Visiting Canada: Applying for a Temporary Resident Visa

Planning to visit Canada? You may need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter the country. If you’re a citizen of a visa-exempt country, you don’t need a TRV, but you may need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Who Needs a Temporary Resident Visa?

If you’re a citizen of a country that requires a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada, you’ll need to apply for a TRV before you can enter the country.

Requirements for a TRV

To be eligible for a TRV, you must meet certain requirements. These include:

1. Having a valid travel document, such as a passport
2. Being in good health
3. Having no criminal or immigration-related convictions
4. Having enough money for your stay in Canada
5. Being able to convince an immigration officer that you’ll leave Canada at the end of your visit
6. Not being a risk to the security of Canada
7. Not being involved in activities that could cause danger to Canada’s citizens or disrupt the country’s economy
8. Not being involved in criminal activity, human rights violations, or organized crime

You may also be asked to provide additional documents, such as a letter of invitation from your host in Canada, proof of financial support, or a medical exam.

How to Apply for a TRV

To apply for a TRV, you’ll need to fill out an application form and submit it to a Canadian visa office. You can find the application form and more information on how to apply here.

Your application must include the following:

1. Your valid passport
2. Two passport-sized photos of yourself
3. A processing fee
4. Any additional documents that may be requested

You can submit your application online or in person at a Canadian visa office.

Processing Times The processing time for a TRV application can vary depending on the visa office where you apply. Generally, it takes about two weeks to process a TRV application, but it can take longer if additional documents are needed.

The Bottom Line If you’re a citizen of a country that requires a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada, you must apply for a TRV before you can enter the country. You’ll need to fill out an application form and submit it to a Canadian visa office, along with your passport and two passport-sized photos. Processing times can vary, but it generally takes about two weeks to process a TRV application.

Who can apply for a visitor visa from inside Canada

You can only apply for a visitor visa from inside Canada if you meet all of these criteria:

• already are in Canada
• hold a valid study or work permit
• want to leave and return to Canada in the near future, and
• have an existing visitor visa that has expired, or is about to expire, or that was valid for only 1 entry

When to apply for your new visitor visa (in Canada)

You should

• apply at least 2 months before you plan to leave Canada
• not leave Canada until you get your visitor visa

If you leave Canada before you get your new visitor visa

You may be subject to

• additional requirements, like biometrics (if not already on file) and/or a medical exam
• a longer processing time
• a delay in your return to Canada
• You’ll only be able to travel back to Canada once you get your new visitor visa in your passport. There’s no guarantee that you’ll be approved.

If you must leave Canada for exceptional reasons before you get your new visitor visa

Complete this web form before you leave Canada.

• We may need to transfer your file to one of our offices abroad.
• We’ll also need to determine if you meet all the visa requirements for an applicant outside Canada.
• If you don’t contact us, there could be a processing delay or your passport could be returned without a visa.

If you applied online to extend your work or study permit

If we approve your application, we send you a message in your online account and mail you your new work or study permit.

After we approve your application to extend your permit

As soon as we approve your application to extend your work or study permit, you can apply for your visitor visa (even before you get your new work or study permit in the mail).

However, you must provide proof that we approved your application, such as:

• a screenshot of the approval message we sent to your online account
• your application number
• any other document that proves you have a valid and approved study or work permit extension

How to apply for your new visitor visa

You need to apply online in your IRCC secure account. If you don’t already have an account, follow these steps to register.

You’ll need to select “Apply to Come to Canada” from your account main page to get started.

Get the right application form

To get the right application form, provide these answers in the online questionnaire:

• For the first question “What would you like to do in Canada?”, select
  • “Study” if you have a valid study permit or
  • “Work” if you have a valid work permit
• When asked “What is your current country/territory of residence?”, select “Canada”.
• Answer the questions on the next pages about your work or studies.
• You may be given the option to extend your current study or work permit or to apply for a “Temporary Resident Visa”. Make sure you select “Temporary Resident Visa”.

The application form listed in your document checklist will be called Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) Made Outside of Canada (IMM 5257). This is the form you need to fill out, even when you apply from inside Canada.

Please refer to Canada.ca for updates and detailed information

If you need assistance in understanding about the process, we will be happy to assist you. Please contact Nayyar Immigration at 647-821-4384