Canada is a country on the North American continent located just above the United States and is known as a highly developed country. The demand for people to travel to Canada has grown steadily over the past few years, but most people are wondering how they can get to Canada.
What is a Canadian visa?
A Canadian visa is a stamp on your passport that allows you to enter Canada.
It is an authorization for you to travel to the country and to be legally able to stay temporarily or permanently. Getting a visa for Canada means that the Canadian consulate or embassy in your home country has decided that you are eligible and meet the entry requirements. However, once you are at the Canadian border and customs, it is up to border officials to assess whether you are fit to enter.
If you answer the questions of the Canada Border Services Officers (BSOs) honestly and correctly, they will allow you to enter. Otherwise, if they suspect that you are not eligible to enter, they may refuse you and ask you to return to your home country even if you have a Canadian visa.
Who needs a Canadian visa?
People from countries that do not have a visa waiver or electronic travel authorization (eTA) agreement with Canada will need a visa to enter the country. Specifically, people from around 148 countries need a visa to visit, work or immigrate to Canada.
If you are one of these applicants and need a visa for Canada, you must apply. Depending on the type of visa you want, you will have an application method, but there are a few general steps you need to follow.
What are the types of Canadian visas?
Before applying for a Canadian visa, you must first know which visa you wish to apply for. The following are the types of Canadian visas:
- Visitor visa.
- Student visa.
- Work visa.
- Permanent residence visas.
- Business immigrant visas.
- Express Entry visas.
You must choose the one that corresponds to the reason for which you want to go to Canada.
Temporary Canada visas
Temporary visas from Canada allow the person to stay in Canada for a specified period that is determined by the Canadian consulate or border services officers (BSO). This period is generally 6 months maximum. However, the temporary visa can be a single entry or a multiple entry visas.
The single-entry visa allows a person to enter Canada only once, stay there for 6 months and then return to their country of origin. A multiple entry visa allows a person to enter Canada multiple times until their visa expires and to stay there temporarily.
The following are the types of temporary Canadian visas:
Temporary visas from Canada allow the person to stay in Canada for a specified period of time that is determined by the Canadian consulate or border services officers (BSO). This period is generally 6 months maximum. However, the temporary visa can be a single entry or a multiple entry visa.
The single-entry visa allows a person to enter Canada only once, stay there for 6 months and then return to their country of origin. A multiple entry visa allows a person to enter Canada multiple times until their visa expires and to stay there temporarily.
The following are the types of temporary Canadian visas:
Canadian tourist visa. The visitor visa or tourist visa allows its holder to enter Canada for tourism purposes in the country.
Great Canadian visa. The Canadian Super Visa allows parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents to visit their children or grandchildren for an extended stay.
Diplomatic and official visa. The diplomatic and official visa gives permission to officials and diplomats from foreign countries to enter Canada for official purposes.
Courtesy visa. The courtesy visa is granted to all persons who do not qualify for a diplomatic and official visa, but who are considered important because of their rank and position. This includes, for example, members of trade missions or diplomats with a tourist vocation.
Canadian business visa. The business visa is granted to those traveling to Canada for business purposes as individuals or as a group of business people.
Visa to give birth in Canada. This visa is granted to people who meet all the criteria to stay temporarily in Canada and who are pregnant and wish to give birth in the country. Giving birth in Canada automatically makes the baby a Canadian citizen.
Organ donor visa. This visa is granted to a person traveling to Canada for the purpose of donating an organ to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Canadian facilitation visa. Facilitation visas are granted to Canadian citizens with dual nationality who do not have a Canadian passport but who have a passport of another nationality. Facilitation visa is stamped on the other nationality visa of the person due to the extreme difficulties faced by the person in obtaining a Canadian passport.
Canadian student visa. A Canadian student visa is granted to those who have admission from a Canadian university to complete their studies. If you are going to Canada to study for less than 6 months, you can only get a TRV visa, but for more than 6 months of study you will need a student visa.
Canadian temporary work visa. Canada temporary work visas are granted to people who have a job offer in Canada and will work for up to 6 months. To obtain this visa, the person must present a valid job offer letter from an employer and qualify for a temporary visa.
Temporary residence permit. This permit is intended for people who need to travel to Canada for different purposes but who are not otherwise eligible for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). This permit is only issued for the time necessary for the person to be in Canada, for example 2 weeks for a workshop.
Working Holiday Visa. The Canada Working Holiday Visa is granted to young people from 30 countries, so that they can work in Canada and travel. This is a random selection visa, which means applicants will submit their applications and wait to be randomly selected to apply for the work permit.
