A good number of tourists have taken advantage of Canada Visitor Visas to experience the natural beauty, vibrant culture, and rich history that the country has to offer. The promise of experiencing many exciting activities such as city exploring, train travel, and wildlife viewing keeps attracting more tourists.
Photo by Andre Furtado
Canada is the ideal destination for tourists as it has lakes, trees, mountains, wide-open spaces, and stunning national parks like Algonquin, Jasper, and Banff. Anyone who loves hiking, festivals, or simply tanning on the beach should book their next holiday flight to Canada!
Here’s why – Canada ranks high on global quality of life indexes cause it promises an unforgettable experience for every tourist. There are Fundy Trail Parkway, Skyline Trail, East Coast Trail, Johnston Canyon, Trans Canada Trail, etc for hikers. There are also lots of music festivals, the Les Grands Feux Loto- Quebec fireworks (which last for six nights), and other events in Quebec City. The music festivals include Festival d’ete de Quebec, Festibiere de Quebec, and the ComediHa!
Some other events you can enjoy in Canada as a tourist include the New France Festival, Wendake International Pow Wow, ImagiNation Writers’ Festival, Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec, Salon International du livre de Quebec, etc.
The excitement to travel to Canada for your next holiday is palpable, but before you start making your travel arrangements, there are things you must know about the process. We will guide you through your preparation process to ensure that your vacation plans are seamless and exciting.
Do you need a Visitor Visa or an eTA?
Traditionally, the visitor’s visa allows a visitor entry into a country, but an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is simply a digital permit that allows a visitor entry without a visa. You have to know the category you belong to know what you need to gain entrance into Canada. Firstly, if you do not belong to a visa-exempt country, then you will need to apply for a visitor visa.
ETA is mainly used for tourism or business while a visitor visa is used to immigrate, work, or study in Canada. Although ETA is valid for multiple entries, it can be refused; at which point, the holder will be required to apply for a visa to enter Canada.
If you belong to any of these countries, then you just need an eTA to enter Canada:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Costa
- Rica
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Panama
- Philippines
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
Eligibility criteria for travelers applying for a Canadian Visitor Visa
Once you meet the requirements for a Canadian Visitor Visa, you can begin your application. The requirements include:
- A valid passport.
- Completed online application form.
- Pass a medical exam to prove that you are in good health.
- Police Certificates – to show that you have a clean criminal record.
- Proof of funds.
- Strong ties to home country.
- Letter of invitation.
- Passport-sized photographs.
- Travel itinerary.
- Purpose of visit.
- Paying the visa fees.
- Ace your interview with an immigration officer.
Note that the amount of money you will be required to provide in your proof of funds will depend on how long you intend to stay, the purpose of your visit, and the number of people traveling. When preparing your travel itinerary, it is advisable to book refundable tickets before your visa approval, so that if your visa is denied, you can easily recover your money.
During your interview with the immigration officer, you have to show how strong your ties to home is to the satisfaction of the visa officer. If the officer is not convinced that you will return home when you are done with your visit, your visa will be denied.
Step-by-step guide to applying for a Canada Travel Visa
This is a detailed application process on how to apply for a Canada Travel Visa:
- Go to the Canada official website, create an online account, and complete the online application form (IMM 5257).
- Upload all supporting documents such as a valid passport, passport-sized photos, bank statements, letter of invitation (if applicable), and any other document.
- Pay the visa application fee.
- Cross-check your application and ensure there are no errors
- Submit.
After you are done with the first application, you will receive a letter asking you to provide your biometrics which means that you have to book a biometric appointment.
Hence you will use the eService Canada Appointment Booking Tool to book an appointment at a Canadian immigration location in your home country or the country you are applying from. You may be required to pay a biometric fee depending on your application type. On your scheduled date and time, you will go with your passport and your biometric instruction letter, and an officer will take a photo of your face and scan your fingerprints with a digital scanner.
When your fingerprint is scanned, your travel information will be displayed on their system which makes it very vital that all the information you provided is accurate. If any inconsistency is detected, your visa may be delayed or even worse, denied.
Canada tourist visa process: what every traveler should know
As discussed in the above section, the quality of the information provided can affect the processing time of your Canada visitor visa.
Nevertheless, other factors can affect the processing time of your Canada tourist visa, and they include:
- Your country of origin.
- Application completeness and accuracy.
- The complexity of the case.
- Security and background checks.
- Peak travel seasons.
- Volume of applications.
- Response time to additional requests from the visa officer.
- Medical exams or police certificates (if applicable).
Various fees you will be required to pay include:
- Visa application fee – $100 per person.
- Biometric fee – $85.
- Passport processing – $45.
- Medical exam – not specified.
- Police check – may be required for business visitor visas.
- Visa extension fee – $100.
- Fee to restore visitor status – $239.75.
Common mistakes to avoid when applying for a Canadian visitor visa
Most potential visitors’ visa applications have been rejected for the simplest and avoidable reasons which we will explain below:
Insufficient funds – If your bank statement shows that you don’t have enough funds, the officer would think that you want to stay back illegally. Also, if there are suspicions about the funds in your account not belonging to you, your visa could be denied.
Weak ties to home country – You must prove that there is something tangible that will bring you back to your home country else your visa will be denied.
Past criminal record.
Fraud or misrepresentation.
Lack of clarity when providing information or answering questions.
Lack of travel or health insurance coverage.
Expiring passport or insufficient blank pages.
Overstaying a previous visa.