Some foreign people wishing to visit Canada may find themselves wondering about their circumstances in light of recent revisions to the requirements for guest visas for some citizens of Mexico.
In order to help, CIC News has put together a list of commonly 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 guest in Canada?
Generally speaking, travelers 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.
Visitors who would like to remain in Canada beyond their initially authorized stay can apply for an extension (more on this later).
What distinguishes a multiple-entry visa from a single-entry visa?
As the name suggests, a single-entry visa only permits the bearer to enter Canada once, but 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 get 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 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 entrance.
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 filed 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.
Do I need a medical exam to get a visitor visa?
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 may 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, for six or more consecutive months, living or residing in a designated country or territory*
- The applicant is applying for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa
*This applies to all visitors, even those who are citizens of visa-exempt countries, who have been in any of the eligible countries “in the one year immediately preceding the date [the visitor] sought entry into Canada.”
Is a visitor visa the same thing as a visitor record?
No, foreign nationals wishing to go to and enter Canada as visitors must get a visitor visa. (in most circumstances, 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 get 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 on the distinction between a visitor record and a guest visa, click this link.
My previous passport is still valid, even though I have a new one. Is my previous passport still valid for the visa?
IRCC notes that it is possible to travel to Canada using a valid visitor visa placed in an old passport. However, travelers in this situation must bring both of the following documents with them to Canada:
- The old passport with the valid visa*
- The new valid passport or travel document
*Travellers may need to explain to CBSA officers why their old passport is no longer valid
Note: To avoid processing delays at the Canadian border, IRCC recommends that all visitors to Canada obtain a new visitor visa in their new, valid passport.
How can I extend my stay as a visitor?
Extending your stay in Canada requires that you submit biometrics (fingerprints and a photograph) and apply for a visitor record. This document allows visitors to Canada three options to extend their stay in the country:
- As a visitor
- As a worker authorized to work in Canada without a work permit
- As a student authorized to study in Canada without a study permit
The steps to applying for a visitor record online can be found on this IRCC webpage.
Can I file an appeal if my visitor visa is denied?
There is no appeal process for a visitor visa application from IRCC.
When an applicant is denied a visitor visa to enter Canada, they may re-apply, but IRCC recommends that they only do so if their situation has changed, or they have new information to submit that may alter the outcome of their application.
Do I need a visa if I’m just traveling through Canada on my way to another country?
Documentation for those transiting through Canada depends on an individual’s unique situation.
Generally, travelers can be broken down into two categories: visa-required travelers (from a visa-required country) and visa-exempt travelers (from a country that requires an electronic Travel Authorization, eTA).
Some visa-required travelers need a visitor visa. This applies to travelers who are:
- Visiting Canada (even if traveling by air and the traveler is in Canada for less than 48 hours)
- Staying in Canada for more than 48 hours while transiting through the country to another destination
- Crossing the Canadian border via any of the following five modes of transportation: bus, car, train, boat or cruise ship
Other visa-required travelers may only require a transit visa. This applies to travelers who:
- Have an international flight that stops at a Canadian airport on the way to another country
- Will be connecting two international flights at a Canadian airport
- Will be transiting through Canada in 48 hours or less
- Do not have a valid visitor visa
Visa-exempt travelers need an eTA to transit through Canada by air. Travelers transiting through Canada by train, bus, boat, or cruise ship are not required to obtain an eTA, but must still bring with them the correct travel documents.
