Temporary residence
Visiting Canada: Visitor Visas, eTAs and Super Visas
Visitor applications look simple and are refused more often than almost anything else. The reason is that the decision does not turn on your documents — it turns on whether an officer believes you will leave at the end of your stay.
- Reviewed by Harshmeet Pal Singh, RCIC · CICC R708583
- Last reviewed: 2026-09-19
The 30-second answer
What do I need to visit Canada?
Citizens of visa-required countries need a temporary resident visa, usually called a visitor visa. Citizens of visa-exempt countries flying to Canada normally need an electronic travel authorisation instead. Which applies depends on your citizenship, not your preference. In both cases you must satisfy the officer that your visit is genuine and temporary, that you can support yourself, and that you will leave at the end of your authorised stay — and you must be admissible on medical, criminal and security grounds.
The three routes
Visitor visa (TRV)
A document placed in your passport, required for citizens of visa-required countries. Can be single or multiple entry. Normally permits stays of up to six months per entry.
Electronic travel authorisation (eTA)
A simpler electronic approval linked to your passport, for citizens of visa-exempt countries flying to Canada. Quicker and cheaper, but it is still an authorisation that can be refused.
Super visa
For parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Permits stays of up to five years per entry, and requires proof of the inviting family member's income and of qualifying medical insurance.
A border services officer makes the final decision when you arrive, and decides how long you may stay. Carry your supporting documents — the invitation letter, proof of funds, evidence of ties at home — in your hand luggage, not in your checked bag.
What officers are actually deciding
Every temporary residence application turns on one question: will this person leave Canada at the end of their authorised stay? The grounds that appear on refusal letters — purpose of visit, family ties, travel history, employment, financial status — are simply the ways officers express that they were not satisfied of it.
That reframing matters. Applicants send more bank statements when the concern was about purpose of visit, or a longer itinerary when the concern was about ties. Answering the wrong question thoroughly does not help.
RCIC Insight
"Strong ties" is not a test of how good your life is at home. It is a question about what would actually pull you back — a job you would lose, a dependant who needs you, property you must manage, a business that cannot run without you. Evidence of that pull persuades. A bank balance rarely does, because money can travel.
Harshmeet Pal Singh, RCIC · CICC licence R708583
Documents a visitor application usually needs
- Passport, valid well beyond the intended stay
- Completed forms and a photograph to IRCC specification
- Proof of funds for the trip, with the source of the money explainable
- A specific purpose for the visit, and an itinerary consistent with it
- An invitation letter, where you are visiting family or friends, with details of their status and household
- Evidence of ties to your home country — employment, property, dependants, business
- Travel history, including previous visas and entries anywhere
- Full disclosure of any previous refusal, by Canada or any other country
Extending a stay
A visitor is usually permitted up to six months per entry, though the officer at the port of entry decides. To stay longer, apply for a visitor record from inside Canada before your authorised stay ends. Applying before expiry generally lets you remain while a decision is pending.
If your stay has already expired, you have lost status. An application to restore temporary resident status must generally be made within 90 days of losing status, and the person must have continued to meet the conditions of the status they are restoring. See restoration of status.
Government fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa / super visa, per person | CAD $100 |
| Visitor record (extension of stay) | CAD $100 |
| Restore status as a visitor | CAD $246.25 |
| Biometrics, per person | CAD $85 |
| Biometrics, family maximum | CAD $170 |
Processing times
Varies substantially by visa office and country of residence. IRCC publishes live processing times that change frequently and vary by country of residence and application type. Use the official processing-times tool for a current estimate for your own situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a visitor visa and an eTA?
A visitor visa (temporary resident visa) is a document placed in your passport and is required for citizens of visa-required countries. An eTA is a simpler electronic approval linked to your passport, available to citizens of visa-exempt countries flying to Canada.
Which applies depends on your citizenship, not your choice. Neither guarantees entry — a border services officer decides when you arrive.
How long can I stay in Canada as a visitor?
Usually up to six months per entry, but the border services officer decides and may authorise less. If no date is stamped in your passport, the default is normally six months from the day you entered.
To stay longer, apply for a visitor record from inside Canada before your authorised stay ends.
Why are Canadian visitor visas refused?
Almost always because the officer was not satisfied you would leave at the end of your authorised stay. The grounds listed on refusal letters — purpose of visit, family ties, travel history, employment, financial status — are different ways of saying that.
Can I work or study on a visitor visa?
No. A visitor visa authorises a temporary visit, not work or study. Working without authorisation puts your current status at risk and affects future applications, including permanent residence.
If work or study is the objective, apply for the permit that matches it — see work permits and study permits.
Do I need to buy flights before applying?
No, and generally you should not. A confirmed itinerary or reservation is enough to show a genuine plan; buying non-refundable tickets before approval risks losing the money if the application is refused or takes longer than expected.
My parents were refused. Should we try a super visa instead?
Often, yes — but only after establishing why the first application was refused.
A super visa brings documented income and qualifying insurance into the picture and signals a defined purpose, which can address concerns a plain visitor application left open. It is not a way around a credibility finding. See super visas and visitor visa refusals.
Official sources
Build a visitor application that answers the real question
Tell us who is visiting, why, and what happened before. Receive your free Canada Immigration Roadmap with the requirements that apply and a recommended next step.