How To Meet The Canada Visitor Visa Requirements
The Citizenship And Immigration Canada requires most foreign nationals who are visiting Canada to have in their possession either a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a Canadian visitor visa. Your citizenship or situation determines which entry document you are supposed to produce at the port of entry but the basic requirements are almost the same.
Canada Visa & The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
For some visitors, due to their circumstances or national origins, do not need formal Canada visas but a simple Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). The validity of the Electronic Travel Authorization is usually five years. The applicant’s passport is electronically linked to the eTA and not visible to the naked eyes like the ordinary visa. It is important to find out if you qualify for the eTA or the visa.
A Canadian visa is a formal document issued by a Canadian immigration official to visitors to Canada. The visa is placed on the visitor’s passport. Technically, the visa gives permission to the holder to enter Canada under the conditions that are stated in that visa. The visa can be a card that is inserted in the passport or a simple stamp that is imprinted on the travel document.
All visas are valid for a specific period of time and the visa holder must travel within this period before the visa expires. A visitor to Canada can expect to be issued either a Single Entry Visa or a Multiple Entry Visa.
A Single Entry Visa allows to visa holder to enter Canada only once. A fresh visa is required to re-enter Canada after the visitor completes the first visit. The United States and St. Pierre and Miquelon are the exceptions to this single entry visa rule. A visitor with a valid Canada visa can visit any of these two countries and can re-enter Canada without a new visa.
A Multiple Entry Visa on the other hand permits holders to enter and leave Canada as many times as possible without having to reapply for fresh visa on each visit. Multiple Entry Visas are usually valid up to 10 years and a visitor can stay in Canada up to 6 months on each visit.
Basic Requirements For Canada Visa
Foreigners who wish to visit Canada need to meet the following requirements in order to gain entry to Canada. Meeting the basic requirements is in addition to your Canada visa or the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
The basic requirements include but not limited to the following:
- Valid Travel Document: Passports are the best known and popular travel documents but other travel documents include birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or naturalization, or Certificate of Indian Status along with photo identifications and other special documents depending on your situation and status.
- Good Health: Visitors to Canada are expected to be in good health except if the visitor is purposely coming to Canada for medical treatment.
- Clean Criminal Record: Canada is one of the most peaceful countries in the world and efforts are in place to ensure the country remains safe for its citizens and visitors. As such, people with criminal records or convictions related to immigration violations may not be allowed to visit Canada.
- Ties To Home Country: Visitors to Canada are obligated to prove to an immigration officer that they will return to their countries of origin at the end of their visits. The visitor simply has to show strong ties to their native land in the form of financial assets, job, real estate properties and family connections (wive, children, parents and so on).
- Financially Sound: As a visitor to Canada, you are not permitted to engage in any paid employment activities. As such, a visitor to Canada must have enough money to finance the entire trip and stay in Canada. The amount of money deemed sufficient depends on the length of the visit and whether the visitor intends to stay with friends, family or rent an accommodation in Canada.
- Genuine Reason For The Visit: Another basic requirement for Canadian visitors is the purpose of the visit. Having an invitation letter from someone who lives in Canada or a Canadian organization can be helpful to a person who wishes to visit Canada.
Feel free to leave your questions and comments below and good luck!
