If you are a citizen of a TRV-required country, you will need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). This article explains the two options available to you for applying, the documents needed and the cost of the visa and how to pay for it.
Visitor Visa (TRV) – Do you need one?
Canada welcomes tourists from all around the world, with a record set in 2017 of 20.8 million trips of one night or more. However, these tourists need an authorization from Canadian immigration authorities to be let in the country. For many, this means obtaining a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also known as a visitor visa, before departing to Canada.
Nationality is the main factor as to whether you require a visitor visa or not. If you are a citizen of a country exempted from the visitor visa requirement, you must obtain an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before travelling to Canada by air. If you are not exempted, you are required to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. You can find out here if you are a national exempt from needing a TRV.
When individuals receive their visa, it is generally a multiple-entry visa, allowing them to leave and re-enter the country as they like, as long as the visa is not expired.
Visitor Visa (TRV) – How to Apply
In most cases, if you want to get a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), you need to apply online, whether you are inside or outside of Canada.
You must have a debit/credit card to pay the fees and a camera/scanner to make electronic copies of your documents.
One exception to applying online is if you have a disability that makes it difficult to apply online or if you have a specific type of identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees, or stateless persons. In those exceptional cases, you can apply on paper.
Visitor Visa (TRV) – Biometrics
It is better to pay for the biometrics fee at the same time as your TRV application as to not delay the processing of your application.
Visitor Visa (TRV) – Letter of Invitation
Visitor Visa (TRV) – Processing Fees
Visitor Visa (TRV) – Processing Times
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a target service standard of processing 80% of temporary resident visa (visitor visa) applications submitted outside Canada within 14 days.
From April 2022 to March 2023, IRCC processed 23% of applications within the 14 days standard.
Processing times for a visitor Temporary Resident Visa depend on the country from where you are applying. You can find out your country’s processing times here. You need to select “Visiting, studying, working temporarily”, then “Visitor Visa (from outside Canada)”, then choose the country you are applying from.
