For most people a visa is required to enter Canada. While there are several different kinds of visa, in this part of the course we will focus on the Visitor Visa, technically called a Temporary Resident Visa.
Why?
Because it is not only the most frequently issued visa for people wanting to travel to Canada, but it is the most important visa to consider if you are wanting to eventually study or work in Canada. A study or work permit by itself does not allow you to enter or remain in Canada. They only allow you to study or work. In order to enter and remain in Canada you must have a visa and the most common and widely visa used in conjunction with a study or work permit is the Temporary Resident visa, sometimes referred to as a tourist visa. Of course this is also the visa you will need if you simply want to visit Canada for tourism or to visit friends or family.
Here are some important things to know about the Canadian Temporary Resident Visa:
To apply for a Temporary Resident Visa you may apply online to IRCC (Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada). In the next lesson we will guide you through the steps for applying online for this visa.
As you go through the application process and assemble the documents you will be required to submit, it is very important that you keep in mind the things that IRCC will be looking at and for in making the decision whether to grant or deny your application. This is critical and it is information that you will not find simply displayed on any website. It is absolutely essential, if you expect your visa application to be approved that you follow the principles outlined below when you answer questions and submit documents.
This is probably the most important factor to keep in mind as you answer questions, supply information and submit documents in the application process. Canada, just as with many other countries must deal with the problems that arise when people enter the country on a temporary resident (or tourist) visa and when it expires, simply remain in the country. As a result, throughout the process of examining and considering your visa application, the reviewing officer will be looking for indications that you will most likely, at the end of the authorized period of stay have reasons and motivation to return to your home country. And this is true even though your intention may ultimately be to remain in Canada permanently, by for example, pursuing a study program followed by an open work permit leading to eventual application for permanent residence. While that may be your long term goal, at the stage of applying for a temporary resident visa, it is important for you to emphasize the factors that will indicate to the examiner that you have strong ties to your home country and have good reasons to return there.
To illustrate, consider two extreme examples. In the first case the applicant has extensive family in his home country. The family owns and operates a business in that country, in which the applicant participates as an employee or a principal. The applicant is applying for a study permit along with a temporary resident visa so he can attend college in Canada to study international marketing and explains in his letter of explanation that they wish to learn more about international marketing so they can return to their home country and expand the family business into an international market. In examining this application, it will appear that this person would have very little motivation to overstay his visa, and every motivation to return to his home country at the conclusion of his study program. It is most likely that this person’s application for a temporary resident visa will be granted.
Now consider the second case. While this applicant has family connections in his home country, they also report on their application form that they have sibling residing in Canada. They are working in their home country but have been doing so for only a short time. They own no property or other assets in the home country. They apply for a visitor visa indicating that the purpose of their visit is tourism, without identifying the people they intend to visit or the places they intend to vist. In this case a review of the application and all of the supporting material would suggest that this person has little incentive to return to his home country, and will probably overstay his visa to join family members already in Canada. It is most likely that this visa application will be denied.
While these examples are not typical and represent the extremes, we have presented them so that you can gain some insight into how to submit a visa application that is more likely to be approved.
Remember that you will not have an in person interview with an immigration officer until you actually get to Canada and that will be in the airport or other arrival point, long after the decision concerning your visa application has been made. The decision whether to grant or deny your visa will be made on the basis of the answers you provide in your application along with the supporting materials and information you submit. Consequently, it is very important to word your answers, and provide documentation that will satisfy the examiner that you are indeed wanting to travel to Canada for the purpose stated in your application, and that at the end of your allowed stay, you will depart Canada. Certainly, there are things you should not say. If you are just applying for a tourist visa, you should avoid saying (in your application or in any letter or correspondence) things such as “I have always wanted to live in Canada”; or I am looking for opportunities to work in Canada”. Anything that suggests that your reason for going to Canada is to remain there will almost certainly result in your tourist visa application being denied.
Sadly, while many people would like to move to Canada, not everyone has the resources to do so. Canada can be expensive, especially in cities like Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver. IRCC will examine the information that you submit to make certain that if you come to Canada you will have adequate resources to support yourself (as well as any family members that accompany you) for the duration of your stay. The reason for this is that while Canada is a welcoming country for foreigners, they at the same time want to know that if you come, you will be able to feed and house yourself and not be a burden to the Canadian government. This is not unusual and almost every other country in the world has similar requirements for visitors or immigrants. So it is very important as you complete your application along with supporting documents that you be able to demonstrate that you have adequate immediately available property, such as bank deposits, savings, or cash, with which to provide for your support when you enter Canada.
This may seem confusing, especially if you are applying for a work or study permit along with the temporary resident visa, but it really does make sense. It pertains to those seeking just a temporary resident visa, and when you consider it in conjunction with the requirement that you intend to leave at the end of the authorized time, it is perfectly logical. The thing to remember is to avoid both contradictions as well as anything that might suggest to the examiner that you are likely to overstay your visa. An example of a contradiction would be anything in your application or supporting documents that might suggest you are looking for employment, or wish to start a business when elsewhere you are stating that you wish to visit Canada for the purpose of tourism. Likewise indicating in your application that you would like to study in Canada, without being able to present a letter of acceptance, will create problems for you. These are the kinds of contradictions that will cause your visa application to be rejected. Likewise, anything in your submission that suggests long term plans (looking for property, seeking a professional license, having a long term relationship with an employer) to remain in Canada when you are applying for a visa with only a six month duration, will raise a warning to the examiner that will likely result in rejection of your application.
In trying to comply with the requirements to obtain a visa it is sometimes tempting to fabricate facts or information to make yourself appear better to the examiner. We would strongly warn against this. While a false statement may not be discovered, if it is, it will almost certainly result in a rejection of your visa application. More importantly, if you are granted a visa and a misrepresentation is later discovered, it could result in revocation of your visa. If there is a problem, such as, for example you have had a prior application for a visa to another country denied, it is far better to admit it and provide an explanation than to omit it in hopes that it will not be discovered.
In the next lesson we will introduce you to the IRCC website all of your transaction will be handled, and following that, will show you how to complete and submit your application for a Temporary Resident (Visitor Visa) Permit.