Visitor Visa

A visitor means someone who is lawfully in Canada, or seeks to come into Canada for a temporary purpose and is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or the holder of a minister’s permit.

Every visitor, unless exempted, must apply for and obtain a visa before appearing at a Port of Entry (POE). All visitors who are required to obtain a visa must be in possession of the visa when they appear at a POE.

The Canadian visitor visa application involves a multiple step process, which includes the submission at the consular office abroad. A person who requests a visit visa makes an application and has to satisfy the visa officer that he or she is not an immigrant. Once the visa is issued the applicant can come to Canada, but at the port of entry he or he will be re-examined by the office on duty to ensure that the visa holder is admissible under the law.

A visitor visa may be for single entry or multiple entry use. Single entry visas may be issued up to six months before the expected date of travel. The maximum validity date for multiple entry visitor visas is up to five (5) years or one month prior to the expiry date on the passport/re-entry visa, whichever is earlier. POE officers will routinely grant entry for a period of six months to a person requesting entry as a visitor.

If you or your family members are planning to visit Canada, we urge you to seek expert advise on this matter and our experts will guide you through the complete process.