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A visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa) is an official document that we stick in your passport. It shows that you meet the requirements needed to travel to Canada.
A visa officer has discretion to issue you a single-entry visa or multiple entry visa, and decide how long it will be valid for. Generally, a visitor visa may be valid for up to a maximum of 10 years, or until the expiry of either your passport or biometrics, whichever comes first.
– Insufficient evidence of ties such as employment, family, property, or ongoing studies.
– Officers may believe the applicant has limited reason to return home.
– Not enough proof of funds to cover travel and stay in Canada.
– No clear source of income or financial instability.
– Vague or inconsistent explanation of the reason for visiting.
– Weak or missing supporting documents (e.g., invitation letter, itinerary).
– Past overstays, visa violations, or deportations from Canada or other countries.
– Unstable or unclear immigration/residency status in the country of residence.
– The applicant is not a citizen or permanent resident of the country they’re applying from.
– Missing documents (e.g., passport, forms, proof of relationship if visiting family).
– Application not completed properly or honestly.
– The visa officer believes the applicant may overstay the visa.
– Lack of compelling evidence to show temporary intent.
– Entire family already lives in Canada; applicant seen as likely to remain permanently.
– Dependents not addressed in the application.
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada.
At the port of entry, the border services officer may allow you to stay for less or more than 6 months. If that’s the case, they’ll put the date you need to leave by in your passport. They might also give you a document, called a visitor record, which will show the date you need to leave by.
If your passport is not stamped upon entry, you are allowed to stay in Canada for up to 6 months from the date of entry, or until your biometrics or passport expires—whichever occurs first. Super visa holders who enter Canada on or after June 22, 2023, are permitted to stay for up to 5 years. If you require a stamp in your passport, you may request one from a border services officer. For travelers arriving at an airport that uses primary inspection kiosks, you can ask the border services officer for a stamp after completing the kiosk process.
Children under the age of 18 are considered minors in Canada. They must follow the same rules to enter Canada as any other visitor.
Minors who are with adults other than their parents or legal guardians
– need to show proof that they have permission from their parents or legal guardians to travel to Canada
– will be checked more closely
If a minor child is travelling with one parent only:
The parent should present
– the child’s passport
– a copy of the child’s birth certificate, and
– a letter of authorization, in English or French if possible, which is signed by the parent who is not travelling with them
If you want to extend your stay in Canada as a visitor (stay in Canada longer), you need to apply for a visitor record.
A visitor record is a document that allows you to stay in Canada longer as a visitor, a worker authorized to work without a work permit in Canada or a student authorized to study without a study permit in Canada. It includes a new expiry date that’s the new date that you must leave Canada by.
A visitor record is a document that allows you to stay in Canada longer. A visitor record is not a visa – it doesn’t guarantee that you can leave and then re-enter Canada.
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