Many people are interested in coming to Canada to visit each year- some come to visit family, to travel, or to come to Canada for business purposes. Odyssey Law can help facilitate your visit and ensure your entry to Canada goes smoothly. We assist with Electronic Travel Authorizations (eTAs), Temporary Resident Visas (Visitor Visas), Visitor Records, Business Visitor Applications, Parent/Grandparent Super Visas and Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs). Please see below for further information.
Please note that the information contained on this post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on your specific situation, please call Odyssey Law for a consultation.
An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is an entry document for foreign nationals who do not require a visa to travel to Canada and are travelling to Canada by air. An eTA is connected to a person’s current passport and is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. An eTA is meant for short-term stays, normally up to six months at a time. A person with an eTA still needs to satisfy a border services officer upon arrival that the person is eligible for entry into Canada.
A temporary resident visa (TRV) is an official document that attaches to a traveller’s passport. It is a necessary entry document for travellers from countries that require a visa to enter Canada. A TRV is meant for short-term stays, normally up to six months at a time. It may be issued for a single entry or for multiple entries. A person who has a work or study permit may also still require a TRV for entry or a re-entry to Canada.
A border services officer may still evaluate a person’s eligibility for entry upon arrival and can allow a visitor to stay for more or less than six months. A traveller may also be issued an additional document called a visitor record upon arrival, which has the date a traveller must leave by.
A visitor record is a document that can be issued at the border upon a traveller’s arrival to indicate the traveller’s length of stay, or a visitor’s record can be applied for from within Canada to lengthen the stay of a visitor already in Canada. A visitor record on its own does not allow a person to leave and re-enter Canada.
If you have overstayed your visit to Canada, you may need to apply to restore your visitor status through way of a Restoration Application. Please see our “Other Immigration Services” section for more information.
A business visitor is a person who comes to Canada to conduct certain business activities but does not directly participate in the Canadian labour market. Business visitors will need to show a border services officer that their main source of business and income are outside Canada. A person who intends to work in Canada or do work for a Canadian company may require a work permit. Please see our “Work in Canada” section for more information on work permits.
A super visa allows a person to come to Canada to visit children or grandchildren for up to five years at a time and can be issued for a period of ten years at a time, allowing multiple entries.
A traveller needs to meet additional entry requirements for a super visa as compared to a regular visitor visa, including that the person’s children or grandchildren must meet minimum income requirements to prove they can support their parent or grandparent visitor during their stay.
If you have a reason to travel to Canada but are not able to obtain an eTA or temporary resident visa because of an immigration inadmissibility, you may be able to apply for a temporary resident permit. An inadmissibility could be criminal, such as a driving while impaired charge or conviction, or a medical or financial inadmissibility, among others.
To be granted a temporary resident permit, a traveller needs to demonstrate that their visit is justified and will not cause undue health or safety risks to Canadian society.
