Canada Visa Requirements

Visiting Canada: Who can apply

If you plan to visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• be in good health
• convince an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin
• convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit and
• have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region.

You may also need:

• a Temporary Resident Visa, depending on your citizenship
• a medical examination and
• a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

Inadmissibility

Some people are inadmissible—they are not allowed to come to Canada. Several things can make you inadmissible, including involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime. You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.

Criminal inadmissibility

If you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, you may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Criminal offences include both minor and serious offences, such as theft, assault, manslaughter, dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For a complete list of criminal offences in Canada, consult the Canadian Criminal Code.

If you were convicted of a crime when you were under the age of 18, you can probably still enter Canada.

Visitor Visa Exemptions

Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:

• citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of ), Latvia (Republic of), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa;
• persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence;
• British citizens and British Overseas Citizens who are re-admissible to the United Kingdom;
• citizens of British dependent territories who derive their citizenship through birth, descent, registration or naturalization in one of the British dependent territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands;
• persons holding a British National (Overseas) Passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong;
• persons holding a valid and subsisting Special Administrative Region passport issued by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;
• persons holding passports or travel documents issued by the Holy See.

Any citizen of a country not listed above will require a visa

Temporary Resident Visa

To obtain a temporary resident visa you need to contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your area to have the application mailed to you. A guide is included in the pack however here is brief details of documents etc required:

All required documents must be includeded with your application:

• You must have a valid travel document (such as a passport) for each family member on the application.
• Two recent passport photos of each family member are required. Make sure these photos meet the requirements. For more information on specifications for photographs, see the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
• Enclose the application fee and the IMM 5401 receipt of payment. Your fee will not be refunded, even if your application is not accepted.
• You must provide proof that you have enough money for your visit to Canada. The amount of money may vary, depending on the circumstances for your visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives. You can get more information from the Canadian visa office in your country or region.
• You may need to include other documents. These documents could be identification cards, proof of employment, a letter of invitation from relatives or friends in Canada, or a proposed itinerary. Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information.

The fee per person is $75 for a single entry visa, $150 for a multiple entry visa or $400 for a family (multiple or single entry).

Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information on fees, including how to pay them.

When you have completed the application form, make sure you sign and date it, and that all required documents and fees are included in the envelope. In most countries, application fees must be paid in Canadian dollars. You must send your application to the Canadian visa office in the country or region where you live. Check the guide in your application kit for instructions.

Work Permit

A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessary. More information on work permits for temporary jobs can be found on this website:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp