What’s a visitor visa or tourist visa? What is the difference between visitor visa & eTA?
It is a document (Visa foil) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) issued by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to allow a foreign national to arrive at or transit through a Canadian airport/border for examination by a Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) officer for the purpose of admission into Canada or transiting through Canada. It does not guarantee admission into Canada because decision to admit a foreign national into Canada is that of the CBSA officer upon satisfactory examination.
Most people need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada – not both. Some people may only need their valid passport. What they need to complete the form and pay for your eTA are a valid passport from a visa-exempt country; a valid email address and one of the acceptable methods of payment Visa, Mastercard, American Express, a pre-paid Visa, Mastercard or American Express, Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard, etc. to pay the $7 CAD fee (non-refundable) eTA is instantaneous unless there is a complication in which case it may take days.
How to apply for visitor/tourist visa to Canada?
One can apply for temporary resident visa (visitor visa) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) mostly online these days. Paper application albeit still accepted, is being phased out. To apply in most cases a foreign national has to be invited by a Canadian or permanent resident. Foreign national must have a valid passport (travel document), ensure that they meet the requirement for admission into Canada and satisfy IRCC that they will leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay, then create an online account with IRCC, answer all necessary questions, select application type, biometric type and fee payment type, upload a completed and validated IMM5257 application for temporary visa with all supporting documents, sign the application, pay the fee and submit the application or retain and “Authorized Representative” to help them submit a visitor visa application, this is where One World Immigration comes in as a representative to.
How long does it take to get visitor visa?
How long it takes to process a visitor visa depends on many factors some of which are the volume of application IRCC have at the time, the region from where an applicant is applying from and application completeness to name but a few. It can take 9 days to 4 months pre-pandemic or more post-pandemic due to travel restrictions. eTA is instantaneous unless there is a complication.
Who can help you get a visitor visa to Canada?
Only “Authorized representatives” meaning members in good standing of The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (Regulated Immigration & Citizenship Consultants), members of Canadian provincial or territorial law society (Lawyers) or members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec can represent a foreign national for a fee or A family member/friend can assist you without being paid to do so.
How to apply for parents’ visitor visa for Canada?
The son/daughter or grand-children of the parent or grandparent will send an invitation with all other supporting documents some of which are copy of Biodata page Canadian passport or PR card, copy of CRA notice of assessment, proof of employment etc. to confirm that they are a citizen/permanent resident to the parent/grandparent to include in their application with all their own supporting documents when they submit their paper application or online application as described in question 2 above. The parent/grandparent can apply for multiple entry visa for up to ten (10) years or the validity of their passport. Specific additional documents are needed from the inviter for P/GP super visa. We can assist you and your parent/grand-parent with preparing and submitting an accurate and complete P/GP application.
How to apply for Visitor visa extension
A foreign national (FN) who has been temporarily admitted to Canada who for any reason wish to extend their stay (stay in Canada longer) is required to make an application for visitor record by logging in into their IRCC online account or create one, will complete IMM 5708 application to change condition, extend stay as a visitor and validate it. The FN will then respond to appropriate questions in their account to select application type, biometric and fee type, upload the application with required supporting documents, put their electronic signature, then pay by using a credit card or debit and submit the application. At One World, we make your visitor visa extension easy and trouble free giving you peace of mind.
What is the difference between a visitor visa and visitor record?
A visitor visa (temporary resident visa) is issued by Canadian embassy abroad or at the Border/airport for selected countries and placed into a foreign nationals’ passport which allows them to enter a flight/vessel to Canada. The document is required by Border service agent to examine and decide about admitting them into Canada or not.
A visitor record is a document issued by IRCC that gives a FN status as a visitor in Canada and allows them to stay longer and includes a new expiry date which is the new date that foreign national must leave Canada. A foreign national wishing to stay longer in Canada must apply for the extension at least 30 days prior to the expiry of their visitor visa.
Where to apply for visitor visa?
Most visitor visa applications are submitted electronically online as described in Q1 above. It will be received instantly by IRCC and processed more quickly with no courier cost incurred. However, for those who for some reason are not able to apply electronically, they will have to physically complete and validate IMM5257 application for temporary visa enclosing all supporting documents with copy of biodata page of their passport and submit the package to the closest visa facilitation service office (VFS). VFS charges fees for their service of submitting the package to Canadian Embassy for the region of the applicant. When processing is completed by the Embassy/High commission, VFS will return the applicants passport with the visa.
Can a visitor visa holder work in Canada?
No. To work in Canada a foreign national must apply for and obtain work permit. It is with only work permit that a visitor, student or temporary foreign worker can work legally in Canada. If they work without a work permit, they are breaking Canadian law and will be removed from Canada by Canada Border Service Agency officer if caught.
Can a visitor come to Canada now?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is travel restriction to Canada. Only Canadian citizens, permanent residents or first nations people of Canada can enter Canada or close relatives or immediate family members of Canadian citizen, permanent resident or first nations people with a travel authorization and proper visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). To find out whether you qualify for admission to Canada, please contact us.
Can a visitor to Canada get a driver’s license?
It varies from province to province. Yes, If you are a visitor to Ontario and want to drive while you are visiting, you must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license from your country. If you are visiting Ontario for more than three months, you need an International Driver’s Permit from your own country. If you are taking up residence, you must get an Ontario driver’s license.
If you plan to use a foreign driver’s license in Canada, you should get an International Driving Permit (IDP) in your home country. An IDP will give you a translation of your license into French and English.
Can someone with visitor visa study in Canada?
To study in Canada for a period longer than 6 months, a foreign national requires a study permit and needs to apply for and obtain same before coming to Canada.
To apply for a study permit, a foreign national has to ensure that they meet the requirement for admission into Canada and satisfy IRCC that about their intention for coming to Canada to study, that they will leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay. They need to create an online account with IRCC, answer all necessary questions, select application type, biometric type and fee payment type, upload a completed and validated IMM1294e application for study permit made outside Canada and a temporary visa application with all supporting documents, sign the application, pay the fee and submit the application. At One World Immigration Consulting Services, we can represent and assist you with preparing and submitting an accurate and complete application for study permit and temporary resident visa.
How can I obtain visitor visa for an immediate family member?
To obtain a visitor visa for an immediate family member the Canadian or permanent resident or first nations person who immediate family member(s) is overseas has to make a statutory invitation inviting the family member, will send the statutory invitation to the immediate family member overseas who will complete their own part of the application for authorization to enter Canada and submit it with all supporting documents to IRCC by email to a designated office for approval in addition to application for a temporary resident visa submitted separately online as described in Q 2. One World Immigration can simply the complicated process for you, retain us to represent you.
How can apply for visitor visa as a spouse of Canadian citizen or permanent resident?
As in most visitor visa application to Canada, the foreign spouse has to be invited by the Canadian spouse with all supporting documents, proof of Canadian citizenship/permanent resident, proof of relationship, CRA notice of assessment, to name but a few. The overseas spouse will then complete the IMM5257 application for temporary resident, enclosing all supporting documents from their side and submit the application electronically through their IRCC online account or if paper application though VFS. The spouse TRV application like the spousal sponsorship application is scrutinized carefully by IRCC and at times difficult to obtain. At One World immigration, we can take over this stressful application and assist you with it.
