Canada Visa Application: Your Complete Guide
Canada Visa Application: Your Complete Guide
If you want to live and work in Canada, you’ll need to apply for a Canadian visa. With so many visa types, it can be hard to choose the best one. Below, we’ve broken down the options and explained them simply.
A Canada visa is a stamp on your passport which allows you to enter the country of Canada.
A visa grants you permission to travel to Canada and stay either temporarily or permanently. It means the Canadian Consulate or Embassy in your home country has determined you meet the entry requirements. Once at the Canadian border, border officers will assess whether you’re fit to enter.
If you answer the Canadian Border Services Officer (BSO) questions honestly and correctly, they will allow you to enter. If they suspect you’re not eligible to enter, they can deny you and send you back, even if you have a Canada visa. Timely submission of your Canada Visa Application increases your approval chances.
Table of Contents
- Why you need a visa
- Work Permits
- Post Study Work Permit
- Temporary Resident Permit
- Spousal Sponsorship
- Self Sponsorship
- Working Holiday Visa
We’ve included tips to help ensure your application is successful and answered common questions about each visa type.
Why You Need a Canada Visa Application
Even if you are not a citizen of another country, it’s possible that you’ll need to have a visa before you can move to Canada. Some types of visas allow for permanent residency (PR), which could eventually lead to citizenship. There are many different types of Canadian visas.
In fact, over 20 exist. Though some are country-specific, others allow for multiple destinations throughout Canada. After gaining entry into the country through one of these types of visas, there are also options for obtaining PR status. Once approved, this grants the holder the right to live and work in Canada without any limitations.
To be eligible for PR status, the applicant must meet certain requirements such as being able to speak English or French fluently or having at least two years’ worth of job experience in their chosen field. Otherwise, they may apply for a temporary resident permit (TRP) or study permit instead.
Canada Visa Work Permits: What You Need to Know
If you’re coming to Canada to work, your employer will need to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) with Service Canada. Once approved, your employer will send you an Employment Offer letter, which is a job offer that includes an employer’s address, phone number and other relevant information.
Once you receive it, you must present it when applying for a Work Permit. Other types of Canadian visas include the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which allows qualified professionals from Mexico or the United States to live and work in Canada on a temporary basis.
The International Experience Canada (IEC) program offers youth aged 18-35 the chance to work and experience Canada. The Global Talent Stream helps fast-growing companies bring in top talent when local candidates are unavailable.
Read Also: Canada Visa Application: Different Types of Canadian Visas & How to Apply
Post Study Work Permit
In 2008, the Canadian government introduced the Post-Study Work Permit Program, allowing international graduates from participating Canadian institutions to stay for up to three years.
Students are eligible if they meet certain requirements. The work permit allows graduates to gain valuable, on-the-job experience, which can be critical for finding permanent employment once their time in Canada comes to an end.
It also gives them the opportunity to complete any job offers that may not have been available when they first completed their studies. Graduates may apply for permanent residency status after having held the Post-Study Work Permit for 24 months.
Temporary Resident Permit
The temporary resident permit allows individuals who are already in Canada to remain until they can apply for a permanent residence.
This option is particularly useful if you have recently lost your status as a temporary foreign worker or international student and want to extend your stay in Canada, but are not eligible for an extension.
Although TRPs do not lead to permanent residence, they do allow you to remain in Canada for an extended period of time before applying for a different type of visa. You must make TRP applications from within Canada. If you’re outside the country, you’ll need to apply for a visitor visa first before returning.
If you’re inside the country and need to travel out on business or pleasure, make sure that your passport will still be valid when it’s time to return.
Spousal Sponsorship
Under Canada’s spousal sponsorship program, you can apply for a visa to immigrate if you have a spouse or common-law partner who is a citizen or permanent resident.
If your spouse has passed away but was previously sponsored under a family class visa, they may be eligible to sponsor you under an ancestry visa (sometimes called a conjugal sponsor).
Or, you could consider applying for a work permit, which would allow you to live in Canada while working legally on the Canadian labor market. Another option might be the study permit that allows students to attend college or university in Canada.
Immigration authorities usually issue the temporary resident visa only when people are coming to visit family members or friends who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. You should consider these different types of visas depending on your goals in Canada, as they offer various benefits.
Self Sponsorship
This visa allows you to live and work in Canada on a temporary basis with your spouse or common-law partner, as well as any dependent children. This kind of visa is ideal for those looking to live in Canada permanently.
