All You Need To Know About Temporary Canada Visas

Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world. this is the  reason why so many people visit the country every year. In order to visit Canada, most people have to get a Temporary Canada Visa. Of course, this only applies if you want to stay in the country temporarily. 

Maybe you want to enter Canada as tourists or you have family or friends living in Canada and you wish to visit them. If that is so, you need to apply for one a Temporary Canada Visa, we’ll explain to you every step you have to follow in order to get approved.

Keep in mind that there are two major categories of Canada Visas depending on intended time period to stay:

  • Temporary Canada Visas
  • Permanent Canada Visas for long-term stays

This article will simplify the process and requirements for temporary Canada visas.

Temporary Canada Visa

A Temporary Canada Visa is, in fact, a temporary residence of Canada. It’s a stamp on your passport that allows you to enter the country and stay for usually 6 months which is considered a short amount of time. Sometimes, if you show the Canadian Consulate a strong case, they might give you a Temporary Canada Visa that can be valid for more than 6 months.

Nonetheless, the Temporary Visas only allows you to stay for 6 months and then return to your home country. This visa does not allow you to overstay in the country. If you want to stay more, you need to change your legal status.

Temporary Canada Visa Types

Although there are different types of Temporary Canada Visas, we can divide them into 5 different groups:

Temporary Resident Visas

The temporary Resident Visas are given to tourists who have friends or family in Canada. If you have a business to attend in Canada, you also need this visa. 

There are 8 sub-types of Temporary Resident Visas

Canada Visitor Visa

The most common of all the visas is the one for tourists and visitors.

Business Delegations Visa

If you want to enter Canada for business purposes, this is the category you need to apply for.

Courtesy Visa

Sometimes people qualify to be special guests, this visa is given to those people.

Canada Super Visa

It is given to grandparents or parents of Canadian Permanent Residents of Citizens to visit their grandchildren and children for an extended period of time.

Diplomatic and Official Visa

This visa is for foreign diplomats and officials who visit Canada to fulfill official duties.

Giving birth in Canada

A woman receives this visa to give birth in Canada. The baby will be considered a citizen of Canada.

Intending Organ Donors Visa

This visa is only granted if the applicant wants to donate an organ to a Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen.

Facilitation Visa

The visa is given to Canadian Citizens with dual nationalities who do not have a Canadian passport.

Dual Intent Visa

The visa is given to those who want to stay in Canada temporarily, but also intend to apply for a permanent visa.

Temporary Residence Permit

The Temporary Residence Permit also known as Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) allows you to stay in the country only for the time period that it’s necessary; for example, 2 weeks for a workshop.

Canada Study Visa

If you have been given admission to a Canadian university to complete your studies, then you’ll have to apply to the student visa for Canada. Keep in mind that the Student Visa only applies to you if you need more than 6 months to finish your studies.If you need less than 6 months to finish your studies, then you can only get a general visa.

Temporary Foreign Worker

Temporary Foreign Worker visas are given to those who have a job offer in Canada and will work for up to 6 months. In your applications, you have to present a valid job offer letter from an employer and qualify for a temporary visa.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Some countries have a good relationship with Canada. If you are a citizen of one of those countries, you may not need to apply for a visa. The eTA allows you to enter Canada without going through lengthy visa procedures.

Temporary Canada Visa Requirements

Although the requirement may vary depending on the visa type (General Visa requirements or Visa Specific requirements); the standard Canada Visa requirements must be always fulfilled.

No matter the type of temporary visa that you are applying for. Here you can see general requirements to apply for your temporary Canada Visa.

  • You need a valid passport from your home country and this passport needs an expiration date beyond the time you wish to stay in Canada. 
  • If you are the main applicant for the visa, you must be 18 years old or older. Remember, your dependents and/or children that are under 18 years old can apply for their visas too.  
  • Besides the last page of your passport, one of the requirement is that you need at least one blank page on your passport. 
  • You need to hire a certified translator if your documents aren’t in French or English. 
  • Submit two (2) photos that meet the Canada Photo Requirements. 
  • Pay the Canada Visa fees and the processing fees; 
  • If the Canadian Consulate asks you, you must provide your biometric information too. 
  • Fill and sign the Consent Form know as VAC (Visa Application Center)  
  • Though the Form IMM 5707, Family Information Form you have to list your family members details. Their occupations, dates of birth, and you have to inform if any of them have been in Canada before. Remember to sign this form.  
  • Submit photocopies of your current immigration status in Canada or another country. 
  • Keep in mind that you can’t have a criminal record. You must prove that you have a clean history through valid court documents from your country. 
  • You have to demonstrate that you can afford to stay in Canada by your own means. This can be done through a bank statement or other financial document. 
  • Last but not least, avoid any typos. Your application will be rejected if you didn’t sign and date all the documents correctly.

In some cases, the requirement may vary or be more extensive. For example, if you are applying for a Temporary Workers Visa, a medical examination must be submitted plus the job offer letter, as well as a Labor Market Impact Assessment.

You can also be a young person with an invitation letter from your family or friends from Canada. In this case, no matter you are applying for a visitor visa or super visa, you have to demonstrate that you have an English/French language proficiency.

If you are applying for a Student Visa; you have to prove how you will pay your tuition and living costs. You can’t legally work with any of this visas.

And no matter what, you have to fulfill all the requirements or your application may be rejected or the Canadian Consulate can ask for more and more documents that are hard to find.

How to Apply for a Temporary Canada Visa?

The steps to apply for a Temporary Canada Visa have slight differences depending on which type visa you are applying to. Nonetheless, the standard process to apply for any of the Temporary Canada visas is as follows:

First thing first, you need to be sure that you are eligible

Go to the Canadian Consulate website here. Then navigate through the tabs Immigration -> Visit/Immigrate/Work/Study. Complete the questionnaire and wait for the results.

Get your reference code

Save the code since you’ll use it for your application. Also, if applicable, you’ll get specific instructions on how to apply in detail for your particular case.

GCKey

Using the Government of Canada login (GCKey), you have to create an account to submit your application. You also can use your bank information.

Pay the fees

Complete the application by filling out all the necessary forms and paying the fees.

Make an appointment if applicable

During your application processing, the Canadian Consulate may require your biometric and/or an interview with you. If that is the case, you must make an appointment to attend them.

Your biometrics has to include your fingerprints and picture. If you need to give an interview, you can handle this special requirement on the day of the interview.

Always answer truthfully and to the best of your abilities. Remember, you can’t stay in the country for more than 6 months, so don’t raise any suspicions from the interviewer that you will break the visa rules. 

Be patient!

The Consulate will process your application and this may take from 2 weeks to 1 or 2 months. During this time, always check your account. When your visa is approved, you will see the notification.

Mail your passport and processing fees

This step only applies after your visa was approved. Follow the instructions of the Consulate to do so. Remember to include your pre-paid return envelope when you send in your passport to them.

Check your mail

The Consulate will mail your passport back to you with your pre-paid return envelope, your passport should have the visa stamped on it. You are almost done,, just make the arrangements for the trip and do not lose any of the documents.