Most travelers will need a Visitor visa which grants them entry to Canada, although there are nationals of countries which will only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), or they are completely exempt and can enter freely with their passports without needing a visa.
To apply for a Tourist Visa for Canada, you will also have to submit some documents, as follows:
- Standard requirements for Canada visa.
- Canada Tourist Visa Application Form.
- Your bank or other financial statements to prove you have enough funds for the trip to Canada.
- A travel itinerary if you have already booked your air tickets, or just a description of what you plan to do once in Canada.
- A Canada visa letter of invitation from your family or friends if you are visiting them.
- Proof of the relationship if you are visiting your family.
- The immigration statuses of your family or friends if you are visiting them.
- Bank statements or other financial statements of your friends or family if you are visiting them.
- A Declaration Letter from you to the Government of Canada where you explain why they should give you a Tourist visa.
- Two photos that meet the Canada Photo Requirements.
- Your employment or education status through a resume or diplomas, as well as a letter from your employer stating that you have contractual obligations to fulfill and you must return to your home country.
- Proof that your stay in Canada is temporary and that you will return to your home country once your visit is over, such as a lease, property deed, and so on.
- Proof that you do not plan to work or study in Canada.
- Court documents that prove you have a clean criminal history.
All the documents that you have that are in another language other than English or French should be translated.
The Canadian Consulate decides for how long to give you the Tourist Visa for Canada on a case by case basis. There are cases when they only give the visa for that timeframe that you want to visit Canada, and then there are also cases when they give you the visa until your passport expires. This all depends on whether they believe you will return to your home country or not.
Despite how long your Canada Tourist Visa is valid, you are not allowed to stay there for more than 6 months at a time. So, after 6 months you must return to your home country, stay for some time and then you can return to Canada again for 6 months.