Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa)

Temporary Resident Visas (Visitor Visas) and eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization)

Canada welcomes millions of visitors into the country each year for work, study and travel. Unless you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you will require either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or eTA (electronic Travel Authorization) to enter the country as a visitor (US Citizens are exempt from both requirements).

Citizens of visa-exempt countries travelling to Canada by air must obtain an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before their departure to Canada. The cost for obtaining this is only $7 and can be easily applied for on the Government of Canada Website.

Citizens of countries that are not exempt from the need for a visa will need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) in order to travel to Canada.

TRV Requirements

A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also referred to as a visitor visa, is an official document issued by a Canadian Visa Office that is placed in your passport to show that you have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident, either as a visitor, student or worker.

The amount of time that your visa, and your subsequent admission into Canada will be granted for, will depend in large part on the reasons for why you wish to enter Canada. If you wish to enter as a visitor, the standard granted for admission is six months. Students are generally admitted for the length of their program. The amount of time granted to temporary workers varies considerably depending on the nature of their case.

Visas vs Permits

As mentioned above, a ‘visa’ is a document that authorizes a foreign national’s entry into Canada. This is separate from a ‘permit’, such as a Study Permit or Work Permit, that grants a foreign national the right to engage in certain activities in Canada as specified on their permit, such as the right to study or to work. Furthermore, the amount of time that a foreign national can stay in Canada is not determined by their visa, but by an officer at the Canadian Port-of-Entry who authorizes their admission into Canada, or by an immigration office in Canada that processes an application to change, extend or restore the status of visitors already in the country. If issued with a permit, the date the person must leave the country on will be indicated in the notes of the permit.