Preparing for a Visitor Visa Application

How to Prepare a Visitor Visa Application

Do you want to visit Canada for a short period of time? If this is the case for you, you might need to apply for a temporary resident visa in order to visit Canada. If you are from a visa-exempt country, you may only need to apply for an eTA (electronic travel authorization), if you are flying to Canada. An eTA gives you permission to board your flight which will land at a Canadian airport. A visitor visa gives permission to citizens from non-visa-exempt countries the permission to enter Canada. This article will cover how to apply for a temporary resident visa, for those individuals who must go through this extra step, before being permitted to enter Canada.

Step 1: Gather Documents

Always start by collecting all the necessary documents, which will have to be submitted with your application for a temporary resident visa. You application must include the following, but is not only limited to these documents.

• Valid passport
• A letter of invitation
• Criminal record checks from your country of origin
• Proof of financial stability
• Proof of good medical health

Step 2: Prove Strong Ties to Home Country

The important aspect of an application for a visitor visa is that you prove to an immigration officer that you have no intension to stay in Canada at the end of your authorized stay. To do this, you must prove you have responsibilities you cannot abandon in your home country, or, in general, that you have very compelling reason to return, and no reason to stay in Canada. You could provide your itinerary with proof of intent to return based on pre-purchased return tickets from a return flight. This is one of the main reasons you must prove you are financially stable enough to travel. It is essential you have access to enough money to finance your trip home.

Step 3: Explain Purpose of Visit to Canada

Additionally, it is very important to explain thoroughly the purpose of your travel to Canada, again, to convince immigration officers you will leave Canada at the end of your stay. You may notice there is a trend in your application for a temporary resident visa. Essentially, the purpose of the application is to completely determine what you claim your intentions are while in Canada, and then to assess the supporting documents to ensure you are being honest about your intentions.

Step 4: Assess Your Specific Situation

Depending on your country of origin, you may need to provide biometrics to Canadian immigration officers. Therefore, it is very important to look at what the Canadian government will expect to see in your application for a temporary resident visa, to avoid experiencing any delays in application processing. When you provide biometrics, you will provide a picture of your face; like a passport picture, as well as fingerprints. If you have to provide biometrics, you can do so in person at the nearest visa application center in your country of origin.

Step 5: Submit Your Application and Wait

Even though this step requires the least work, it is probably the most difficult for most applicants. It is very nerve wracking to await a decision on an application that will determine if you can visit Canada or not. There is a $100CAD non-refundable fee which covers the processing of your application for a temporary resident visa, and the length of time it takes your application to be processed, depends entirely on your country of origin. Luckily, the Canadian Immigration Services website offers a tool which applicants can use to check updated processing times on visitor visa’s, or, any other type of immigration application. It is important to note if you apply on paper at a visa application center (VAC) in your country of origin, you will also have to pay the VAC services fees. These fees are not already included in your application fees. It is also an option to apply online, and avoid these extra fees.

Contact Akrami and Associates

It is important for you to fully understand what the Canadian immigration officers processing cases are looking for and to avoid submitting a weak or incomplete application. We recommend that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to apply. Akrami & Associates work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients enter Canada as Temporary Residents for touris or other purposes. Please feel free to contact Akrami and Associates at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advise.

With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!