Canada Visa Application Guidelines
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 been steadily increasing in recent 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 the country of Canada.
This is an authorization for you to travel in the country and be legally able to stay temporarily or permanently. Obtaining a visa to Canada means that the Canadian consulate or embassy in your home country has decided that you are eligible and that you meet the entry requirements. However, once you are at the border and at Canadian customs, it is up to border officers to assess whether you are fit to enter.
If you answer questions honestly and correctly from Canada Border services (FSO) officers, 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 about 148 countries require a visa to visit, work or immigrate to Canada.
If you are one of these applicants and you need a visa to Canada, you must apply for one. Depending on the type of visa you want, you will have a method of applying, but you need to follow a few general steps.
What are the types of Canadian visas?
Before applying for a Canadian visa, you must first find out which visa you want to apply for. Here are the types of Canada visas:
Visitor Visas.
Student Visas.
Work Visas.
Permanent residence Visas.
Business immigrant Visas.
Express Entry program Visas.
You must choose the one that corresponds to the reason you want to go to Canada.
Temporary Visas to Canada
Canada temporary visas allow the person to remain in Canada for a specified period of time that is determined by the Canadian consulate or Border services officers (BSO). This duration is usually up to 6 months. However, the temporary visa can be a single-entry or multiple-entry visa.
The single entry visa allows the person to enter Canada only once, stay for 6 months, and then return to their country of origin. A multiple-entry visa allows the person to enter Canada several times until their visa expires and to stay temporarily.
Permanent Canada Visas
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Canada’s permanent visas are visas that allow their Holder to permanently settle in the country. These are also known as immigrant visas and can be of various types, as follows:
Investor immigration program. The investor immigration program is for individuals who will invest in the Canadian economy and have a net worth of at least C $ 800,000. They must invest at least C $ 400,000 and the government will return this investment in 5 years without any interest.
Start-up visa program. The Canadian start-up visa is intended for individuals who will be individually involved in contributing to the economy. They must have a net worth of at least C $ 300,000 and commit to owning and managing at least one-third of a Canadian business and creating and maintaining jobs within 3 years of arriving in Canada.
Self-employed Visa. The self-employed visa is intended for people with skills in business, athletics, culture or agriculture and who can start their own business. These individuals must demonstrate how they will fund the business and their skills in these particular areas
Quebec selected skilled worker program (QSWP). If you work in one of the required occupations in the Canadian province of Quebec and are fluent in French, you can apply to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, which will allow you to move and work there permanently.
Family sponsorship program. The family sponsorship visa allows spouses and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to immigrate to Canada permanently.
Resident caregiver program (LCP). This visa is granted to caregivers who are qualified to care for the elderly, disabled, or children and who live in a private home in Canada.
Express entry Visas
The Canada Express Entry program is an electronic immigration program designed by the Government of Canada. It allows people around the world to apply for immigration to Canada based on their specific skills.
The following are part of this program:
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FTSP)
Federal Skilled Worker Program (PTFE)
Provincial appointment programs (PNP)
Canadian Experience Class
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) visa is given to people who are qualified tradespeople in occupations such as:
- Carpenters
- Aircraft Mechanics
- Crane Operators
- Heavy-duty Equipment Mechanics
- Electricians
- Machinists
- Ironworkers
- Welders
- Plumbers, etc.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FWP) visa is granted to individuals who are engaged in required occupations in Canada. You must check the type of occupations Canada needs when you plan to apply and earn the necessary points.
Provincial appointment programs (PNP)
This provincial candidate visa is granted to semi-skilled or low-skilled workers who can contribute to the Canadian economy through their work. Workers are placed in different provinces of Canada where the demand for their work is higher.
Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience category permanent visa is granted to those who have a temporary student visa or a temporary worker visa and wish to move to permanent resident status. They have training or work experience in Canada and have settled in Canadian society.
Canada Visa Application
The Canada visa application process depends mostly on the visa type you need to apply for.
To apply for a Canada visa, you need to go through these simple steps:
- Find out if you are eligible for a Canada visa.
- Create your online account.
- Compile the document file.
- Pay the fees.
- Wait for the processing of your Canadian visa.
- Submit your passport and processing fees.
Find out if you are eligible for a Canada visa
To find out how to get a Canadian visa, the Canadian government has made things quite easy. They have created various tests that assess candidates ‘ eligibility by asking them to fill out an online questionnaire. Depending on the type of visa you want, you will be asked to answer several questions, and the system will then tell you whether you can apply or not. In addition, it will also send you the relevant instructions and steps to follow to fulfill all the conditions.
