How to Get Visitor Visa Canada from India?

Applying for a Visitor Visa Canada from India requires a lot of concentration and needs to be done with utmost care and sincerity especially due to Covid-19.

Read carefully to know what are the steps of a Visitor Visa Canada application and follow the instructions to apply properly.

Instructions for Canada Visitor Visa Application

As of the latest data, it is necessary for a person who wants to visit Canada to know certain things which include:

1. Eligibility criteria of foreign nationals who can travel to Canada as visitors
2. Instructions for those who want to apply for a visitor visa
3. Submitted your visitor visa application online
4. Next step is to complete your biometrics

Click here for detailed information on visiting Canada.

In order to save your precious time, you can read the summarized format of the instructions and details below.

Who is Eligible to Apply for Canada Visitor Visa?

Without a doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically affected the tourism sector all around the world, including Canada.

For the above-said reason, one can travel to Canada only if one is eligible regardless of having an eTA or visitor visa.

Entry in Canada at this time is not guaranteed to anyone from outside Canada, including U.S. Nationals.

One should not have any immigration or criminal related issue and should be in good health and should have a valid passport.

How to Find Out if You Can Visit Canada?

For Indian Applicants, these two criteria have to hold true in order to travel to Canada:

1. You are a foreign national
2. You have a full series of accepted Covid-19 vaccinations

In order to be eligible, you need to ensure that your most recent Covid-19 vaccination has to be taken at least 14 days before planning to enter Canada.

You need to have 2 doses of Government of Canada approved vaccination doses which include Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, or Moderna.

It is important to note that the authority to make the final determination of entry to Canada lies with the government official at the port of entry.

What Guarantees Entry of Canada Visitor Visa Holder?

Finally, even after having met with all the eligibility requirements to enter Canada, the following decide whether you will be allowed entry by the government official at the port:

1. Having no signs and symptoms of Covid-19
2. Government Representatives Determination based on information provided by you
3. Appropriate travel and immigration documents
4. Fulfilling entry requirement under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
5. Complying with the Covid-19 Emergency Order under Quarantine Act

Is Canada Visitor Visa Required by All Visitors to Canada?

It is natural to think that if one wants to visit Canada for a short period of time, then Canada Visitor Visa is what one needs.

But this is not the actual case. The travel document you need depends on your documents and your purpose to travel.

While some applicants require a visitor visa, others can simply travel with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

The kind of entry document you need depends on the following:

• Type of travel document one travels with
• Country where the travel document has been issued
• The nationality of the visitor
• Mode of travel to Canada for the trip

You can determine whether you need an eTA or a Canada Visitor Visa from here.

Visitor Visa Applying Process for Canada from India?

Once you know that you are eligible to enter Canada, you can begin with the application process.

Indian Applicants require a Canada Visitor Visa in order to travel to the country. It is advisable to proceed with the application only when one seems to be eligible.

And in case you know that you are eligible to apply, then it becomes important to know how to apply for Visitor Visa Canada.

The application process varies on the reason for which you want to get the Canada visitor visa.

If the purpose of your travel is reuniting with a family member, residing in Canada whether permanently or temporarily, then you need to apply for a visitor visa following instructions of the IRCC portal.

You can apply for the Canada Visitor Visa in either of the two ways:

1. Online
2. On paper

There are 4 main steps to be carried out if you want to apply for Canada Visitor Visa Online:

1. Check your eligibility and find documents you need for Covid-19
2. Get the documents
3. Apply Online
   1. Create an account
   2. Upload documents
   3. Pay your fees
4. Provide your fingerprints and photos (Biometrics)

In case you want to have Visitor Visa Canada Paper Application, then these are the instructions:

1. Download the Application Package
2. Submit completed Application Forms for Each Applicant
3. Pay your application fees
4. Submit your application
5. Give your biometrics

Canada Visitor Visa Paper Application Package for Indians can be accessed from here.

It is extremely important to check the official IRCC website at the time of application and carefully read all instructions before applying.

Changes can be made to the application package time-to-time and it is the responsibility of the applicants to check whether any update has taken place in the official instructions.

What documents to Submit with Canada Visitor Visa Application?

The applicants are also required to send the following documents while submitting their applications:

• Original Travel Passport
• Proof of complete Covid Vaccination or Negative RTPCR Report
• Photocopies of current and previous passports for last 5 years, including:
  • All pages with stamps (If any)
  • All pages with visas (If any)
  • All pages with biographical data (If any)

Where to submit Canada Visitor Visa Application in India?

The completed application files have to be submitted to the closest Visa Application Centre (VAC).

In India VFS Global is in charge of all the Canadian Visa Application Centres

Find your Canada Visa Application Centre by clicking here.

What is the Visitor Visa Canada Application Processing Time?

The processing time varies largely on the basis of the number of files received and the condition of the severity of the Covid-19.

It is advised to check the processing time when the application is completed and the file/package submitted, as the time is likely to change regularly.

At the time when this information was being gathered, the Canada Visitor Visa Application Processing Time was 208 days.

How Long Can a Visitor in Canada Stay?

Most Visitors are permitted to stay in Canada for up to 6 months.

The border services officer at the port of entry determines whether you can stay for more or less than 6 months.

Occasionally, the officer puts a date in your passport up to which one is permitted to stay. One might also get a document called a visitor record, which shows for how long one is allowed to stay in Canada.

In case one gets no stamp or document, one can stay for up to 6 months or till when the passport expires, whichever comes first.

Conclusion of How to Get Visitor Visa Canada

It is hoped that your doubts on what a visitor visa is and how to apply for it would be clear with this article.

In case you want to know the other ways by which you can stay, study or work in Canada, check out our other blogs.

Summary:

1. COVID-19 Visa Precautions
2. Eligibility and Vaccination
3. Entry Not Guaranteed
4. Varying Travel Documents
5. Processing Time Variability
6. Maximum Stay: 6 Months