Currently, if you are planning to travel to Canada for short-term business, travel or family visits, you must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter Canada. In this article, we will show you how to apply for a temporary resident visa to Canada.
What is a Temporary Resident Visa?
The Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is issued by the Canadian government, which allows people to stay in Canada for 6 months or less. The temporary residents may come to Canada for various reasons, such as family visits, travel and business, etc. With a TRV, you are not allowed to stay for a long time and work there. Prepare a TRV before you arrive in Canada.
image resource: Travel Stcak Exchange
When to apply for a TRV?
Most travelers, citizens of countries with visa requirements, are required to have a TRV to travel to or re-enter Canada. Or you need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if you are from a visa-exempt country. Before you travel to Canada, you must apply for a valid TRV at least 3 months ago.
How many types of visas in Canada?
Before applying for a Canadian TRV, you should know what type of visa you need. Here are the different types of visas.
- Visitor Visa (Canada Tourist Visa) – tourist purposes.
- Super Visa Canadian citizens and parents or grandparents of permanent residents visit their children for an authorized stay of 5 years at each entry.
- Business people and business delegations Visa – business people who need to do business, workshops and conferences.
- Diplomatic and Official Visa – Foreign government officials and diplomats travel to Canada for official duties and responsibilities.
- Canadian citizens with dual citizenship do not have a Canadian passport.
- People are not government officials or diplomats, but have some reason or significance for coming to Canada.
- Intending Organ Donors Visa – Individuals donate an organ to a Canadian permanent resident or Canadian citizen.
Eligibility for Temporary Resident Visa
You must verify that you have met the following criteria to obtain your temporary resident visa.
- Applicants must be over 18 years of age.
- Applicants must have a valid passport.
- Applicants must have a clean criminal record and are not a security risk to Canada.
- Applicants must demonstrate that their stay is temporary, that they are not working or studying in Canada.
- Applicants must show sufficient money to support you in Canada and return home.
- Applicants should be in good health. (A medical examination is required)
- All documents must be in English or French.
The required documents may vary depending on the visa you are applying for. Therefore, you may need additional documents.
When to apply for a TRV?
If you are from a country that requires a visa and needs to travel, you will need a TRV (along with your valid study permit and passport) to re-enter Canada.
How to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa?
Usually, there are two ways to apply for TRV, online or on paper. Here you need to follow the application steps to obtain it. Before applying, you need to find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada through the Immigration tab on the Government of Canada website.
Online Application
- Sign in to your IRCC secure account on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Or you can use a Government of Canada login (GCKey) to open your account.
- Create your document checklist – Complete the question to create a checklist of application forms and required documents. For example, when the question comes up, “What would you like to do in Canada?” choose the “visit” answer if you are going there for a family visit.
- Gather your required documents – You need to submit your relevant documents, such as passport and digital photos in a PDF (Per file should be less than 4MB).
- Fill out your application form. Download the visa document form you are applying for, such as Application for a Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) [IMM5257E] and Application for a Study Permit Made Outside Canada [IMM 1294].
- Review your application form(s) and click the blue “Validate” button to check for any missing information on your application form. Make some changes if needed before the application is successfully validated. It will show the code bar when your application has been successfully validated.
- After submitting the application, you must wait 5 working days or so to obtain approval from the Canadian Consulate on your account.
- Then you need to send your passport and processing fee to the place where the email instruction shows.
- Attend the interview at the scheduled time. You must answer all questions honestly and truthfully and complete the biometric collection.
- Finally, get your TRV after a few days.
Application in person
- Complete the application documents and collect all required documents, such as Application for a Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) [IMM5257E], and send them to the IRCC Case Processing Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.
- Complete an interview with the Canadian Consulate if biometrics/interviews are required.
- You need to wait 2 weeks to 2 months until the consulate approves your TRV application.
- Pay online with a credit or debit card in the online application (e-app).
- After getting approval, you must send your passport, and proof of paid fee to the Case Processing Centre–Ottawa post office box address.
- Then wait for your visa with the passport.
How much is the TRV fee?
Visitor visa (including super visa) will cost you CAD 100.00 per person, and study visa will cost CAD 200. If you need to collect your biometrics, including fingerprints and a digital photo, it will cost you CAD 85.00.
What should you do if your application is refused?
Unfortunately, your TRV application has been rejected. Then you can ask for legal help to find out why this happened. Before applying again, you must take steps to change why you are not allowed to enter Canada and gather more effective evidence to support your application. Or you can challenge the decision in a Canadian court, judicial review, if you have a strong case for why your application should be approved.
What if you need to stay longer in Canada?
If you are in Canada but want to stay longer, then you can apply online or use a paper application to extend your stay at least 30 days before your status expires. When your temporary resident status expires, you may remain in Canada until a decision on your application is made.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you wish to visit Canada for a short-term visit, you must obtain a temporary resident visa. With all the details mentioned above, you can feel free to apply for the visa you want. If you need any help, you can leave the comments below.
Erin Lo