Canada visitor visa (TRV)

What is a Canada visitor visa (TRV)?

A Canada visitor visa is officially called a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), and many people refer to it informally as a tourist visa. It is a counterfoil placed in your passport that allows a traveller from a visa-required country to travel to a Canadian port of entry and seek admission as a temporary resident, for tourism, visiting family or friends, or attending an event such as a wedding, conference or graduation.

The visa itself lets you travel to Canada; a border services officer makes the final decision on admission and on how long you may stay when you arrive. A visitor visa is strictly for visiting: it does not authorize you to work or to study in a long programme.

Who needs a visitor visa for Canada?

Whether you need a visitor visa depends entirely on your nationality. Citizens of visa-required countries need a TRV to enter Canada. Citizens of visa-exempt countries, such as the UK, most EU states, Australia and Japan, do not need a visa and instead need an eTA when they fly to Canada. US citizens generally need neither for short visits. Because Canada updates which countries are visa-required and visa-exempt, confirm your own requirement on canada.ca before booking.

Visitor visa eligibility

To be approved for a visitor visa, you must satisfy a Canadian visa officer that you meet the core requirements for a temporary resident. In broad terms, you need to show that you:

• have a valid passport or travel document;
• are coming for a genuine, temporary purpose, such as tourism, family or an event;
• will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay;
• have enough funds to support your visit and your return;
• have ties to your home country, such as employment, family or property, that show you will return.

The single biggest factor in most refusals, which we help you address head-on, is convincing the officer that you will return home. Common refusal reasons include weak ties to your home country, insufficient funds, an unclear purpose of travel, or a sponsor or host in Canada whose invitation is not well documented. A strong application demonstrates clear ties and a credible purpose. If your case is complex, the right approach is to work with a licensed RCIC to file a complete, accurate application.

How to apply for a visitor visa

A visitor visa is a full application, almost always submitted online. The broad sequence is the same for most applicants, though the exact documents depend on your situation and the country you apply from.

1. 01

   Prepare your documents

   Gather your passport, proof of funds, evidence of your purpose of travel such as a purpose of travel letter or an invitation letter from a sponsor or host in Canada, and documents showing ties to your home country. We tailor this set to your specific case.

2. 02

   Apply online and give biometrics

   You submit the application online and pay the government fees, then attend a biometrics appointment where required. We confirm current fees on canada.ca.

3. 03

   Decision and travel

   If approved, the visa is placed in your passport. You then travel to Canada, where a border officer decides your admission and the length of your stay.

How long does a visitor visa take?

Processing times depend on the country you apply from and on overall demand, and they change frequently. A visitor visa generally takes longer than an eTA because it is a full application with biometrics. Rather than rely on a fixed figure that may be out of date, check the current estimate for your country on canada.ca and apply well ahead of any travel. A complete application, submitted right the first time, is the most reliable way to avoid avoidable delays.

How long can you stay, and how to extend

Most visitors are admitted for up to six months, but the border services officer sets the actual period on entry. The stamp in your passport, or any document the officer gives you, tells you when you must leave. If you want to stay longer, you apply from within Canada for a visitor record, a status document that extends your visitor status and sets a new departure date.

Apply before your current status expires; if you do, you can usually remain under maintained status while IRCC processes the request. A visitor record is not a visa, so it does not, on its own, let you re-enter Canada after leaving.

How Wild Mountain helps with your visitor visa

Working under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497), our team prepares complete, accurate visitor visa applications. We present your purpose of travel and your ties to home in the strongest, most honest light, advise on dual intent where it applies, and assemble the right documents for your country and situation. We also prepare visitor record extensions for those already in Canada. We represent clients entirely online and give your Canada visitor visa application the best possible footing with IRCC, which always remains the decision-maker.