Canada Visa Application: A Step by Step Guide

If you are drawn by the fascinating standard of living among the numerous amazing facts about Canada, then you must be thinking of visiting Canada. In order to travel to Canada, you would need a Canada Visa. Wondering how you can get one? This article would be a guide for you.

What is a Canada Visa

A Canada Visa is an endorsement placed on your passport that allows you to enter into Canada for a specified period of time. It is therefore a permit that allows a foreigner to legally enter Canada either temporarily or permanently.

Who Needs a Canada Visa?

People from other countries who wish to enter Canada but do not possess a visa exemption or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) agreement with Canada will need a visa to enter the Country.

Types of Canada Visa and their Requirements

It is important you know the type of Canada visa you need before you can apply for one. There are different types of Canada visas but to help simplify your reading, we have grouped the types of Canada visas into three broad categories;

  1. Temporary visa
  2. Permanent visa
  3. Express entry visa

These visas can be broken down into several other types of visas. You would need to know the one that best fits your purpose of going to Canada.

Keep reading below;

1. Temporary visa:

This Canada visa is made available to individuals with the motive of staying in Canada for a specific period of time determined by the Canadian Consulate or the Border Services Officers (BSO). This time frame is usually up to 6 months.

Some examples of Canadian temporary visas include;

  • Canada Super Visa: This is available to parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents to visit their children or grandchildren
  • Canada Tourist Visa: Available for Tourism purposes
  • Diplomatic and Official Visa: Available to officials and diplomats from foreign countries to enter Canada for official duties 
  • Canada Business Visa: Available to people coming into Canada for business purposes
  • Intending Organ Donors Visa: Available to those travelling to Canada to donate an organ to a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Canada Facilitation Visa
  • Visa to Give Birth in Canada: Available to pregnant women who qualify to stay temporarily in Canada and wants to give birth in Canada. Giving birth in Canada automatically makes the baby a Canadian citizen.
  • Canada Temporary Work Visa: This is visa is made available to those who have a job offer in Canada and will work for up to 6 months
  • Canada Student Visa: Available to those who have gained admission into a Canadian university to complete their studies. TRV visas will be made available for students whose completion of studies would be in less than 6 months. Every other foreign student whose studies would be completed in more than 6 months would need a student visa.
  • Courtesy Visa: Available to all those who do not qualify for a Diplomatic and Official Visa but are considered of importance due to their ranks and positions. This includes, for example, members of trade missions.
  • Temporary Residence Permit: This is available to people who need to enter Canada for a purpose not available in the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). For instance, this permit can be issued to a person whose stay is less than 2 weeks in Canada
  • Working Holiday Visa: This Canada visa is available to young people from 30 countries so that they can work in Canada.

2. Permanent Visa:

As the name implies, a permanent visa would allow the holder to permanently stay or settle in Canada.

This includes;

  • Family-Sponsorship Program: This is available to the spouses and/or dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to stay in Canada permanently
  • Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program: This visa is given to those to have the skill requirements to meet the economic needs required in the Quebec province of Canada.
  • Live-in Caregiver Program: This visa is available to caregivers who are qualified to take care of the elderly, disabled, or children and live in a private home in Canada.
  • Startup Visa Program: This type of Canada visa is available to people who would contribute to the Canadian economy individually by means of their finance. They must have a net worth of at least CAD$300, 000 and must be committed to owning and managing at least one-third of Canadian business as well as establishing and maintaining employment within 3 years of being in Canada.
  • Immigration Investor program: This program is for those who are willing to make investments in the Canadian economy. They must have a net worth of at least CAD$800,000. They are required to invest at least CAD$400,000 and the government will return this investment to them in 5 years without any interest.

3. Express Entry Visas

The Canada Express Entry Program is one of the fastest pathways to immigrate to Canada. It is designed by the Canadian government to allow foreigners to immigrate to Canada on the basis of their skills.

Parts of the Express Entry Program include;

  • Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): Available to people in the occupation of a skilled trade such as electricians, ironworkers, carpenters, aircraft mechanics etc.
  • Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): This is available to those in professions that are in demand in Canada.
  • Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP): This is available to individuals whose skills are in demand in a particular province or territory in Canada
  • Canadian Experience Class: This is available to those who have a temporary student visa or a temporary workers visa and want to switch to permanent resident status.

Canada Visa Application

The application for a Canada visa varies according to the specific type of visa you need. However, below is a general step that you must follow;

  • Check if you are eligible for a Canada visa.
  • Create your online account
  • Compile the required documents and make copies of the documents
  • Pay the fees
  • Wait for the processing time of your Canada visa. This usually takes a few days.
  • Submit your passport and processing fees

Are you eligible for a Canadian Visa?

The Canadian government has introduced so many tests that help you to check your eligibility status for a Canadian visa. You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire to check if you are eligible or not.

The tests are usually based on the type of visa you are applying for. If you pass all the tests, you will be eligible to apply for a visa but if you fail, the system would send you instructions to help you learn about the requirements to obtain visa approval.

How to know if you failed or passed the Test

At the end of the test, you would see one of three different results which say one of the following:

  1. You are eligible for the visa you have selected.
  2. You are eligible for a different type of visa that the system will match you with.
  3. You are not eligible for the visa.

If you are eligible for the visa you have selected or a different type of visa, the system will ask you to input your contact information (usually your email), and they will send you a set of documents. These documents would contain all you need to know about the visa you applied for or are given. You will also receive a reference code. The reference code is needed to start your application. It is therefore very important.

How Long Does It Take To Obtain a Canada Visa?

Obtaining your Canada Visa can take anywhere between two or four weeks or even longer. 

Conclusion

If you have read this article up to this point, you would have good knowledge about Canadian visas. If you have any questions, be sure to send us a message in the comment section below.