How do I navigate the Canadian Government Visa Application website?
To access these questionnaires and find out if you are eligible for the Canadian visa, you must visit their website here. The Website will show you different information and different tabs that you can select, but you have to go to the Immigration tab.
When you hover over or click the Immigration tab, it will show you a drop-down list of options. The first will be my application, then there will be tabs for visiting, immigrating, working, studying, and others. You must select the one that corresponds to the visa you want to apply for. Continuing the example we have shown above, if you want to obtain a tourist visa, you must click on the visit tab.
After clicking on the tab that corresponds to the reason you want to visit Canada and the visa you want to apply for, you will see more information there. Whichever tab you clicked, one of the links will say “find out if you can apply “or”find out if you are eligible.” You must click on this link.
The link will take you to the questionnaire where you will have to answer several questions. They range from your personal information to why you want to visit Canada and your travel history. At the end of the questionnaire, the system will show you the results.
Receive results
You will be able to see three different types of results that say one of the following:
You are eligible for the visa you have selected.
You are eligible for a different type of visa with which the system will match you.
You are not eligible for the visa.
If you are eligible for the visa you have selected or for another type of visa, the system will ask you to enter your details (usually your email), and they will send you a package of documents.
The documents will contain a description of the visa, as well as for instructions and details on how to apply. In addition, they will send you a reference code.
The reference code is one of the most important pieces of information about this set of documents because you will have to use it to start your application. Without a referral code, you will not be able to apply. The reference code tells the system what information you gave it during your questionnaire and it will have the type of visa you are applying for.
For this reason, you need to save the email and these documents. You can either write the reference code in different ways, for example, send it to yourself, write it on your computer, or on a sheet of paper, but you should not lose it. If you do, you will have to start the questionnaire process again.
Create your online account
In the instructions sent to you by email, it will show you if you need to apply for a Canada visa online or in person. Since the Canadian government is digitizing its files, most people will have to apply online. To do this, you need to create an account.
There are two ways to create an account for the app:
Using your online banking ID since the Canadian government partnered with many banks;
Create a government of Canada connection (GCKey);
You can use the one that suits you best because in any case, you will have to use your bank details to pay the visa fee.
Compile the document file
Once you log in to your account, you can begin your Canadian visa application. Use your referral code to start applying for the visa you were deemed eligible for. Once you have entered the reference code, the system will show you a list of documents for your Canadian visa application.
For a complete list of documents required for the Canada visa application, you can visit the article HERE.
You must submit all these forms online in the system and then submit the application.
Paying for Canada Visa fee
Once the system has verified that you have submitted all the necessary documents, it will take you to the payment page. You will have to pay the Canada visa fee depending on the type of visa you are applying for. When this is completed, your application will be submitted.
It will take you about 5 business days to see the application on your account, and if you apply in person, you will only have to bring these documents to the Canadian Embassy in your home country.
Wait for processing of your Canadian Visa
The Canadian embassy will then process your Canadian visa application for two weeks or more, depending on the type of visa. In addition, they may request more documents or ask you to submit your biometric data and do an interview.
If they ask for your biometric data and an interview, it means that you will have to go to the embassy in person even if you applied online. You will have to make an appointment or the embassy will make one for you. At your appointment, you will need to submit your fingerprints and photographs, as well as answer questions from a representative of the Canadian embassy.
The employee will determine whether you are eligible for a Canadian visa or not. They can notify you of their decision immediately after your appointment or send you a notification later.
All embassy notifications about your visa will be displayed on your account, so you need to check it constantly, even if you did not have to submit biometric data or pass an interview.
Submit your passport and processing fees
If you receive a notice that your Canadian visa application has been accepted, the next step is to submit your passport to the Canadian embassy. This can be done by sending it to the address of the embassy of your country, along with the processing fee. The processing fee depends on the type of visa you apply for and ranges from $ 20 to $ 50, which you must pay by check or money order. You must also pay a return envelope for your passport.
Embassy officials will receive your passport and fees, stamp the visa on your passport and return it to you by mail. If you are informed of their decision immediately after the visa interview, then you will have to pay the processing fee and get the passport immediately.
After a successful Canadian visa application
Once you have your visa, you can travel to Canada. At the point of entry, you will be asked to show your passport and documents. Officials will check them and ask a few questions about why you are going to Canada.
Once you have responded, they will make the decision whether or not to let you into the country. Officials at the port of entry have the authority not to allow you to enter Canada if they believe you will commit crimes or violate your visa restrictions. Having a Canadian visa does not guarantee that you will go to Canada, only border agents are allowed to do so.
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