Canada Tourist Visa
Canada Tourist Visa
Canada Tourist Visa
Visiting
At the port of entry, the border services officer may allow you to stay for
less or more than 6 months. If so, they’ll put the date you need to leave
by in your passport. They might also give you a document.
If you don’t get a stamp in your passport, you can stay for 6 months from
the day you entered Canada or until your passport expires, whichever
comes first.
If you need a stamp, you can ask a border services officer for one. If you
arrive at an airport that uses primary inspection kiosks, ask the border
officer after you finish at the kiosk.
If you want to stay longer than your authorized stay, you should apply for
an extension at least 30 days before the authorized end of your stay.
Before you apply, answer a few questions to find out what you need to
travel to Canada.
If you already have a valid Canadian visitor visa you don’t need
to apply for an eTA – even if you’re eligible for an eTA. You can
travel with your visa until it expires.
If you apply for an initial work or study permit before you travel to
Canada, you’ll get a visa or an eTA automatically once your work or study
permit application is approved. You don’t need to apply for a visa or an
eTA, or pay extra fees.
You will need to apply for a visitor visa to travel to Canada as a tourist.
Please note that having a valid visitor visa does not guarantee your entry
into Canada. A border services officer will decide if you can enter Canada
and how long you can stay.
As of November 23, 2017, if you lived in Singapore, Tunisia or Fiji for most
of the past year (6 months or more), you must complete an IME when
you apply to come to Canada for six months or more.
Argentina
Bahrain
Belize
Colombia
Portugal
the Seychelles
Surinam
Venezuela
If you do not have the proper documents, such as an eTA or visa, you
may be delayed or prevented from boarding your flight to Canada.
Before you apply, find out what you need to travel to Canada.
you are eligible for a fee-exemption and the purpose of your entry to
Canada is limited (such as, for an official visit by a foreign national)
you are taking part in a one-time special event in Canada
there are approved country-specific procedures or guidelines in
place.
In most cases, once you have left Canada, you will need a new visa to
enter Canada again.
You won’t need a new visitor visa to return to Canada if you are travelling
directly to the United States (including its Territories and Possessions) or
St. Pierre and Miquelon.
Why was I issued a single entry visa
instead of a multiple entry visa?
All applicants who are eligible for a multiple entry visa will be issued one.
However, not all applicants will be eligible for a multiple entry visa. This
remains at the discretion of a visa officer. A single entry visa may be
issued in cases where, for example:
The officer will authorize your stay by stamping your passport and/or
issuing another document.
If you received a visitor record, student or work permit, the expiry date is
marked on it.
You can answer a few questions to find the document you need to transit
through Canada.
Visa-required travellers
You’re considered a visa-required traveller if you’re from a visa-required
country.
Visa-exempt travellers
You’re considered a visa-exempt traveller if you’re from an eTA-required
country.
You need an eTA to transit through Canada by air if you’re from an eTA-
required country.
You don’t need an eTA if you’re transiting through Canada and you enter
by train, bus, boat or cruise ship. You do need to bring the right travel
documents.
How do I get a transit visa?
You can apply for a transit visa by filling out the application for a
Temporary Resident Visa and selecting transit visa from the list of options
on the form.
You may not need a transit visa if you are travelling to or from the United
States. The Transit Without Visa program (TWOV) and the China Transit
Program (CTP) allow certain foreign nationals to transit through Canada
on their way to and from the United States without a Canadian transit
visa, if they meet certain requirements.
Should you wish to re-apply, you should do so only if your situation has
changed substantively or you have significant new information to submit.
You can submit all family member applications in the same envelope with
one payment receipt for the total fee for all of your applications.
Parents or guardians can help children fill out their forms. Parents or
guardians must sign the forms for any children under the age of 18.
The border services officer will verify your eTA when you arrive in
Canada.
When travelling by land or sea directly from the U.S., you will only need
to provide proof of your U.S. lawful permanent resident status (such as
your Green Card).
Please note:
Check the document checklist for full details of what you need to submit
with your application.
With the parent and grandparent super visa, eligible parents and
grandparents can visit family in Canada for up to two years without the
need to renew their status.
The Super Visa is a multi-entry visa that provides multiple entries for a
period up to 10 years. The key difference is that the Super Visa allows an
individual to stay for up to two years at a time in Canada, while a 10-year
multiple entry visa would only have a status period for each entry of six
months only.
There are also specific requirements that you must meet to be able to get
a super visa. See the IRCC website for who can apply for a grandparent
super visa or Who is eligible for a parent and grandparent super visa?
See also How does the parent and grandparent super visa differ from a
visitor visa?
Your dependants are not eligible for a super visa. They can still apply to
visit Canada for up to 6 months with the right travel document. Find out
what kind of travel document they need.
Business visitors must prove that their main source of income and their
main place of business are outside Canada.
You aren’t considered a business visitor, and may need to get a work
permit, if you’re doing work for a Canadian company. For example,
you’re an employee sent by a foreign company to fulfill a contract with a
Canadian company.
Business visitors and business people are not the same. Business people
come to do work in Canada under a free trade agreement. Learn more
about business people.
When you arrive in Canada, you must show to the border services officer
several documents. These documents include, but are not limited to:
How long you can stay will be decided when you enter Canada.
