Monday, 17 December 2012 / Published in Visit Visa

Canada Visit Visa Overview

Last Updated on February 24, 2017

A visitor means a person who is lawfully in Canada, or seeks to come into Canada for a temporary purpose (such as work, study or visit) and who is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or the holder of a minister’s permit.

Every visitor, unless exempted, must apply for and obtain a visa before appearing at a Port of Entry (POE). All visitors who are required to obtain a visa must be in possession of the visa when they appear at a POE.

The Canadian visitor visa application involves a two-step process:

First Step: The foreign national must first submit a visit visa application to the responsible Canadian visa office in the country or region where they reside. At this time, the applicant may need to attend an interview where the visa officer will verify the applicant’s reasons for visiting Canada, the applicant’s ability or willingness to leave Canada within the visa validity date and the applicant’s overall admissibility to Canada.

Second Step: Once a visit visa has been issued, the applicant may land in Canada. At the port of entry an immigration officer will question the applicant to ensure admissibility.

A visitor visa may be for single entry or multiple entry use. Single entry visas may be issued up to six months before the expected date of travel. The maximum validity date for multiple entry visitor visas is up to five (5) years or one month prior to the expiry date on the passport/re-entry visa, whichever is earlier. POE officers will routinely grant entry for a period of six months to a person requesting entry as a visitor.

A foreign national who has an immigrant visa already in process is not prohibited from applying for a temporary resident visa.

Determine whether you require a visitor visa to visit Canada:

Citizens of the following countries and territories require a Visa to VISIT or TRANSIT Canada:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan

Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi

Cambodia
Republic of Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
People’s Republic of China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Costa Rica
Cuba
Czech Republic

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 (only Israeli citizens holding 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
Lithuania (holders of non-biometric passports only)

Macao S.A.R.
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives Islands
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia, Fed. States
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (Burma)

Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Authority
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland (holders of non-biometric passports only)

Qatar

Romania
Russia
Rwanda

St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent)
Sao Tomé e Principe
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Surinam
Swaziland
Syria

Taiwan (except holders of the ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes their personal identification number)
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu

Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Uzbekistan

Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam

Yemen

Zambia
Zimbabwe

Additional requirements for citizens of certain countries

If you are a national of a country or territory listed below, you need to appear in person to have your fingerprints and photograph (biometric information) taken when you apply for a:

temporary resident visa,
study permit, or
work permit.

CIC started to collect this information from people on a mandatory basis in September 2013. Starting December 2013, biometric screening is mandatory for all temporary resident applicants who are a national of a country or territory listed below:

September 4, 2013:

Colombia
Haiti
Jamaica

October 23, 2013:

Albania
Algeria
Democratic Republic of Congo
Eritrea
Libya
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Tunisia

December 11, 2013:

Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Burma (Myanmar)
Cambodia
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Laos
Lebanon
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Syria
Vietnam
Yemen
Palestinian Authority

Citizens of the following countries and territories are visa exempt:

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Andorra
Anguilla (conditions apply)
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia

Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Bermuda (conditions apply)
British Virgin Islands (conditions apply)
British Subjects (conditions apply)

Cayman Islands (conditions apply)
Croatia

Denmark

Estonia

Falkland Islands (conditions apply)
Finland
France

Germany
Gibraltar (conditions apply)
Greece

Holy see (conditions apply)
Hong Kong (conditions apply)
Hungary

Iceland
Ireland
Israel (conditions apply)
Italy

Japan

Korea (Republic of)

Latvia (Republic of)
Liechtenstein
Lithuania (conditions apply)
Luxembourg

Malta
Monaco
Montserrat (conditions apply)

Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway

Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn (conditions apply)
Poland (conditions apply)
Portugal

St. Helena (conditons apply)
St. Kitts and Nevis
San Marino
Singapore
Slovakia
Solomon Islands
Spain
Sweden
Slovenia
Switzerland

Taiwan (conditions apply)
Turks and Caicos Islands (conditions apply)

United Kingdom: British citizens and British overseas citizens (Re-admissible to the UK)
United States citizens and permanent residents (with evidence of permanent residence)

Western Samoa

Other exemptions:

Citizens of British dependent territories: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you are a citizen of a British dependent territory who derives their citizenship through birth, descent, registration or naturalization in one of the British dependent territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands.

British National (Overseas): You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a British National (Overseas) passport issued by the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong.

British Subjects: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a British Subject passport issued by the United Kingdom which contains the observation that the holder has the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a valid and subsisting Special Administrative Region passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Holy See: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a passport or travel document issued by the Holy See.

Taiwan: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes your personal identification number.

Israel: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a national Israeli passport.

Lithuania: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a biometric passport (e-passport) issued by Lithuania.

Poland: You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you hold a biometric passport (e-passport) issued by Poland.