Many individuals entering Canada, whether for vacation, employment, or education, require a Canada travel visa in addition to a passport. To do so, you must finish your procedure at the Consulate of this nation in your home country, which you may currently do online or on paper. However, individuals who apply for a visiting visa must have a legal document, in this case, a valid passport; they must also be in good health, have no criminal records, and establish that they have a job, a house, financial assets, or familial ties that they would bring back to their place of origin. They must also show that they have sufficient funds to cover the visit. Depending on the circumstances, you may be required to undergo a medical checkup and provide the purpose of travel Canada visa sample letter from a Canadian citizen.
If you are planning a vacation in Canada, you must consider all of the requirements to enter Canada. Since 2016, there has been a new regulation requiring travelers to apply in advance and online for a travel permit known as an ETA (similar to ESTA to travel to the United States).
What exactly is the Canadian ETA and how can I apply for one?
This permission is readily obtained through the Canadian government's official website. To acquire the ETA fast, you must fill out an application form, pay the applicable costs, and submit the application through the website; when the application is approved, an ETA is sent to you via email within 24 hours.
What is the cost of the ETA?
The ETA is CAD 7. Only one person can be requested and paid for at a time.
How many years is the ETA valid?
You have the legal authority to visit Canada as many times as you like for up to 6 months if you have an ETA, and it is valid for 5 years or until your valid passport expires, whichever comes first. You must remember that if our passport expires and we apply for a new one, we must also reapply for an ETA.
When am I not required to apply for an ETA to go to Canada?
There are certain rare circumstances when an ETA is not required, such as for US citizens and all tourists who already have a valid Canadian visa, whether to study, work or simply enjoy tourism.
ETA vs f1 visa travel to Canada
When it comes to applying for a tourist visa to Canada, the difference between having to process an ETA travel authorization or a Visitor Visa to enter the North American country as a tourist will depend exclusively on the nationality of the traveler. This permit is not a guarantee of access to Canadian territory, since an immigration official from Canada will be in charge of accepting or not accessing the country. The Visitor Visa is a document issued by the Canadian embassies that enables a foreign visitor to enter the country by air and as a tourist for a maximum stay of 6 months. As with the ETA permit, the f1 visa travel to Canada does not guarantee entry into Canada, this decision rests exclusively with the immigration officer, who is also the one who will determine whether or not the traveler can enter Canadian territory.
Foreign visitors who want to stay in Canada briefly for vacations, business, stopovers, or family visits are given a visitor visa. You can apply for this visa if you wish to visit Canada for vacation, business, or to see family or friends. One of the most essential conditions of this visa is that your stay is temporary, and you must depart Canada after it. If you have not traveled much and do not have a criminal background, it is typically easier to obtain a tourist visa. A tourist visa is provided to those who desire to visit Canada for a short time for tourism purposes. To visit Canada as a tourist, an eTA is usually necessary. If you do not satisfy the requirements for an eTA, you may apply for a tourist visa instead. When issuing a tourist visa, the Canadian immigration office generally grants a visa that allows you to enter Canada several times ("multiple entry visa").
Other types of Visitor Visa
A business visa is issued to persons who intend to visit Canada for a short time for business. You must produce an invitation letter from a business contact to acquire this visa. You should also be able to offer the contact information for that firm (which should be available 24 hours a day) and maybe a document indicating where and for whom you are now working. People who travel through Canada momentarily and want to continue their journey promptly are given a transit visa. This visa permits you to enter Canada on the condition that you continue your journey without stopping or visiting anything or anybody in Canada. If you are not qualified for an eTA and want to stop in Canada, you must apply for this visa. A parent visa is provided to parents or grandparents who desire to visit one or more of their children who are permanently residing in Canada. In theory, this visa is valid for ten years, however, each visit should not last more than two years in a row. Between application and approval, the average wait period is 8 weeks.
Canada travel visa requirements
In addition to having an ETA, all those who travel to Canada must comply with a series of essential legal requirements to enter the country.
Have a valid identity document such as a passport, which is in force and whose validity date does not expire during the stay in Canada. So if your passport is close to the expiration date it is better to renew it to avoid setbacks. Have a clean record of criminal records or criminal convictions related to immigration crimes. It is also important to have a travel itinerary for Canada visa application or, failing that, a reservation of the same to leave Canada. Demonstrating financial solvency through certain documents is a very important requirement to ensure that you have enough money to pay for the trip and stay in Canada.
What do you need to travel to Canada?
Below I summarize all the information and Canada travel visa requirements for your trip to Canada:
- Have a valid passport with a validity of at least 6 months.
- Be in good health.
- Have no serious criminal record.
- Justify that you intend to return to the country of origin once the visit to Canada is over. You can prove it with a travel itinerary for Canada visa application.
- Prove that you have sufficient financial means to cover the stay in the North American country.
Also, you will need the purpose of travel Canada visa sample letter filled to present along with your other documents. Please note that it will not be necessary to apply for the ETA to Canada if you intend to reach the country by car, train, bus, or boat. However, the visitor will be required to have all the necessary documentation to enter Canadian territory. So do not forget, before traveling to Canada you must obtain the ETA and have your passport in force.
Maximum time to be as a tourist in Canada
Even though tourist permits and visas for Canada offer a period of up to 6 months to visit the country; the final decision on how long you can stay in Canada as a tourist will rest with the immigration officer. This official will be in charge of deciding if the maximum time established by travel permits and authorizations can be used or if on the contrary, the stay should be limited to a shorter period, and even if access to Canada is denied despite having a tourist visa. The specific date to leave Canada will be indicated in the passport. However, there is the option of extending the stay in Canadian territory. For this, the interested party must request an extension of their visa at least 30 days in advance of the expiration date of the permit.
Can I travel to Canada with my US student visa?
You may find many cases that people can travel to countries with a valid visa of another country, but if you are asking can I travel to Canada with my US student visa, the answer is no. Having a valid US visa does not guarantee you to enter Canada for any purpose.
Single vs multiple entry visa
The primary distinction between these two types of visas is that a single entry visa enables a person to enter Canada just once, but a multiple entry visa allows them to enter many times. You do not need to select a kind of visa. For all visa applicants, a multiple entry visa is automatically assessed and a visa is given based on your condition. All candidates who qualify for a multiple entry visa will be granted one. Not all applicants, however, are qualified for a multiple entry visa. The visa officer will make the decision.