Not sure if you need a visa to visit Canada? Please visit the Canada Immigration and Citizenship page.
Visa Information
Official information about applying for a visa can be found on the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Services website. The visa application process can take several months, so IAM encourages attendees to apply for visas as early as possible. IAM is unable to contact Canadian embassies in support of an individual attempting to gain entry into Canada to attend the IAM Annual Meeting & Expo. IAM’s guidelines for providing invitation letters are as follows:
- Invitation letters will only be issued to members who have registered for the full conference.
- The letter will be available in your confirmation email.
- If a visa is denied, IAM will refund according to our cancellation and refund policy.
- The invitation letter does not financially obligate IAM in any way. All expenses incurred in relation to the IAM Annual Meeting & Expo are the sole responsibility of the attendee.
- IAM is not authorized to assist with the visa process beyond providing an invitation letter.
Visitor Guidance
A visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa – TRV) is an official document that we stick in your passport. It shows that you meet the requirements needed to enter Canada.
Most travellers need a visitor visa to travel to Canada. You may also need one if you’re transiting through a Canadian airport on your way to your final destination.
You can apply for a visitor visa online.
Step 1. Get the documents that show you meet the criteria for a visitor visa
Step 2. Apply On line
- Create an account
Sign in to your IRCC secure account – Canada.ca
- Upload your documents
- Pay your fees
Step 3: Give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics)
Normally, you need to give biometrics. If your local visa application centre is not open due to COVID-19, there are temporary measures in place for biometrics.
Find out what to do for your biometrics
How we process your application
We’ll check your application to make sure you have all the documents you need. If it’s incomplete, we’ll return your application without processing it. If we approve your application, we’ll ask you to send us your passport.
Send us your passport (if we approve your application) To get your visa, follow the instructions we’ll send to you.
Prepare for your travel to and arrival in Canada You may need to bring with you documents you submitted with your visa application, or present additional documents to the border services officer on arrival in Canada.
Eligibility
The main reason why a high % of visa applications are refused is due to not providing enough quality supporting information about the applicant. The Visa Review Officer must be convinced that the applicant is not a flight risk meaning that the purpose for seeking entry into Canada is to live.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eligibility.html
You must meet some basic requirements to get a visitor visa. You must:
- have a valid travel document, like a passport
- be in good health
- have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
- convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country. (Letter from Employer granting you permission to come to Canada. Letter needs to highlight your credentials, experience, etc). If you own a home provide a copy of the mortgage or rental agreement, car loan.
- convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit. Provide evidence that shows you have future responsibilities at home like, eg. Work, family to look after, doctor’s appointments.
- have enough money for your stay ( e.g. bank statements containing at least $20,000)
- The amount of money you will need depends on how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives.
You may also need a medical exam and letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.
Check the list of documents you need based on your situation.
IMPORTANT!!
Applicants who DO NOT have a contact person in Canada required on the application, they can put the full name of the person (include the address & phone number of the hotel ) who booked their hotel accommodations.
Supporting documents for a visitor visa applicant
The documents you need to submit with your visa application depends on why you’re traveling to Canada.
How to apply
Before you apply for a visitor visa
- Get the documents you need for a visitor visa.
- Find out what to do for your biometrics (fingerprints and photo)
- Most applicants need to give their biometrics if it’s the first time they apply.
What it means to be “inadmissible”
Some people aren’t allowed to come to Canada. They’re “inadmissible” under Canada’s immigration law.
A Canadian immigration officer will decide if you can enter Canada when you:
- apply for a visitor visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or
- when you arrive at a port of entry.
There are different reasons you may not be let into Canada, such as security, criminal or medical reasons.
If you’re inadmissible to Canada
Normally, if you’re inadmissible to Canada, you won’t be allowed to enter the country. If you have a valid reason to travel to Canada that is justified in the circumstances, you may be issued a Temporary Resident Permit.
If you’ve committed or been convicted of a crime, you have a few options to overcome your criminal inadmissibility.
Penalties for driving while impaired
If you drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, including cannabis, you may be inadmissible for serious criminality. This means:
- you won’t be able to enter or stay in Canada unless you are issued a temporary resident permit
- you’ll have to pay the CAD $200.00 processing fee for the permit and there’s no guarantee you’ll be allowed to enter or stay in the country
Why you could be found inadmissible
If you’re found inadmissible, you’ll be denied a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), refused entry to, or removed from Canada.
You could be found inadmissible for a number of reasons, such as:
- security reasons, including
- espionage
- subversion (attempts to overthrow a government, etc.)
- violence or terrorism
- membership in an organization involved in any of these
- human or international rights violations, including
- war crimes
- crimes against humanity
- being a senior official in a government engaged in gross human rights violations or subject to international sanctions
- committing a crime, including driving while under the influence of drugs or alcoholFootnote1
- organized crime, including membership in an organization that takes part in organized criminal activity, people smuggling or money laundering
- medical reasons – this includes medical conditions that:
- endanger public health
- endanger public safety or
- causes excessive demand on health or social services (some applicants are exempt)
- financial reasons – if you’re unable or unwilling to support yourself and your family members
- misrepresentation, which includes providing false information or withholding information directly related to decisions made under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA)
- failure to comply with any provision of IRPAFootnote2 or
- having an inadmissible family member.
