Visit Canada

How to Visit Canada

Each year Canada hosts over 2 million visitors from visa-free countries.

Visa-free countries are found in North America, most of Europe, a few countries in South America, and some of East Asia and Oceania too.

In most cases visa-free travellers still require an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada; an eTA application is a simple 10-minute process and costs $7.

On the other hand, visa-required nationals must first apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) before travelling to Canada.

Canada approved 654,000 TRV applications in 2022. The overall approval rating for TRV applications was 72% - about 27% lower than eTA applications.

Canada also allows parents and grandparents to visit Canadian children and grandchildren for up to 5-years at a time on a special TRV known as a Super Visa.

Although the government provides TRV and Super Visa applicants with a standard document checklist which outlines the mandatory forms and documents for these applications, the task of actually convincing the Visa Officer to issue a TRV or Super Visa remains your responsibility.

Anatomy of a Refused Visitor Visa Application

About 28% of TRV applications are refused each year.

Common reasons for TRV refusals include the following:

  • Incomplete Applications: If a TRV application is missing mandatory documents, forms or signatures then it will be refused for incompleteness. A Visa Officer will rarely request missing materials or an interview during processing; they simply don't have the time or resources to do so.

  • Funding Issues: An obvious concern for a Visa Officer is an Applicant who has failed to prove enough funds for their travels plans in Canada. Other common funding issues include the credibility and/or sufficiency of financial documents.

  • Failure to Establish that You Will Leave Canada: Under the regulations a TRV applicant must prove that they will leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay. Officers consider a wide variety of risk factors in this evaluation including your overall profile and your individual circumstances.

Look at the chart to see how your profile – country of citizenship – can impact your chances of approval:

Proving that You Will Leave Canada

Your profile is important; however, your individual circumstances also matter. The Visa Officer will look at your documents and forms and will weigh the strong points of your application against the weak points before making a final decision.

Countries that Submit the Most Visitor Visa Applications Refusal Rate
India 24%
China 16%
Nigeria 43%
Philippines 17%
Iran 37%
Vietnam 27%
Province or Territory of Destination Refusal Rate
Ontario 7%
Northwest Territories 38%
Quebec 4%
British Columbia 13%
Alberta 20%
New Brunswick 9%
Newfoundland & Labrador 11%
Saskatchewan 19%
Manitoba 17%
Prince Edward Island 10%
Nova Scotia 7%
Nunavut 17%
Yukon 8%

Solutions from Jakabek Immigration Law

Consultation:

The goal of a TRV consultation is to discuss the basics of your travel plans in Canada and to start flagging weak points and strong points in your TRV application.

A Custom Plan that Works:

Our process starts with a 2-hour information collection interview – the collected information will then be used to develop a strategy tailored to your circumstances along with a custom checklist of documents and forms for your application. Once the documents and forms are collected a lawyer will review the materials for mistakes and will work with you to make any necessary corrections.

Supporting Arguments from a Lawyer:

A lawyer will then draft a custom representative’s letter that uses laws, regulations and government policies to argue in favour of approval; the letter will also proactively address weak points and highlight the strong points of your TRV application. The application will also include an invitation letter, in the form of an affidavit, which will outline your reasons for visiting and any support you will receive from your host.