How To Get A Canadian Visa In 2021 – that will be the topic of today’s article.
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Introduction
Canada is a North American country that is located directly above the United States. It is a developed country and has experienced a large inflow of immigrants into its borders since the beginning of the last decade. Nonetheless, a question lingers in many people’s minds, “how do you get a Canadian Visa?”
Just like every other country, Canada has certain requirements ascribed to getting their visa. Hence, not knowing what they are can lead to getting your visa late or not getting it at all.
Without any further ado, here is a comprehensive guide on how you can get a Canadian visa in 2021.
What’s A Canadian Visa?
A Canadian Visa is a passport stamp that permits you to enter Canadian borders. It is more or less permission granted to you to leave your country and reside temporarily or permanently in Canada. This means that the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in your home country considers you eligible for entry into Canada. Nonetheless, when you do get to the Canadian borders, it is left for the officers at its border to decide your eligibility.
Usually, you will be permitted to enter if you give genuine and accurate answers to all Canadian Border services questions. If otherwise, you might be restrained, not permitted your entrance, and asked to return to your country even with your Canadian Visa.
Who Need a Canadian Visa?
A better way to understand those who need a Canadian visa is to know those who don’t need it. Those that have an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) agreement with the country and those who have a visa exemption won’t need a visa to enter Canada. However, every other individual would need a visa. More precisely, anyone from other countries worldwide needs a visa to work, visit, or immigrate.
Peradventure, you fall into this category, you will need a visa to enter Canada, and you have to apply for one. More so, depending on what you want to do in Canada, the requirements for the different visas vary. However, some criteria generally apply for visa applications.
What are the Visa Types?
It is paramount that you know which visa you are applying for before you apply for any visa. Here are the visa types for Canada:
- Student visas.
- Work visas.
- Visitor visas
- Business immigrant visas
- Express entry program visas
- Permanent visas
You have to choose the option that best applies to what you want to do in Canada.
Temporary And Permanent Canadian Visas
Canadian visas, like every other visa, are divided into two subgroups; temporary and permanent visas. All of the visas under the sub-group temporary visa permit the interested applicant to reside in Canada for a while. The Canadian Border service officers or consulate determines the length of time. However, most often than not, it is up to 6 months, and applicants can make single or multiple entries.
The single entry allows the person with the visa to enter Canada once, spend six months then return to their country. In contrast, the multiple entry visa allows the person to enter several times temporarily until the visa expires.
Moving on, here are the temporary Canadian visas available:
Canadian Super Visa
This visa is for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens. This visa allows them to come to visit their children in Canada for a limited amount of time.
Courtesy Visa
Courtesy Visas are for those who don’t meet the Diplomatic and Official Visa requirements but are regarded as important due to the positions they hold. A notable example is a diplomat traveling to Canada with tourism intent.
Canada’s Diplomatic and Official Visa
This visa permits diplomats and officials from other countries to enter Canada squarely based on official intents and purposes.
The Visa of Putting To Bed In Canada
This visa permits anyone who passes all the criteria the chance to give birth in Canada. Participants should note that this automatically makes the child a Canadian citizen.
Canada Business Visa
This visa is given to anyone or a group of people who seek to have a business in Canada.
Canada Facilitation Visa
This visa is a bit different from the other ones listed above. The Canadian Facilitation visa is given to dual citizens. The situation around getting this visa is if the citizen has a passport for their country. So when this visa is issued is by stamping their other visa due to the struggle that might have accompanied getting a Canadian visa.
Organ Donor Visa
This visa is given to people who seek to donate an organ to a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.
Canadian Student Visa
A Canadian student visa is given to students admitted to any Canadian tertiary institution to finish their studies. However, it is important to note that if you wish to spend less than six months; you can get a TRV visa; otherwise, you have to get a student visa.
Canadian Work Visa
This offer is for anyone who has come to Canada to participate in a job that will last them up to six months. Nonetheless, before the person can be given a Visa, they have to prove that they were given a job in Canada.
Working Holiday Canadian Visa
Thirty countries are eligible for this visa. This visa permits anyone from any of the thirty countries to work within the Canadian borders and travel. The selection for this visa is made randomly, which means that applicants would be taken at random and asked to apply for the work permit.
Now that we all know about temporary visas and the examples, we are left with permanent visas. Unlike temporary visas, permanent visas permit those who have them to reside in Canada permanently.