If you have a valid reason to travel to Canada
If you’re otherwise inadmissible but have a reason to travel to Canada that is justified in the circumstances, you may be issued a temporary resident permit.
To be eligible for a temporary resident permit, your need to enter or stay in Canada must outweigh the health or safety risks to Canadian society, as determined by an immigration or a border services officer. Even if the reason you’re inadmissible seems minor, you must demonstrate that your visit is justified.
There is no guarantee that you’ll be issued a temporary resident permit.
How to apply for a temporary resident permit
If you’re eTA – required
If you’re a citizen of an eTA-required country, your application for an eTA was refused, you may be issued a temporary resident permit. This depends on the nature and circumstances of the inadmissibility and why you need to travel to Canada.
The visa office responsible for your country or region may have its own application form for temporary resident permits. You should check the visa office to find out exactly how to apply.
If you’re visitor visa (TRV) – required
You must apply for a visitor visa and include supporting documents to explain why you’re inadmissible and why it may be justified for you to enter Canada.
You may have to attend an interview so that an officer can assess your application.
How long you can stay in Canada
A temporary resident permit is usually issued for the length of your visit to Canada—for example, 1 week to attend a conference. You must leave Canada by the expiry date of the permit, or get a new permit before your current one expires.
This permit may be cancelled by an officer at any time.
The permit is no longer valid once you leave Canada, unless you have specifically been authorized to leave and re-enter.
Fees
Pay your fees online (canada.ca)
You must pay a fee (CAD $200.00) to cover the cost of processing your application for a temporary resident permit. The fee will not be refunded if the permit is refused.
If you’ve committed or been convicted of a crime
You have a few options to overcome your criminal inadmissibility.
Penalties for driving while impaired
If you drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, including cannabis, you may be inadmissible for serious criminality. This means you won’t be able to enter or stay in Canada unless we issue you a temporary resident permit.
Overcome Criminal Convictions- What Can you do?
Depending on the crime, how long ago it was, and how you have behaved since, you may still be allowed to come to Canada, if you:
- convince an immigration officer that you meet the legal terms to be deemed rehabilitated, or
- applied for rehabilitation and were approved, or
- were granted a record suspension or
- have a temporary resident permit.
It’s important that you educate yourself on Canada’s entry requirements in advance so you are prepared.
What you need will depend on where you are from, how you are travelling, and what documents you are travelling with.
Travel and identification documents for entering Canada
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html
Make sure you carry proper identification for yourself and any children or minors travelling with you. You must be able to confirm your legal right or authorization to enter Canada at the border.
International visitors to Canada
COVID-19 Emergency border measures have ended
All international travellers must carry acceptable identification and a valid visa (if necessary) when entering Canada. A passport is recommended because it is the only reliable and universally-accepted travel and identification document for the purpose of international travel.
International transport companies, such as airlines, must make sure that travellers have proper, valid travel documents. If you do not have the proper documents, you may be delayed or refused entry into Canada. What you need will depend on where you are from, how you are travelling, and what documents you are travelling with. Consult entry requirements by country.
When you enter Canada, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if you are arriving from a country for which one is required. Visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website to learn more about what travel documents are required.
Citizens of the U.S. who are members of the NEXUS program may present their membership card as proof of identification and as a document that denotes citizenship, when arriving by air (when coming from the U.S.), land, or marine modes.
All visitors arriving from or transiting through the U.S. are encouraged to visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for information concerning the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and the requirements to enter or return to the U.S.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta.html
Visa-exempt foreign nationals need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through Canada.
Exceptions, or visa and eTA-exempt foreign nationals, include:
- U.S. citizens
- U.S Lawful Permanent Residents
- travellers with a valid Canadian visa
- Other exceptions
Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents do not need to apply for an eTA.
Certain low-risk foreign nationals from select visa-required countries may also travel to or through Canada by air using an eTA through the eTA expansion program.
Be prepared: Apply for an eTA before you book your flight to Canada. Most applicants get approved within minutes. However, some applications can take several days to process so don’t wait until the last minute.
Travellers who apply for an eTA are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer help in getting an eTA. These companies are not operating on behalf of the Government of Canada. Many have established websites that charge a fee to provide information and submit eTA applications.
This Government of Canada website is the official place to apply for an Electronic Travel Application.
The following travellers need a visa to come to Canada by any method of travel – plane, car, bus, train, or cruise ship.
Note: Holders of Alien’s passport and Stateless individuals need a visa to visit or transit Canada.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil (note: some Brazilian citizens may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements)
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon, Republic of
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China, People’s Republic of
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Congo, Republic of
- Costa Rica, Republic of
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- East Timor
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel, must have a valid Israeli “Travel Document in lieu of National Passport”
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Korea, North
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao Special Administrative Region
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives Islands
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Micronesia, Fed. States
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestinian Authority
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Romania (holder of a non-electronic passport, such as a temporary passport)
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tomé e Principe
- Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent)
- Sudan
- Surinam
- Swaziland
- Syria
- Taiwan, must have a passports other than ordinary passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that include their personal identification number
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Above information taken from the Government of Canada website, for updates please visit: