Visitor Visas
Every year thousands of individuals apply to visit Canada. Unlike permanent residence, the Canadian government does not set quotas for temporary immigration.
What is a Temporary Resident Visa ("TRV")?
A temporary resident visa is an entry permit and allows an individual to enter Canada - it is an official document inserted into your passport. If an individual is coming to Canada as a tourist or to visit family or friends, a V-1 counterfoil is issued. This visitor visa is often multi-entry and allows you to travel to Canada throughout its validity. They can be issued for up to 10 years.
It is important to remember that a visitor visa is not your visitor status in Canada.
What happens after I have received a Visitor Visa in my passport?
Visitors who have obtained a valid TRV in their passport have the necessary documentation to travel to Canada.
Once in Canada, a Canadian Border Security officer will ask you questions about your temporary stay in Canada. Most visitors to Canada are granted a 6-month visitor stay. A border official at the port of entry may do one of the following when issuing you visitor status:
Stamp your passport and write an expiry date. If they do not write an expiry date, your visitor status is valid for six months
Provide you with a visitor record, which will show the expiry date of your visitor status
Allow you to enter with no stamp or visitor record. In this scenario, your visitor status will be valid for six months.
Even if your TRV is valid for one year or more, your visitor status will likely only be issued for a maximum of 6 months. You must ensure you leave the country or seek to extend your status before the expiry date of your visitor status as determined by the Canadian border official.
What are the TRV application requirements?
Any individual that would like to visit Canada temporarily can apply for a visitor visa. Applications are often submitted online.
To be eligible for a TRV, you must prove you:
Have a valid travel document
Are admissible to Canada
You will leave Canada at the end of your studies by providing evidence of your ties to your home country (for example, employment, property, financial assets, family)
Have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need must be reasonable for your planned length of stay in Canada
What does “Intention to Leave Canada” mean?
When preparing an application for a temporary resident visa, applicants must satisfy an officer they will leave at the end of the period authorized for their temporary stay.
An officer will consider several different factors in determining whether an applicant intends to remain in Canada illegally to make a refugee claim. The officer will consider:
The applicant's family ties to their country of residence
The applicant's economic ties to their country of residence
The applicant's financial capability while in Canada
The applicant's obligations or responsibilities in their country of residence
The economic and political conditions of the applicant's country of residence
The applicant's immigration status in their country of residence
How Can NextGen Help With Your Application?
There are many reasons why an application can be refused. While there is no formal process or rights to appeal temporary applications, you can seek Judicial Review. In order to be granted Judicial Review, you must prove IRCC did not complete their assessment of your application properly. In successful cases, the application will be sent back to the visa office for reconsideration. It can still be refused again at this point. In most cases, it's best to reapply.
Unless you are certain you can prepare a substantially better application than your prior attempts, we recommend hiring a licensed professional to help you submit a new application. Many clients contact us after one or more refusals, and with our help, they are able to successfully enter Canada to work, study or simply visit their family or friends.
At NextGen, we carefully assess why your application was refused and what additional supporting evidence can be provided to strengthen the application. We always draft a legal submission letter, which is typically over five pages and highlights all the important eligibility requirements as well as addresses the reasons for refusal. We rely on case law to argue why your application should be approved. Whether it's your purpose of visit, lack of travel history, funds, or not likely to return to your home country, we've seen it all. Our clients get a full copy of their application, including our legal submission letter to review before the application is submitted to the Canadian government.
If you have been refused, or wish to apply for a study, work, or visitor visa, contact us below to get professional help. We've helped thousands of clients, and we can help you too.