Another name for a permanent visa is an immigrant visa. More so, permanent visas come in different types:
The Immigrant Investor Program Visa
This visa is for anyone who can invest a sum of 400,000 Canadian dollars. The applicant for this visa must have at least 800,000 Canadian dollars. However, applicants should note that this investment of 400,000 Canadian dollars to the Canadian government would return you with no ROI in five years.
Canadian Startup Visa
This visa is for anyone willing to be involved in contributing to Canada’s economy. Interested applicants must have a minimum of 300,000 Canadian dollars to be able to qualify for this visa. Plus, they should be concerned with owning about one-third of a business and starting and maintaining employment within three years.
Canadian Self Employed Visa
The Canadian Self-employed Visa is for applicants skilled in business, sport, farming, or culture. Plus, skilled applicants should be able to start up a business. More so, to qualify for this visa, the applicant must show how they wish to fund their business and their skills in the areas they have chosen.
Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program Visa
If you are proficient in French and you have to use the province of Quebec to pursue an occupation, you can apply for the Quebec-selected Visa. Not only would the program permit you to work and stay in the province.
Family sponsorship Program
This visa is for children and spouses of permanent residents or Canadian citizens to immigrate into the country permanently.
Live-in Caregivers Canadian Visa
This visa allows people proficient in taking care of the elderly, disabled, and children in Canada.
How to Apply For Canadian Visa
The process of Canadian Visa application varies and depends on the visa you are applying for. Nevertheless, if you want to get a Canadian Visa, you have to follow the steps below:
- Do your research and ensure that you are eligible for the visa you are applying for.
- Open an online account.
- Put together all of the necessary documents.
- Pay the required fee.
- Patiently wait for your Canadian visa processing.
- Drop your passport and pay the processing fee.
How to Find Out If You Meet the Visa’s Eligibility
To confirm if you are eligible for a Canadian visa, the country’s government made it straightforward. They have several tests to test for applicant’s eligibility. All they have to do is to fill up an online questionnaire. The question you will be asked depends on the visa you are applying for. After you have answered all of the questions, the system will inform you on whether to apply for the visa or not.
Plus, the system would send all of the important steps and instructions you will need to meet the Canadian Visa requirements.
How to Get Around the Canadian Visas Website
For you to be able to have access to the questionnaires talked about above, you have to get to their website first. The website would showcase a lot of information and tabs, but you must ignore all of those and look for the immigration tab.
The instant you click on the immigration tab, it would display several options. The option that appears first is not my application. After that, the Visit, immigrate, study, work, and other tabs would appear. After you have seen these tabs, you will then pick the ones that best apply to you. For example, if you want a work visa, you click on the work tab.
Now that you have clicked the tab that applies for your reason for traveling to Canada, the site would display more information. You would see a linked statement, “Find out if you are eligible or Find out if you can apply.” Click on it.
The clicked link would directly answer a questionnaire where you answer several questions. These questions would cover everything from previous travel history and personal reasons you want to travel to Canada.
The Eligibility Result
The website releases three different kinds of results that say the following:
- If you are eligible for the visa, you have chosen
- If you are eligible for another visa program in the system.
- If you are not eligible for a visa.
If you pass the eligibility for the visa you have chosen or another, the website will ask for your contact information. The contact information you will be required to submit is your email address. Also, the system will send some documents to you.
The document sent contains;
- The Visa description
- To detail instructions of how to apply
- A reference code
Of all the above information provided in the documents sent by the system, the reference code is the most important. The reference code is what would be used to start the application. All the reference code does is provide the system with the information you set down using the questionnaire, and it will be the visa you have chosen. Hence, it is paramount that you protect all of the information the system sends to you.
Open an Online Account
Along with the information sent to your Gmail account, there will also be information on whether you should apply for a visa in person or online. However, since the government of Canada seeks to have digital records, you will make most of the applications online. Nonetheless, to apply online, you need an online account.
Here are two ways to open an online account:
- Since the Canadian government has partnered with several banks, you can open an online account using your online bank login.
- Using a GCKey, (government of Canada login)
You can pick any of the options that best suit you. However, you will still need to use your banking details to pay the visa fees.
Getting the Necessary Documents
After you have logged into your online account, you can start your application. You have to input your reference code to start your application. Once you have done that, the system will list out all of the documents you would need.
A glimpse of what to expect;
- Passport.
- Your Canada visa application form.
- Proof of payment of visa fees.
- Proof of a clean criminal record.
- Proof of being in great health.
- Proof that you will return to your home country
- Photographs considering the photo requirements for a Canada visa.
