Canada Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa): Who Needs It and How to Apply

A visitor visa is an official document that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) places in your passport. It shows that you meet the requirements to enter Canada as a temporary visitor. You use it for:

• Tourism and holidays
• Visiting family or friends
• Short business trips (see business visitors)
• Short courses of 6 months or less

The visa lets you travel to Canada. It does not guarantee entry. A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer makes the final decision when you arrive and decides how long you may stay. Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry. If the officer gives you a shorter period, the date is written in your passport or on a document called a visitor record.

A visitor visa is not a work permit or a study permit. If you plan to work, look at work permits in Canada. If you plan to study for longer than 6 months, you need a study permit.

What you need depends on your passport and how you travel.

IRCC keeps the official list of which countries need a visa. Check it on the IRCC "Visit Canada" pages before you apply, because the lists change. For example, Canada brought back visa requirements for many Mexican citizens in February 2024, while letting some of them use an eTA if they meet conditions.

To get a visitor visa, you must convince the officer that you are a genuine temporary visitor. In general you need to:

• Have a valid passport
• Be in good health (some people need a medical exam)
• Have no criminal or immigration-related convictions that make you inadmissible (see inadmissibility)
• Show ties to your home country, such as a job, a home, studies, money, or family, that will take you back
• Show you have enough money for your stay. IRCC does not publish a fixed minimum; the amount depends on your plans, the length of your trip, and whether someone is hosting you
• Leave Canada at the end of your visit

Officers refuse many applications because they are not satisfied you will leave Canada, or because the purpose of the trip or the source of funds is unclear. Give clear, consistent documents that match what you write in the forms.

If you have a criminal record, a past refusal, or a past overstay in any country, talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before you apply.

The IRCC document checklist in your online account is the final word. Most applicants upload:

• Passport bio page and any past visas
• Proof of funds, such as recent bank statements or pay slips
• Proof of ties at home, such as an employment letter, business registration, property records, or school enrollment
• A travel plan or itinerary (you don't need to buy tickets before you get the visa)
• An invitation letter if you are visiting family or friends, with a copy of your host's status in Canada
• Family information form and any documents the checklist asks for

Documents not in English or French need a certified translation.

Fees as of September 2026, from the IRCC fee list:

Most applicants aged 14 to 79 give fingerprints and a photo once every 10 years. Read the biometrics guide to see if you are exempt or already covered.

A single-entry visa lets you enter Canada once. A multiple-entry visa lets you come and go while it is valid.

For many years, officers issued multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years almost by default. IRCC changed its instructions to officers on November 6, 2024. Officers now decide in each case whether to issue a single-entry or a multiple-entry visa, and how long it should last. A visa can never be valid past your passport's expiry date.

This means you may receive a visa that matches only your planned trip. If you plan to travel several times, explain that in your application and give dates.

Processing times depend on the country you apply from and change every week. Check the current estimate with our processing times tool or on the IRCC processing times page. Apply well before you travel, and don't book non-refundable travel until you have a decision.

If you are refused, IRCC now includes officer decision notes with many temporary resident refusal letters. Read our guide to refusals and GCMS notes before you reapply.

• No work. Visitors cannot work for a Canadian employer. A temporary policy that let visitors apply for a work permit from inside Canada ended in August 2024.
• Short study only. You can take a course or program of 6 months or less. Longer programs need a study permit.
• Stay within your authorized period. If you want to stay longer, apply to extend your status before your status expires, at least 30 days ahead if you can.
• Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply for the super visa, which allows much longer stays.