To qualify, you must have a job offer from an employer willing to hire you under a certain program. If your marriage is not recognized by the government, then you can sponsor your spouse under the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP).
The PGP will allow one parent to sponsor their child who has turned 18 years old. To apply for this sponsorship, the applicant’s parent needs to be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
Working Holiday Visa
If you’re between 18-35 years old, have a passport from one of over 60 countries (including the U.S.), and are interested in travelling or working in Canada for a year, consider applying for a Working Holiday Visa.
This category was created to facilitate international travel among young adults while encouraging cultural exchange.
The key to success with this visa is that the applicant must return home after 12 months or risk deportation. In addition, they can only work up to 6 months at any given employer but are free to work as many different jobs as they like during their stay.
Types of Canada Visa Application Categories
Before you apply for a Canadian visa, you must first know which visa you want to apply for. Here are the types of Canada visas:
- Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)
This category is for individuals who wish to visit Canada temporarily for tourism, business, or family visits. TRVs are generally short-term visas and are issued for up to six months. - Study Permit
If you plan to study in Canada at a designated learning institution, you will need to apply for a study permit. This permit allows international students to study in Canada for a specific duration. - Work Permit
For individuals seeking employment in Canada, a work permit is required. Work permits are issued for temporary work in various industries, such as technology, healthcare, and hospitality. - Permanent Residency Visa
This visa category is for individuals looking to settle in Canada permanently. The most common routes include the Express Entry system, provincial nominee programs (PNPs), and family sponsorship. - The Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to visit for up to two years at a time.
- Business Visa
For individuals intending to engage in business activities or investments in Canada, the business visa is essential. This can also cover entrepreneurial initiatives or the management of a Canadian business. - Tourist Visa: Allows the holder to enter Canada for tourism purposes.
- Diplomatic and Official Visa: Permits officials and diplomats from foreign countries to enter Canada for official duties.
- Visa to Give Birth in Canada: For pregnant individuals who meet criteria for temporary stay and wish to give birth in Canada (the child becomes a Canadian citizen).
- Immigrant Investor Program: For individuals with a net worth of at least CAD$800,000 willing to invest CAD$400,000 into the Canadian economy (investment returned after 5 years, no interest).
- Startup Visa Program: For entrepreneurs with a net worth of at least CAD$300,000 who will start and manage a business and create jobs in Canada.
Different Types of Canada Visa Applications and Categories
- Courtesy Visa: For individuals who don’t qualify for a Diplomatic Visa but hold important ranks or positions, like trade mission members.
- Intending Organ Donors Visa: For individuals traveling to Canada to donate an organ to a citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Facilitation Visa: Issued to Canadian citizens with dual nationality who do not have a Canadian passport.
- Student Visa: For students admitted to Canadian universities for programs longer than six months.
- Working Holiday Visa: For young people from eligible countries to travel and work in Canada under a random selection program.
- Family-Sponsorship Program: Allows Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents to sponsor their spouses and dependent children to immigrate permanently.
- Self-employed Persons Visa: For individuals skilled in business, athletics, culture, or farming to establish their own businesses in Canada.
- Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program (QSWP): For individuals fluent in French with occupations needed in Quebec.
- Express Entry Program Visas: Includes:
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): For qualified tradespeople in skilled occupations.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): For professionals in fields where there is a shortage in Canada.
- Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP): For semi or low-skilled workers who can contribute to the economy in specific provinces.
- Canadian Experience Class: For temporary students or workers looking to transition to Permanent Resident status.
How to Apply for a Canada Visa: Step-by-Step Guide
To apply for a Canada visa, you need to go through these simple steps:
- Find out if you are eligible for a Canada visa.
- Create your online account.
- Compile the document file.
- Pay the fees.
- Wait for processing.
- Submit your passport and processing fees.
Once you have your visa, you can travel to Canada. At the point of entry, you will be asked to show your passport and documents. The officials will check them and ask a few questions about why you are going to Canada. Understanding your Canada Visa Application options helps you make informed decisions.
After you answer, they will make the decision whether to let you inside the country or not. The officials at the point of entry have the authority to deny entry if they believe you might commit crimes or fail to respect your visa restrictions.
Having a Canadian visa does not guarantee entry into Canada; only the border officials have the authority to grant you access.
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