If you are drawn by the fascinating standard of living among the numerous amazing facts about Canada, then you must be thinking of visiting Canada. In order to travel to Canada, you would need a Canada Visa. Wondering how you can get one? This article would be a guide for you.

What is a Canada Visa?

A Canada Visa is an endorsement placed on your passport that allows you to enter into Canada for a specified period of time. It is therefore a permit that allows a foreigner to legally enter Canada either temporarily or permanently.

Who Needs a Canada Visa?

People from other countries who wish to enter Canada but do not possess a visa exemption or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) agreement with Canada will need a visa to enter the Country.

Types of Canada Visa and their Requirements

It is important you know the type of Canada visa you need before you can apply for one. There are different types of Canada visas but to help simplify your reading, we have grouped the types of Canada visas into three broad categories;

  1. Temporary visa
  2. Permanent visa
  3. Express entry visa

These visas can be broken down into several other types of visas. You would need to know the one that best fits your purpose of going to Canada.

Keep reading below;

1. Temporary visa:

This Canada visa is made available to individuals with the motive of staying in Canada for a specific period of time determined by the Canadian Consulate or the Border Services Officers (BSO). This time frame is usually up to 6 months.

Some examples of Canadian temporary visas include;

  • Canada Super Visa: This is available to parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents to visit their children or grandchildren
  • Canada Tourist Visa: Available for Tourism purposes
  • Diplomatic and Official Visa: Available to officials and diplomats from foreign countries to enter Canada for official duties 
  • Canada Business Visa: Available to people coming into Canada for business purposes
  • Intending Organ Donors Visa: Available to those travelling to Canada to donate an organ to a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Canada Facilitation Visa
  • Visa to Give Birth in Canada: Available to pregnant women who qualify to stay temporarily in Canada and wants to give birth in Canada. Giving birth in Canada automatically makes the baby a Canadian citizen.
  • Canada Temporary Work Visa: This is visa is made available to those who have a job offer in Canada and will work for up to 6 months
  • Canada Student Visa: Available to those who have gained admission into a Canadian university to complete their studies. TRV visas will be made available for students whose completion of studies would be in less than 6 months. Every other foreign student whose studies would be completed in more than 6 months would need a student visa.
  • Courtesy Visa: Available to all those who do not qualify for a Diplomatic and Official Visa but are considered of importance due to their ranks and positions. This includes, for example, members of trade missions.
  • Temporary Residence Permit: This is available to people who need to enter Canada for a purpose not available in the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). For instance, this permit can be issued to a person whose stay is less than 2 weeks in Canada
  • Working Holiday Visa: This Canada visa is available to young people from 30 countries so that they can work in Canada.

2. Permanent Visa:

As the name implies, a permanent visa would allow the holder to permanently stay or settle in Canada.

This includes;

  • Family-Sponsorship Program: This is available to the spouses and/or dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to stay in Canada permanently
  • Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program: This visa is given to those to have the skill requirements to meet the economic needs required in the Quebec province of Canada.
  • Live-in Caregiver Program: This visa is available to caregivers who are qualified to take care of the elderly, disabled, or children and live in a private home in Canada.
  • Startup Visa Program: This type of Canada visa is available to people who would contribute to the Canadian economy individually by means of their finance. They must have a net worth of at least CAD$300, 000 and must be committed to owning and managing at least one-third of Canadian business as well as establishing and maintaining employment within 3 years of being in Canada.
  • Immigration Investor program: This program is for those who are willing to make investments in the Canadian economy. They must have a net worth of at least CAD$800,000. They are required to invest at least CAD$400,000 and the government will return this investment to them in 5 years without any interest.

3. Express Entry Visas

The Canada Express Entry Program is one of the fastest pathways to immigrate to Canada. It is designed by the Canadian government to allow foreigners to immigrate to Canada on the basis of their skills.

Parts of the Express Entry Program include;

  • Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): Available to people in the occupation of a skilled trade such as electricians, ironworkers, carpenters, aircraft mechanics etc.
  • Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): This is available to those in professions that are in demand in Canada.
  • Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP): This is available to individuals whose skills are in demand in a particular province or territory in Canada
  • Canadian Experience Class: This is available to those who have a temporary student visa or a temporary workers visa and want to switch to permanent resident status.

Canada Visa Application

The application for a Canada visa varies according to the specific type of visa you need. However, below is a general step that you must follow;

  • Check if you are eligible for a Canada visa.
  • Create your online account
  • Compile the required documents and make copies of the documents
  • Pay the fees
  • Wait for the processing time of your Canada visa. This usually takes a few days.
  • Submit your passport and processing fees

Are you eligible for a Canadian Visa?

The Canadian government has introduced so many tests that help you to check your eligibility status for a Canadian visa. You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire to check if you are eligible or not.

The tests are usually based on the type of visa you are applying for. If you pass all the tests, you will be eligible to apply for a visa but if you fail, the system would send you instructions to help you learn about the requirements to obtain visa approval.

How to know if you failed or passed the Test

At the end of the test, you would see one of three different results which say one of the following:

  1. You are eligible for the visa you have selected.
  2. You are eligible for a different type of visa that the system will match you with.
  3. You are not eligible for the visa.

If you are eligible for the visa you have selected or a different type of visa, the system will ask you to input your contact information (usually your email), and they will send you a set of documents. These documents would contain all you need to know about the visa you applied for or are given. You will also receive a reference code. The reference code is needed to start your application. It is therefore very important.

How Long Does It Take To Obtain a Canada Visa?

Obtaining your Canada Visa can take anywhere between two or four weeks or even longer. 

Conclusion

If you have read this article up to this point, you would have good knowledge about Canadian visas. If you have any questions, be sure to send us a message in the comment section below.

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