Visit Visa
You need a Visit Visa to enter Canada to visit family, friends, do business or transit through Canada. Requirements will depend on the purpose of your travel.
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada. However, at the port of entry, the border services officer may allow you to stay for less or more than 6 months. If so, they’ll put the date you need to leave by in your passport. They might also give you a document. If you don’t get a stamp in your passport, you can stay for 6 months from the day you entered Canada or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
If you need a stamp, you can ask a border services officer for one. If you arrive at an airport that uses primary inspection kiosks, ask the border officer after you finish at the kiosk. If you want to stay longer than your authorized stay, you should apply for an extension at least 30 days before the authorized end of your stay.
types of visa
Multiple Entry Visa
You don’t need to choose. A multiple entry visa is what all visa applicants are automatically considered for. IRCC will review your application and issue you a visa depending on your situation.
While valid, a multiple entry visa will let you travel to Canada for six months at a time as many times as you want. It will be valid for up to 10 years or one month before your passport expires, whichever is shorter. You must arrive in Canada on or before the expiry date on your visa.
Single entry visa
A single entry visa lets you travel to Canada only one time. For instance, you may only be eligible for a single entry visa if:
- you are eligible for a fee-exemption and the purpose of your entry to Canada is limited (such as, for an official visit by a foreign national)
- you are taking part in a one-time special event in Canada
- there are approved country-specific procedures or guidelines in place.
In most cases, once you have left Canada, you will need a new visa to enter Canada again.
You won’t need a new visitor visa to return to Canada if you are travelling directly to the United States (including its Territories and Possessions) or St. Pierre and Miquelon.
Length of stay
Decided by a border services officer
If you see a border services officer at the port of entry, they will tell you how long you can stay in Canada in 1 of these ways:
- If the officer stamps your passport and writes a date under that stamp > You must leave Canada by that date
- If the officer stamps your passport and gives you a visitor record > You must leave Canada by the date under “Valid until” on that visitor record.
- If the officer stamps your passport without writing a date under that stamp or giving you a visitor record > You can stay in Canada for 6 months.
If you have a super visa
If you enter Canada on a super visa and the border services officer puts a stamp without a date in your passport, you can stay for 2 years.
Decided at a primary inspection kiosk
If you go through a primary inspection kiosk, the officer may not stamp your passport at all. In this case, you can only stay in Canada for up to 6 months from the day you first enter Canada, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
If you need a stamp in your passport as proof of entry into Canada, you have to ask a border services officer after you finish at the kiosk.
If you want to extend your stay in Canada, you should apply at least 30 days before your status expires.
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What is a business visitor?
A business visitor is someone who comes to Canada:
- for international business activities
- without directly entering the Canadian labour market
Examples of this include someone who comes to Canada:
- to meet people from companies doing business with their country
- to observe site visits
- because a Canadian company invited them for training in:
- product use
- sales
- other business transaction functions
They don’t need a work permit to come to Canada.
Business visitors must prove that their main source of income and their main place of business are outside Canada.
You aren’t considered a business visitor, and may need to get a work permit, if you’re doing work for a Canadian company. For example, you’re an employee sent by a foreign company to fulfill a contract with a Canadian company.
If I am a business visitor, do I need a work permit to work in Canada?
You do not need a work permit to carry out business activities related to your job back home, such as meeting clients of your company or visiting job sites. However, if you plan to carry out secretarial, managerial, technical or production activities or stay longer than six months in Canada, you have to apply for a work permit. In both cases, if you are from a country that requires a visa to visit Canada, you must apply for a temporary resident visa.
I need a visa to visit Canada. I want to study or work in Canada while I am there. Do I need to apply for anything else?
If you want to come to Canada to study or work temporarily, you will probably need a study permit or a work permit. If you have applied for a study or work permit, your visa will be issued to you at the same time as your permit. You do not need to apply separately or to pay an additional fee.
I used a temporary resident visa for a recent business visit to Canada. Can I use it for a holiday in Canada?
If it is a multiple-entry visa and it has not expired, you can use it to enter Canada for both business and tourism. If it is a single-entry visa, you will need a new visa.
How can I extend my stay as a visitor?
If you want to extend your stay in Canada, you should apply at least 30 days before your status expires.
If I get sick or have an accident while visiting Canada, will the Government of Canada pay for my medical treatment?
Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors. You should get health insurance to cover any medical costs before you come to Canada.