Some foreign people wishing to visit Canada may find themselves wondering about their own circumstances in light of recent revisions to the requirements for guest visas for certain citizens of Mexico.
In order to help, CIC News has put together a list of frequently asked questions that you might find useful to look over before investing the time, effort, and financial resources required to travel to Canada.
How much time may I spend as a visitor in Canada?
Generally speaking, visitors to Canada are allowed to stay for six months from the date of entry (or until the expiration of their passport, whichever comes first). A stamp on a visitor’s passport or a paper given to them by a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer will specify the deadline for leaving the country.
Travelers can ask for an extension if they want to stay in Canada longer than their originally permitted stay (more on this later).
What distinguishes a multiple-entry visa from a single entrance visa?
As the name suggests, a single-entry visa only permits the bearer to enter Canada once, whereas a multiple-entry visa enables several entries as long as the visa is still valid.
Note: Although Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) evaluates each application individually and grants each visitor a visa in accordance with their needs, all applicants for visiting visas are automatically assessed for a multiple-entry visa.
The International Rescue Committee (IRCC) makes it clear that holders of single-entry visas need to obtain a new visa in order to re-enter Canada after leaving, unless they are going immediately to the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon.
In the meanwhile, multiple-entry visas are good for one month or for the shorter of the two durations listed below: ten years or until the visa holder’s passport expires. A multiple-entry visa holder is permitted to stay in Canada for a maximum of six months at a time during each entry.
If my family and I are traveling together, may I submit a single visa application for them all?
No. Each visitor visa applicant must fill out and sign their individual application, even if they are all submitted for the same family group and can be sent in the same envelope with a single payment receipt covering the entire cost of the applications.
All other necessary forms are subject to this restriction as well, with the exception of the Family Information form, which is only for candidates who are 18 years of age or older to fill out.
Note: Every applicant for a guest visa under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign the applicable form(s), and parents and guardians can assist their children in filling them out.
Is there a way I may support a friend or relative who wants to travel to Canada?
You can send a letter of invitation to assist a loved one in visiting Canada, even though they will need to complete their own visa applications.
It should be emphasized that while this paper outlines your potential assistance (e.g., offering to cover lodging costs), it does not ensure that the visiting visa applicant will be granted.
Does obtaining a visiting visa need a medical exam?
The duration of the visitor’s stay in Canada will determine this.
Generally speaking, unless they plan to work in a position where the “protection of public health is essential,” travelers visiting Canada for six months or less are exempt from needing a medical examination. You can see a list of jobs that meet this qualification here.
Visitors who plan to stay in Canada for more than six months are likewise subject to the aforementioned public health protection requirement. Additionally, if a tourist meets one of the following two criteria, they must get a medical examination before staying in Canada for six months or longer:
- The applicant has been residing in a recognized nation or territory* for six months or longer.
- The applicant is requesting a Super Visa for Parents and Grandparents.
*Any visitor who has been in any of the eligible countries “in the one year immediately preceding the date [the visitor] sought entry into Canada” is covered by this, including nationals of nations where visas are not required.
Are a visitor record and a visitor visa interchangeable?
No, foreign nationals wishing to go to and enter Canada as visitors must get a visitor visa. (in most cases, for up to six months).
On the other hand, a visitor record is given by CBSA agents in order to limit or increase the recipient’s time in Canada. Foreign nationals may also receive this kind of paperwork from the IRCC or CBSA following the approval of their application to change their status or prolong their stay in Canada.
For further information about the distinction between a visitor record and a guest visa, click this link.
Although I now have a new passport, my old one’s visa is still valid. Can I use my previous passport with the visa?
According to IRCC, a valid visitor visa that is carried in an old passport can be used to enter Canada. Travelers in this circumstance, however, need to bring both of the following documents into Canada:
- the previous passport bearing a current visa*
- The updated, valid travel document or passport
*Travelers might have to give CBSA officials an explanation for why their previous passport is no longer valid.
Note: The IRCC advises all visitors to Canada to obtain a new visitor visa in their new, valid passport in order to prevent processing delays at the Canadian border.
How can I remain longer as a guest?
In order to extend your stay in Canada, you must apply for a visitor record and provide biometrics, which are your fingerprints and a picture. This paper gives guests three ways to increase the length of their stay in Canada:
- As a guest
- As an employee permitted to labor in Canada without a work permit
- As a pupil permitted to attend classes in Canada without a study permit
This IRCC webpage outlines the procedures for submitting an online application for a visitor record.
In the event that my tourist visa is rejected, may I appeal?
An appeal procedure is not available for IRCC guest visa applications.
An applicant may reapply after being refused a visiting visa to enter Canada, but the IRCC advises against doing so unless their circumstances have changed or they believe they have fresh information to offer that could influence the decision made on their application.
If I’m merely passing through Canada on my route to another nation, do I still need a visa?
The documentation required for individuals traveling through Canada varies based on their particular circumstances.
Travelers can generally be divided into two groups: those who need a visa (from a country where a visa is required) and those who do not (from a country that requires an electronic Travel Authorization, eTA).
Some travelers who require a visa require a visitor’s visa. This pertains to tourists who are:
- traveling to Canada (even if one does so by plane and stays for fewer than 48 hours)
- traveling via Canada and remaining longer than 48 hours in order to reach another place
- utilizing one of the following five means of transportation to cross the Canadian border: bus, vehicle, rail, boat, or cruise ship
Additional visa-required Maybe all travelers need is a transit visa. This is relevant for tourists who:
- Traveling abroad and making a stopover at an airport in Canada before continuing on to another country
- will be at a Canadian airport making a connection between two overseas flights.
- will pass over Canada in no more than 48 hours.
- lack a current visitor’s visa
Travelers without a visa require an eTA in order to fly through Canada. While it is not necessary to obtain an eTA, passengers passing through Canada by bus, train, boat, or cruise ship still need to bring the necessary travel documentation.