If the officer stamps your passport and writes a date under that
stamp
You must leave Canada by that date
If the officer stamps your passport and gives you a visitor record
You must leave Canada by the date under “Valid until” on that
visitor record.
If the officer stamps your passport without writing a date under that
stamp or giving you a visitor record
You can stay in Canada for 6 months.
If you need a stamp in your passport as proof of entry into Canada, you
have to ask a border services officer after you finish at the kiosk.
For the steps to apply, see How to apply to extend your stay as a visitor.
You can also apply online.
See also How can I extend my stay as worker? and How can I extend my
stay as a student?
If the parents are separated or divorced, and share custody of the child,
the parent travelling with the child should carry copies of the legal
custody documents.
If the parents are separated or divorced and one of them has sole
custody of the child, the letter of authorization may be signed by that
parent only and they should bring a copy of the custody papers.
If you try to apply again but still have technical issues, complete this
enquiry form.
If you are leaving for Canada soon, you may want to reschedule your
flight.
Check the junk/spam mail folder of the email address you provided on
your eTA application form. Some spam filters may block automated
emails from IRCC.
If you are leaving for Canada soon, you may want to reschedule your
flight.
Check the junk/spam mail folder of the email address you provided on
your eTA application form. Some spam filters may block automated
emails from IRCC.
If you are not sure how to submit the documents requested for your eTA
application, follow these step-by-step instructions.
If you are waiting for someone (police department, doctor) to send you
documents, or have problems uploading the documents and cannot
submit them by the deadline, complete this web form to request an
extension to the deadline.
If you are leaving for Canada soon, you may want to reschedule your
flight.
We encourage you to reapply for an eTA only once you have addressed
the reason(s) leading to the refusal of your application.
Travellers who apply for an eTA are advised to be cautious in all dealings
with companies that claim to offer help in getting an eTA. Although many
of these companies have created websites that charge a fee to provide
information and submit eTA applications through Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these companies are NOT operating on
behalf of the Government of Canada.
If you enter the person’s email, IRCC will email the applicant directly.
Can I start my eTA application and save it?
No, there is no save feature. You must complete your application in one
session. Make sure to have your passport, email address and a credit
card ready before you start the form.
Your correct email address is needed because we will email you to tell
you if your application for an eTA is approved.
The passport number of the passport you will use to travel to Canada is
needed because your eTA will be linked to that passport. If the passport
number you entered is not correct, you may not be able to board your
flight.
Please make sure to check your email junk mail folder. Some spam
filters may block our emails. Check the folder regularly as emails may at
times be moved from your inbox to the junk mail folder.
Once you receive this email, you can use the eTA Check Status tool to
follow the progress of your application. To use the tool, you will need:
the application number which begins with the letter V that can be
found at the top of the email, and
details from the passport you used to apply for your eTA.
Note: Make sure to check your email junk mail folder. Some spam
filters may block our emails. Check the folder regularly as emails
may at times be moved from your inbox to the junk mail folder.
After submitting these details, you will see information about your eTA
on the status screen. The Government of Canada website is the official
place to apply for an eTA. Even authorized third parties that apply on
behalf of someone have to use this website to apply for an eTA.
If it has been more than 72 hours since you applied and if you do not see
any information or get an error message when you use the Check Status
tool, complete this enquiry form. Note: It can take us several days to
answer your enquiry.
The Government of Canada does not issue refunds for extra fees charged
by third party websites.
After submitting these details, you will see information about your eTA
on the status screen. This information will confirm whether you are
authorized to travel to Canada despite being charged more than $7 CAD.
If it has been more than 72 hours since you applied and if you do not see
any information or get an error message when you use the Check Status
tool, complete this enquiry form. Note: It can take us several days to
answer your enquiry.
If, once the Government of Canada reviews your enquiry, it is confirmed
that you do not have an eTA and there is no application in your name,
follow these steps:
Once you complete these three steps, you will be able to view the
message in your account that lists the document(s) you need to submit.
Do not submit your documents by email.
Check the junk/spam mail folder of the email address you provided on
your eTA application form. Some spam filters may block automated
emails from IRCC.
If you apply for an eTA at an airport, and your eTA is not approved in
time for you to check-in for your flight, you will need to reschedule
your flight.
the application number you received when you applied for your eTA,
your name, and
the date and country of your birth.
Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. In most cases, eTA
applications will be approved within minutes of applying. Therefore, you
may receive an approved eTA before your request to withdraw your
application has been processed. If this is the case, you will continue to
hold an approved eTA.
We encourage you to reapply for an eTA only once you have addressed
the reason(s) leading to the cancellation of your application.
See also My application for an eTA was refused. Can I still travel to
Canada?
The Government of Canada will also send email updates to the email
address provided on the eTA application form. These emails will:
Note: Your client can confirm that the passport number is correct. If it is
not correct, you must complete a new application.
Note: The Government of Canada will send email updates to the email
address provided on the eTA application form. These emails will include
the passport number that the eTA application is linked to. Be sure to
confirm that the passport number in this correspondence is correct. If
the passport number is not correct, you will need to submit a new eTA
application with the correct passport number.
Date modified:
2019-04-12