Visitors to Canada (visitor visa & eTA)
Travel to Canada for tourism, business, or family visits: temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on your passport and situation.
Canada welcomes millions of visitors each year for tourism, business meetings, family visits, and other short-term purposes. Most people need permission to enter as a temporary resident: either a visitor visa (sticker in your passport) or an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) linked to your passport, depending on where you are from and how you travel.
Apply with complete, honest information. Officers decide whether you meet the requirements for a visa or eTA and whether you are admissible. At the border, a Canada Border Services Agency officer confirms your documents and may set or confirm how long you may stay.
If you want to stay longer, apply to extend your stay or change your status before your current status expires. Rules differ for students, workers, and protected persons—use the IRCC pages that match your situation.
Fees, forms, and document checklists change. Always use the current instructions on Canada.ca for your country and application type before you submit or pay.
- Application for a visitor visa (temporary resident visa)Often required
Form IMM 5257 — apply online through your IRCC account where possible; follow the document checklist for your country.
- Valid passport or travel documentOften required
Must be valid for your planned stay; may need validity beyond your return date per IRCC.
- Digital photoOften required
Meet IRCC photo specifications (size, background, date).
- Purpose of travel and itineraryOften required
Flights or travel plans, hotel bookings, business invitation, conference details, or explanation of your visit.
- Proof of fundsOften required
Show you can pay for your trip and stay and return home (for example bank statements, employment letter, or other documents IRCC accepts).
- Family Information (IMM 5645) when applicable
Provide if IRCC asks for details about your family members as instructed in your application.
- Letter of invitation
If visiting family or friends, a letter from your host in Canada with their status and details can support your application.
- Proof of ties to your home country
Employment, studies, property, or family abroad can help show you will leave Canada when your visit ends.
- Biometrics
If required for your nationality, book and attend a biometrics appointment.
- You must show you can afford your trip, your stay in Canada, and your return home. IRCC does not publish one fixed dollar amount for every visitor—the officer assesses your situation, length of stay, and purpose.
- Government fees include the visitor visa fee and, when applicable, the biometrics fee. Always confirm the current fee list on IRCC before you pay.
- Acceptable proof of funds can include bank or investment statements, employment or pay documents, tax documents, or other evidence IRCC lists for applicants from your country.
- If you use an eTA instead of a visa (visa-exempt nationals flying to Canada), you pay the eTA fee—see IRCC for amount and exemptions.
- Most travellers need either a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) or an eTA—not both for the same trip. Which one you need depends on your citizenship, travel document, and how you travel (for example, by air). Use IRCC Check if you need a visa or eTA before you apply.
- You must be admissible to Canada (for example health, criminality, security, misrepresentation, and other grounds in Canadian law).
- You must intend a genuine temporary visit (tourism, business, family, or other permitted reasons) and leave Canada by the end of your authorized stay unless you apply to extend or change status in time.
- A border services officer at a port of entry usually decides how long you may stay as a visitor (often up to six months unless you are told otherwise or have a different document such as a super visa).
- Processing times vary by visa office and application volume. Check IRCC processing times and application status tools for estimates—your case may differ.
- This guide covers general visitor rules. Super visa, business visitor, transit, and other streams have additional or different requirements—see the matching IRCC pages.
Disclaimer
This guide is for general information only. Immigration rules change frequently. Always confirm requirements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or a regulated Canadian immigration consultant or lawyer before submitting an application.