Come to Canada 
as a Visitor

Everyone wanting to enter Canada for purposes including tourism, short term studies, business visits, conferences and family visits, needs to hold a valid travel document. This travel document shows that you meet the requirements needed to enter Canada, and can be either an eTA (electronic Travel Authorization), or a Temporary Resident  Visa (TRV), a.k.a. Visitor Visa, depending of their country of origin.

Who is eligible for a Canadian Visitor Visa?

You must meet some basic requirements to get a Visitor Visa. You must:

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  • have a valid travel document, like a passport

  • have enough money for your stay

    • the amount of money you will need depends on how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives

  • have no criminal or immigration-related convictions

  • be in good health

  • convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country

  • convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit

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You may also need a medical exam and a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

Friends Camping in Woods

Ready to apply for your Visitor Visa?

Get ready to fall in love with the beauty of Canada and plan your destination with these videos from some of the official provincial and municipal tourism sites.

In 2017, Canada refused nearly 600,000 Visitor Visa applications, which translates to a 26% refusal rate vs 18% in 2012. By the end of the first quarter of 2018, the rate had risen again to about 30%, as Globe and Mail published based on data obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).