A temporary visa for Canada is called a TRV (temporary resident visa). You can apply for it in seven steps.1. Apply for your visitor visa, study permit or work permit as required.
2. Get your fingerprints and photo taken.
3. Submit your application for processing.
4. Wait for a decision to be made on your application.
5. If your application is approved, travel to Canada.
6. Have your identity checked upon your arrival to Canada.
7. Enter your new home.
Now let’s have a look at these steps in a bit more detail.
1. Apply For Your Visitor Visa, Study Permit Or Work Permit
If you want to visit, study or work in Canada, make sure you’re eligible to apply. Prior to submitting the application, you will need to check that you meet all requirements. You will be able to do this via this website, which also contains application hints and tips you can use to help fill out your application properly, prior to submission.
Please ensure that all the relevant boxes are completed before you send over the application, thus avoiding any delays.
2. Get Your Fingerprints And Photo Taken (Biometrics)
If you’re between 14 and 79 years old, it is likely that you will need to give your fingerprints and photo for what is known as biometrics. You’ll have to do this once every 10 years to make repeat trips to Canada easier.
You must pay the biometrics fee along with your application. You will receive a letter telling you to undergo this process and you’ll have 30 days from the date of the letter to comply.
3. Application Process
After your biometrics are received, your application will be processed. If more information is required from you, then you will be contacted.
4. Decision On Your Application
Once your application has been reviewed, you will be contacted with the decision about whether or not you are approved to come to Canada. If your application is refused, you will get a letter explaining why.
5. Travel To Canada
Make sure you travel with the documents you receive, which will include visitor visa, study or work permits or an ETA, which is electronically linked to your passport.
If you don’t have these documents, you may not be able to board your flight. Make sure any children with you also have the right documents.
6. You Will Be IDed Upon Your Arrival In Canada
When you arrive, the border patrol will check your ID to make sure you are the same person who was approved to travel to Canada. If they can’t verify your identity, you may be detained by a border services officer. If the officer decides you’re not admissible, you won’t be allowed to enter the country. If you came by air, you’ll have to take a return flight home.
7. You’re Allowed To Enter Canada
If all is well with the identity check and you meet the entry requirements, the border services officer stamps your passport and grants you entry. You will also be reminded of how long you can stay in the country, which will typically be for up to six months at a time. Children under 18 must meet the same entry requirements as adults.
Listed below are some of the basic fees involved with the visa application.
• Visitor Visa (including super visa) – per person: Single or multiple entry temporary visa. 100 CAD
• Visitor Visa – family (5 or more): Single or multiple entry temporary visa. 500 CAD
• Transit Visa: No fee
• Biometric per person. 85 CAD
• Maximum total fee for families of two or more applying at the same time: 170 CAD
Please be aware that fees are subject to change and that they will not be refunded, regardless of the final decision, so ensure that you provide all required documentation at the time of application. If you apply again, you will have to pay another processing and biometric fee.
Applicants are also required to show that they have sufficient money to support themselves and their family after they get to Canada. This is not relevant if the applicant:
• Is currently authorised to work in Canada and
• Has a valid job offer from an employer in Canada.
Applicants need to be aware that they are not allowed to borrow this money from another person. They need to use this money to cover the cost of living in the country. This applies even if the family is not accompanying the applicant to Canada. Applicants would also need to show proof to the Canadian visa office in their home country that they possess sufficient money when they apply to immigrate.
It is worth noting that the amount of money that applicants need for supporting their families is dependent upon the number of people in that family. The authorities revise these amounts each year so please check prior to making the application.
Number of Family Members
Funds Required (in Canadian dollars)
1: $12,474
2: $15,530
3: $19,092
4: $23,181
5: $26,291
6: $29,652
7: $33,013
Each additional family member: $3,361
The minimum amount was recently increased by just over 1.5 per cent for each family level. For a single person arriving unaccompanied in Canada, this equates to an increase from 12,474 to 12,669 Canadian Dollars.
Please be advised of the specifications for TRV application photograph:
Your face must be square to the camera with a neutral expression, neither frowning nor smiling, with your mouth closed.
If the photographs do not meet the specifications, you will have to provide new photographs before your application can be processed.
Note: if you are required to provide biometric fingerprints and photo, you are not required to include paper photos with your application.
Additional information can be found here.
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