You need a Canadian visa before you would enter Canada, same is applicable to other countries, you must first apply for the country’s visa except if it is a country that recognizes yours.
And for you applying to travel to Canada (Canadian visas) you will do so depending on your residency and you have to submit this application if your country is among the listed by the Canadian government as required before their citizen can visit Canada.
However, if you are going to Canada for travel and pleasure you will be given a temporary visiting visa and if you are going for academic purposes you will be issued a student visa, and the duration of your travel will be dependent on the purpose of your visit as well.
What Paperwork Is Necessary for a Canada Visa?
Documents required for a Canada visa:
- Your passport
- Appropriate Canada visa application form
- Proof of paid Canada visa fees
- Proof of clean criminal record
- Proof of being in good health through a medical exam
- Photographs in accordance with the photo requirements for a Canadian visa
- Proof of financial means
- Proof you will return to your home country once the Canadian visa expires
- Identity and Civil Status Documents
- A cover letter that explains the purpose of your travel to Canada
- Letter of support/invitation to Canada
Age
This factor is very important to the Canadian government, it really matters if the applicant is an adult because below seventeen is seen as minor and is supposed to
be accessed as dependent as the main applicant must be an adult. However, we have made provision the information for minors traveling alone, the requirements you need are in the last paragraph.
Passport
For you applying for a Canadian visa you should have a required recent passport accompanied by other important credentials for your travel.
And you have to make photocopy the information page of your passport when you are applying for a Canada and it must carry the following details:
- Your passport number.
- The date of issue and expiry.
- Your personal information: name, photo, place of birth, and date of birth.
The paperwork you should arrange are photos, receipts for all your payments, documents of identification, and duplicates of your passport.
However, some other countries might want you to provide more documents for the IRCC checklist, then you have to ask the local visa office.
Forms And Paperwork
First of all, you will have to receive an application package from the IRCC for you to submit your application properly. This package contains documents you will fill out correctly and submit and some instruction guides and your document checklist.
A Receipt For The Canadian Visa Payment
Just like we mentioned earlier, you have to come along with every receipt of payment. You will have to provide the receipt of your application before you can apply for a Canadian visa and this requirement is according to your trip as well.
Fees Come In Two Varieties
- Fees for processing applications
- Biometric charges
Canadian Visa Photos
Applying for a Canadian visa you have to provide two passport photographs, you should go with the criteria so that the photographer will understand what they are looking for in the picture.
However, if your passport does not meet the quality set by the Canadian government your application will be declined as well.
Evidence Of Financial Capability
Before you can travel to any country, not just Canada you will be asked to provide evidence that you can afford the trip and you can afford the cost of living in that
particular country for the period of time you will be staying. However, each country has a different method but for Canada, this is the proof you need:
- Bank records.
- employment letter with a salary schedule.
- Evidence that you have made plans to acquire funding from friends and relatives to cover the cost of your stay.
- Proof of your Canadian host’s or family member’s salary.
Proof That Once The Visa Expires, You’ll Go Back To Your Country Of Origin
During your interview, this should be the funny part you will be asked when you will return and if will you come back once your visa expires.
Now you have to convince the visa officials that you are going to be on your way immediately after your visa is due, you should also present this to them:
Evidence Of Employment: You should make copies of the document as you will provide copies for the visa officials stating your employment arrangement and upon your return as well.
Property Ownership: You will provide copies of your property in your own country which is the agreement or title record.
Proof Of Obligation: You will provide this requirement if you have children, family, or individual links to you that you are responsible for their well-being.
Documents Proving Identity And Civil Status
The documents to be provided include divorce/annulment certificates, birth certificates, and marriage certificates. When applying you will be asked to submit
copies of these documents to prove your identity and civil status, and in some cases, there might be more requirements all you have to do is reach out to the visa officials in your country.
Clearance From Police
This document is important, you will get this paper from your country’s police department which will prove that you have no criminal records from where you are coming from.
And perhaps in some cases, you might be asked to bring this document from the countries you have lived in for over 6 months to confirm you pose no future threat to Canada if granted access to the country.
A Medical Test
You won’t be granted access to any country for work if you are sick, except if you are visiting for medical purposes.
But you won’t be allowed to enter Canada if you are not feeling well, or if you will be working with people and you won’t stay more than 6 months, then you don’t need a medical test.
However, this test is not going to be from your personal doctor, it will be with the panel doctors visiting the IRCC site to confirm the panel for your country.
Object Of The Journey
Traveling to any country you will be asked to state your reasons why you want to enter the country this is for all countries Canada inclusive.
You will be asked to present any document that explains why you are going to Canada, which includes a letter of invitation from your sponsor.
As well as the individual you are going to his/her house and contact info on how you are going to reach them when you arrive.
Letter Of Invitation Or Support
In some cases, you might be asked to provide this letter in a short period after the last submission from a Canadian citizen/permanent resident.
The person who gives you this letter does not have the right to stand for you legally and you will provide this letter along with your application. And the letter must contain these details:
- Name.
- Birth date.
- Phone number and address.
- The relationship you have with the person who is writing the letter.
- How long you will stay in Canada, where you will stay, and when do you plan to leave?
- How do you plan to support yourself financially?
Information about the writer includes:
- Their complete name and date of birth.
- Their Canadian address and phone number.
- Their residence status (Citizen or Permanent Resident) and a photocopy of a document that proves it.
- Their job title.
- Their family details (names and dates of birth for his/her spouse and dependents).
- How many people are in their household?
Minor’s Requirements For A Canadian Visa
Every human is equal when it comes to documentation, thus, the same requirements are applicable to minors visiting Canada.
In most cases, even more, documents are required as they are special and sensitive to handle, also it will be determined by the means of transit but whichever way these are the basic needs for their travel:
- Their Passport
- A copy of their birth certificate
However, if they are traveling by themself or they are been accompanied here are the extra documents they need to travel.
Traveling Alone: They will provide a letter of agreement from their parents/guardians which should be signed by the minor every consent is required.
The letter will carry the contact/address info of the parents/guardians and the minor’s caretaker’s information in Canada (address and phone contact).
One Parent Present: The parent who is not traveling will give a letter of permission and sign which must carry this information: home address and phone number, photocopy of the parent’s passport, and national identification card.
However, in some cases, if the parents are divorced but share custody the parent traveling will have to get a copy of the shared custody agreement from the other parent.
If in some situations one of the parents is late the parent alive will provide the death certificate of the late parent.
And in the case of adoption or legal guardians, you will have to provide the adoption document/guardianship papers as the case may be.
However, if the minor is traveling with someone who does not fit the above description then the guardians or parents of the minor must give such person a written consent/approval that contains their address and phone numbers before they can travel to Canada.
