary documents.
• Pay the fee and get the necessary receipt.
• Submit the application form and necessary documents.

1. Obtain a temporary resident visa application package

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out.

2. Read the guide

Read the guide carefully before you complete the application form. The fee for processing your form is not refundable, so make sure you are eligible for a temporary resident visa before you apply.

3. Complete the application forms and attach the necessary documents

Read the instruction guide and be sure to provide the required documents. If you do not provide all the requested information or documents, your application may be delayed.

Each individual applicant must submit a completed temporary resident visa application form.

All required documents must be included with your application:

• You must have a valid travel document (such as a passport).
• Two recent passport photographs of each family member are required. Make sure these photographs meet the requirements.
• Enclose the application fee, unless you are from a visa-exempt country. Your fee will not be refunded, even if your application is not accepted.
• You must provide proof that you have enough money for your visit to Canada. The amount of money may vary depending on the circumstances for your visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives. You can get more information from the Canadian visa office in your country or region.
• You may need to include other documents. These documents could be identification cards, proof of employment, a letter of invitation from relatives or friends in Canada, or a proposed itinerary. Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information.

In order to obtain a Parent or Grandparent Super Visa, you also need to provide:

• Evidence of the parent or grandparent relationship to the Canadian citizen or permanent resident you wish to visit (e.g., birth certificate, baptismal certificate or other official document naming you as parent);
• A letter of invitation from your child or grandchild that includes arrangements for care and support and indicates the number of people residing in their household in Canada (mandatory);
• Proof from your child or grandchild that he or she meets the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO); and
• Proof that you have private medical insurance valid for a minimum of one year from a Canadian insurance company and that:
  • Covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
  • Provides a minimum coverage of $100,000; and
  • is valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by a port of entry officer.

Note: You will be required to undergo an immigration medical examination in order to come to Canada. Instructions on completing the examination will be provided to you by the visa office. You are not required to complete the examination before you submit your application forms.

4. Pay the fee and get the necessary receipt

The fee per person is $150 for a multiple entry visa or $75 for a single entry visa.

Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information on fees, including how to pay them.

Note: Visitors from visa-exempt countries are not required to submit fees with their application for a Parent or Grandparent Super Visa.

5. Submit the application forms and necessary documents

When you have completed the application forms, make sure you sign and date them, and that all required documents and fees are included in the envelope. In most countries, application fees must be paid in Canadian dollars. You must send your application to the Canadian visa office in the country or region where you live. Check the guide in your application package for instructions.

Processing time

How long it takes to process your application varies depending on the visa office where you applied.

See Application Processing Times below.

Interview with a visa officer

You may need to go for an interview with a visa officer.

Medical examination

You will need a medical examination to be allowed to enter Canada under the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. A Canadian immigration officer will send you instructions about what to do.

For more information, see Medical Examinations below.

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More information to be added soon!