VISITOR VISA
What’s a Visitor Visa
A visitor visa also known as a TRV (temporary resident visa) allows an applicant to enter Canada at the port of entry (airport, border)
The document gives you the ability to travel to a Canadian port of entry and to be examined for entry to Canada. Having a visa does not guarantee the right to enter, as a Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) agent retains the ability to refuse entry to people who are inadmissible. Because it authorizes entry into Canada, it is sometimes referred to as an entry visa or visitor visa.
To get a Visitor Visa you have to satisfy the immigration officer that you that you will return home after your visit. This is IRCC’s main concern especially if the applicant is from developing country.
Types of Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)
There are two types of Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) you could get:
1. A single-entry visa: allows you to enter Canada only once during its validity. When you leave Canada, excluding travel to the United States and St. Pierre and Miquelon, you will need to obtain a new TRV to re-enter Canada.
2. A multiple-entry visa: allows you to re-enter Canada repeatedly during its validity. You must arrive in Canada on or before the expiry of your TRV.
More information regarding types of TRVs. Not everyone needs a TRV to enter Canada. This visa requirement depends on your country of citizenship.
How to Improve Your Application
There are several ways to satisfy an officer that you are a genuine visitor.
The first way will be to show that you’re an established applicant in your home country. This includes your employment stability, assets, proof of funds, associations, family ties, and any other strong ties to your home country.
Applicants must also specify why they want to visit Canada. Whether it’s a family event, work-related or purely tourism.
How Long can You Stay
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 so, 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 you don’t get a stamp in your passport, you can stay for 6 months from the day you entered Canada or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
