visit canada

Temporary residents

What is a temporary resident?

Temporary residents are foreign nationals (non-Canadian citizens) who are granted legal entry into Canada for temporary purposes. In this regard, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) issues a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) document.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada issues Temporary Resident Permits to foreign citizens who are legitimately qualified to come or remain in Canada as visitors, students, or workers. Foreign nationals are the only ones who are granted temporary residency in Canada.

Types of Canadian temporary visas

• Visitor visa (TRV)
• Student Visa (study permit)
• Work visa (open work permit (IMP), LMIA-required work permit

1. Visitor visa (TRV)

A visitor visa is an official document provided by CIC to the applicants and identified by a sticker on the passport. This visa shows that you have the necessary conditions to enter Canada. Most travelers need a visitor visa to travel to Canada. Also, you may need this visa model if you are passing through a Canadian airport on your way to your final destination. It is possible that you may need an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) instead of a TVR, depending on your nationality. A TVR is required for Iranians to enter Canada. An entry permit for Canada is known as a Canadian Tourist Visa (Visitor Visa), which is a prevalent residence permit.

Canadian tourist visa categories

There are two types of tourist visas available in Canada:

1. Single Visa
2. Multiple Visas

The primary distinction between these two visa categories is that a single-entry visa only enables you to enter Canada once, but a multiple-entry visa permits you to enter Canada several times.

Single visa

A Single Canada visa allows you to enter Canada only once in a specified period and stay in this country until the end of your visa validity. Your visa will become invalid upon departure from Canada, even if it has not expired. Therefore, you must apply for a visa again to enter Canada. A single Canadian visa is issued for cases such as an official visit of a foreign citizen, participation in a conference, or participation in a special event in this country. After leaving Canada, if you intend to travel to this country again, you must apply for a new visa.

Multiple visas

Multiple visas allow you to travel to Canada as many times as you want and stay for 6 months on each entry. This visa will be valid for 5 years, 10 years, or one month before your passport expires. You must enter Canada on or before the expiration date of your visa.

If you need to stay in Canada for more than 6 months under certain circumstances, you must apply for the extension of your visitor visa from within Canada at least one month before the end of your 6-month stay, which is called a Visitor Record.

Note-1: Having a visa to visit Canada does not mean that you are allowed to enter this country. Rather, the officer must recognize that the nature of the person's presence in Canada will be temporary and the applicant to visit Canada does not intend to stay in Canada after the short-term visa.

Note-2: If you are traveling directly to the United States (including its Territories and Possessions) or St. Pierre and Miquelon, you won't require a new visitor visa to enter Canada.

What is the maximum length of stay?

A visitor visa allows most visitors to stay in Canada for 6 months. The border services officer at the entry point has the discretion to grant you a stay of up to six months or less. The required departure date will be noted in your passport if this is the case. They might also hand you a visitor record, which lists the time you must depart. If your passport is unstamped, you can remain in Canada for up to six months from your entry date or until your passport expires. A border services officer can provide you with a stamp if you require one.

An overview of the requirements for obtaining a tourist visa:

To acquire a visitor visa, you must fulfill a few prerequisites.

• Having a passport
• Be in excellent health.
• No criminal record or convictions for crimes related to immigration
• Convince an immigration officer that you have ties to your home country, such as a job, a place to live, money, or family to confirm you will depart Canada after your visit
• Proof of having sufficient financial resources to cover your expenses.
• A medical examination and a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada may also be required

Visitor Visa application steps

Step 1:

To get a Canadian tourist visa, you must provide the necessary documents. You may need different documents depending on your reason for traveling to Canada. First, we list the documents that applicants are generally required to provide.

• Personal documents:  a valid passport, marriage certificate (if any), educational certificate, end-of-service card (if any)
• Employment documents: employment letter, employment contract, retirement order, pay slip for the last 6 months, insurance records, and work leave certificate (if possible). If you have a company and business in your country, provide company documents such as the company's articles of association, tax payment list, employee salary payment list, or acquisition certificate. (Different jobs require different documents)
• the certificate of no criminal record
• Invitation from an individual or organization in Canada. If you don't have an invitation letter, it is mandatory to provide the hotel reservation receipt and round-trip tickets.
• Documents related to the inviting person: such as citizenship or permanent residence card, university registration letter, professor permit, student visa, or employment letter and work visa.
• Letter of the purpose of travel explaining the detailed plan of visiting Canada
• Bank authorization letter and account turnover for the last 6 months
• Translation of property documents
• English translation of notarized parental consent for children under 18 who travel without their parents
• Certificate of engagement in children's education
• Completed personal and family information forms for each applicant separately

Note-3: To apply for a Canadian tourist visa, you need to have an invitation from someone in Canada. This person can be your first-degree relative, friend, or relative. Writing an invitation does not mean that the person inviting you is legally responsible for you, but it shows that he is your host and will cover your financial expenses in Canada if needed

As a tourist, you might want to consider visiting Canada for the following reasons:

• As a tourist
• For business
• For a family visit
• For compassionate reasons

Therefore, according to the mentioned reasons, the following documents must be submitted to receive a visa for tourism in Canada, some of which are required and some of which are optional.