- Identity and Civil Status Documents.
- Proof of a reliable financial means.
- A cover letter that has what your purpose in Canada is.
- Letter of invitation to Canada.
You have to submit all of these documents to move on with your application.
Pay the Required Fee
After you have submitted all of your documents and the system has verified them, the website will take you to a page where you are expected to pay. However, you should note that the required fee is dependent on the type of visa you applied for. After you pay the appropriate way, your application will be made, and the system submits your application.
If you seek to apply online, it takes about five workdays for the application to appear on your account. Nonetheless, if you are applying offline, you have to carry the necessary documents, just like the one above, and submit them to the embassy situated in your country.
Wait Patiently For Visa Processing
After thoroughly following all of the steps above, the Canadian Embassy will process your visa for 14 days or more. The duration required depends on the kind of visa you applied for. Plus, the embassy may ask that you provide more documents, your biometrics, or sometimes an interview.
If you were asked to submit your biometrics or come for an interview, that means you have to visit the embassy in person regardless of how you registered. Also, you might have to make an appointment with the embassy. More often than not, though, the embassy makes one for you.
During the appointment, there will be an official. The official would tell you if you are fit for the visa or not at the end of the appointment and forward a notification later on. These notifications would be posted on your account even if you weren’t called upon for an interview or to submit biometrics. Hence, you must constantly check your account for these notifications.
Drop Your Passport and Pay the Processing Fee
If you receive a notification stating the success of your application, the next thing on the to-do list is to submit your passport at the embassy. You can do this by simply sending the passport and the processing fee as mail to the Canadian Embassy in your country.
Your processing fee depends on the visa you applied for. Nonetheless, the processing fee is between the ranges of 20 to 50 dollars. Also, the mode of payment is either by money order or a check. More so, you have to pay for your passport’s return envelope.
The embassy would receive all of the documents you have sent and stamp the visa on your passport. After they have done this, they will mail back your stamped passport.
The “After” Of a Successful Visa Application
Most are over. After you have gotten your visa, you can go on a trip to Canada anytime. More so, at the point of entry, the officials at the border would ask for your visa and other documents. Plus, the officials would also ask a few questions about your trip to Canada. After you have answered all of their questions, they will decide if to let you into Canada or not.
Most times, they would restrict your entry because you might commit crimes or not abide by your visa restrictions. Note, a Canadian visa doesn’t guarantee you entrance to Canada; only border officials do that.
Now that we have dealt with how to get a Canadian visa, here are some questions and answers that can help you better understand the process and even help you with some questions you might have.
How Long It Takes To Get a Canadian Visa
The Canadian authorities only start to process your visa when you have completed your application. More so, the duration of your visa processing is highly dependent on the type of visa you are getting. Nonetheless, the time frame is two to four weeks. However, you should note that it can be longer.
Can I Get A Canadian Visa For Someone Else?
To put this out there, if you reside in Canada and you want a relative from another country to come to Canada, you can send a letter of invitation. However, you should note that this letter doesn’t guarantee that they will be given a Canadian visa. The embassy would process the visa as usual, but the letter might be of help.
Also, if you want them to move into Canada permanently with you, you can opt for the Canada Family sponsorship program.
How Much Does a Canadian Visa Fee Cost?
The cost depends on the type of visa you applied for. Also, you should know that there are other fees attached to visa processing; Fees like the biometric and processing fee. However, the cost of a normal visitor fee is 100 Canadian dollars.
What Happens when you pass your Required Stay in Canada?
What happens next when you have outstayed your visa expiry date is determined by how long you outstayed.
If you only stayed less than 90 days after your visa expiry date, you can restore your visitor’s status. You can do this by applying for a Visitor’s record and picking the option, “restore my status as a visitor.”
But if you stayed more than 90 days after your visa expiry date, you can restore your visitor’s status, and you might not be able to get a Canadian visa again.
Nonetheless, it is advisable not to stay past your visa expiry date. If you think you want an extension, apply for one.
Is A Refund Given If your Canadian Application is Rejected?
No! The fees are nonrefundable. However, if you withdraw your application before processing it, you might get your fee back.
Can you get a Canadian Visa from another Country’s Embassy?
If you have a residency permit in the country you want to get your visa from, you can go ahead and do it.
Conclusion
The process of getting a Canadian visa can be a stressful task, and a lot of patience and caution is required. To avoid rejection, ensure that you apply for the visa that best applies to what you wish to do in Canada. Nonetheless, refer to this guide for more information.
