Canadian Visa Application & Requirements

A Canadian visa is a seal in your passport document which gives the holder permission to enter Canada. It gives the authorization to fly to Canada and have the option to remain there for a short or long period of time. Having this visa indicates that you are qualified to meet the entry criteria. That being said, whether you are eligible to enter Canada or not will depend on the relevant authorities once you reach the border.

There you will be asked a series of questions to which must be responded accurately. If you don’t then chances are that you will be rejected permission to enter Canada and be sent back to the country you came from. These questions are asked in order to know whether you are qualified to enter or not despite having a Canada visa.

Who requires a Canadian visa?

As said above, without a visa to Canada, you will not be able to enter the country. People without a visa waiver or an ETA permission agreement must apply for a visa in order to enter Canada. The visa is required for different reasons, whether you are planning to travel to Canada for business purposes, study or other purposes, you will definitely need to apply for one.

The process of requesting a visa will vary on the type of visa you are looking for. So for example, if you require a visa for business purposes then you will need to apply for a business/work visa.

Canadian visa types

When you are planning to apply for a Canadian visa, make sure to apply for the type of visa that suits your visit purposes in Canada.

Visiting visas

A visiting visa also called a tourist visa is a type of visa that serves for tourism purposes only. If you are looking to travel to Canada just to visit the country or explore it then this type of visa is the one that you should apply for.

This type of visa can be valid for a maximum of 6 months. However, the duration of your stay will be written on your passport by the relevant authorities when you reach the border. If you are looking to apply for a Canadian visitor visa then you can do so by taking the online application or on paper.

Study or student visas

The student visa, as the name suggests, is for students only who are looking to study in Canada. To get a student visa you must first apply in one of Canada’s universities or academic institutions. Afterwards, once you are approved in one of these institutions, you can either apply online or in person.

Keep in mind that certain documents will be asked such as the acceptance letter, a valid passport, and a document of evidence that confirms that you are able to support yourself financially during your stay in Canada.

Business/work visas

The work or business visa can be issued to those individuals who are traveling to Canada to work for a certain period of time or travel to attend business meetings or conferences.

This type of visa is similar to the student visa whereas the applicant must first find a job online and be accepted for it. Then the applicant must go to the embassy or consulate where he will be interviewed.

Permanent residency visas

A residency visa is issued to those individuals who are looking to permanently live in Canada. Once the applicant has submitted the application process and has been authorized then the individual is entitled to healthcare, residency, and employment in any province in Canada.

Express entry visas

An express entry is a kind of program which enables an applicant to register for immigration to Canada on the basis of their abilities.

To qualify for the express entry visa you will need some documents. Such documents can be a passport, a language proficiency test, certificates from the relevant authorities, a medical test, evidence of finances, other certificates depending on your status whether you are married or divorced, a photo to verify one’s identity, and other additional documents that may be asked when applying.

How to apply for a Canadian visa?

Every application depends on the type of visa but below you can find the general conditions to apply for one.

• Make sure that you are qualified for a visa.
• Sign up for an account on the official website.
• Submit the necessary documents.
• Pay the fee.
• Be patient for the visa to be processed.

How to find out if you’re qualified for a Canadian visa?

If you are looking to find out whether you qualify for a Canadian visa or not then there is nothing to worry about. The Canadian government has provided an easy way for this. All you have to do is to complete an online survey where you will be asked multiple questions depending on the kind of visa you want to apply for.

Afterward, the program will let you know whether you are qualified or not based on the answers you have provided on that survey. If you are qualified then they will send you the required steps to be taken to apply for the type of visa you want.

There will be a summary of the visa in the documents, and also guidance and information to apply for one. Furthermore, they will give a reference code which is one of the most valuable data on the set of documents. This code will be used in your application so make sure not to lose it. If you do then you will be unable to apply for your visa. You can save the reference code in various ways, such as writing it down on a piece of paper or keeping it on a file on your computer.

The reference code informs the program the details you gave it during your survey and the type of visa you are applying for will be available.

Processing time of your Canadian visa

Depending on the type of visa, the time for one to be processed can generally take two or more weeks. They could even ask for some more papers to be sent or attend an interview. If this happens then you will have to visit the embassy or consulate in person since this can not be done online.

Appoint a meeting with the embassy and make sure to prepare any document that they ask you. Also, you will need to apply for biometric features such as your fingerprints and a biometric photo.

Fingerprints are only taken at the embassy, as for the biometric photo you can take it at a studio or online.

My visa is about to expire – What should I do?

In cases when your Canadian visa is near the expiration date, then you will need to apply for an extension of the visa. You can apply for one only 30 days before it expires.

A visa extension in Canada can be done in two ways: online or in person. If you are going to apply online then you will need copies of your documents and a valid credit/debit card.

Afterward, you will need to answer some questions, pay the fee and wait for the extension to be approved.

What to do if the visa gets rejected?

Normally, when a visa gets rejected happens due to a lack of documentation. There can be other reasons why a visa can be rejected. However, in case of a rejection, the only option is to re-apply again.

You can, in some cases file an appeal but chances are that it might get rejected depending on the reasons why the visa was rejected.

Usually, when the visa is rejected you will be sent a letter that will provide details of why the visa was rejected. Pay attention to that letter if you are going to re-apply for a Canadian visa since it can help you know what you did wrong and improve so you don’t make a mistake again.

After the refusal of a Canadian visa, candidates must be aware of the legal procedures recommended for the new application to be filed. In order to prevent any issues, you should pay attention to the steps that are required to take when reapplying for the visa.

If my Canada Visa Application is denied, can I get a refund?

In cases when your visa is rejected and you are asking for a refund, chances are that they are not going to do it. This is because when applying for a visa you are not paying the fee for the visa but for the application itself.

Either way, sometimes they can give you a refund if the withdrawal of the application happens before it gets processed through.