For a family visit, the requirements for obtaining a tourist visa are different from those for the other three types of visits. According to the status of family members in Canada, this type of visa is divided into four parts, Canadian citizens, Persons registered under Canada’s Indian ACT, Canadian permanent residents, and Temporary residents in Canada. In each section, specific documents are required, which may differ depending on the requirements. Apart from Temporary resident status, the applicant must specify the following question for other circumstances; Do you plan to visit your children or grandchildren for more than 6 months? This question determines the type of documents required for visa application in every 3 statuses.

Step 2:

In order to get started, you will need to review all the required documents, create an account, and upload the forms to the site. Therefore, visit the Canadian Immigration Department website and register for an account via the IRCC Portal. After that, upload all the required documents and completed forms.

Step 3:

Lastly, you must pay the fingerprinting and tourist visa fees. Usually, you need to present your fingerprints and photo to the Canadian embassy to obtain a visa. Biometrics is the term used to describe this process. This can be done by applying for a biometric appointment on the website of the Canadian Embassy.

It is necessary to schedule an appointment for a biometric at one of the VAC offices of the Canadian Embassy in the neighboring countries of Iran to make this possible.

Processing times for Visitor visas (from outside Canada)

An updated response time for a Canadian tourist visa is available on the Canadian Immigration website, based on the busyness of the Canadian embassy and the country of application.

Currently (November 22, 2022), the website of the Canadian Immigration Department has announced that the duration of tourist visa review for Iranian applicants is 154 days. This period is not fixed and may take less or more time depending on the conditions at the Canadian Embassy.

Extension of temporary visa in Canada

If you are a temporary resident who is currently in Canada and you wish to stay longer (obtain a visitor record), amend the terms of your stay, or fix issues with your status, it is crucial to submit your application before your present status expires.

An extension of your temporary resident status is possible if your current status is still valid. It is always advisable to apply for any permit at least 30 days before your current status expires. If your application is processed and a decision is made, your temporary status as a visitor will continue under the same conditions.

If you would like to extend your stay in Canada for a period of time with your immediate family (spouse, common-law partner, dependent children), then you must apply for permission. Each person needs to submit a separate application if you all request an extension simultaneously. It is also required that the appropriate documentation and the required fee be included for each individual.

Note: You can only maintain temporary resident status for as long as your passport is valid. As a result, you should ensure that your passport is valid for at least the same period as the time you are requesting an extension.

If your temporary visa has expired, if you have not fulfilled the conditions of your residence permit, or if you have worked or studied without the required permit, you have committed an offense under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In such a case, you could be deported from Canada if you are called for an admissibility hearing. However, in case you intend to stay in Canada after the expiration of your temporary visa, you can apply to reinstate your status within 90 days.

Depending on the circumstances, if you have met the initial requirements for your stay and you haven't violated any other conditions, you may be able to restore your visitor, student, or worker status within 90 days of losing it. When;

Your stay in Canada exceeded the period authorized by your visa (but not more than 90 days).

Before obtaining a new work permit, the employee may have changed employers, locations, or jobs (occupations or levels of responsibility).

Changing the type of studies, educational institutions, location of studies, times, and periods of studies without applying to change these conditions on your study permit.

If you want to renew your study or work permit and restore your temporary resident status, you must submit your application within 90 days of losing your status, In addition, include comprehensive information about all the events leading up to your offense and continue to comply with the requirements for your stay. Moreover, fulfill all the requirements outlined in your permit, and pay the $200 restoration fee.

All family members whose status has been lost are eligible for restoration.

The necessary documents to apply for an extension of your temporary status;

• Full details on your reasons for staying longer
• Proof of identity
• Proof of current status in Canada
• You must provide evidence of how you will support yourself in Canada and how you will pay for transportation out of Canada, such as:
• Guarantor’s letter, Bank statement indicating the account holder’s name and the account number, and Details about your plans to leave Canada, particularly the date and time of departure and the means of transportation.