Visa-required foreign nationals must apply for a temporary resident visa (TRV) to travel to Canada as
• visitors
• workers
• students

Temporary resident visas Canadian Visit Visa Class V-1

If a foreign national meets the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and is admissible, an immigration officer may issue a TRV, per subsection A11 (1), in the form of an official counterfoil document placed in the individual’s passport. The expiry date of a TRV is the date by which the visa must be used to arrive at the port of entry (POE) and seek admission to Canada. The expiry date is not the suggested duration of the visit. A TRV does not guarantee entry to Canada, nor does it grant temporary resident status in Canada.

Upon arrival at a Canadian POE, the foreign national is required to report to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Per paragraph A20(1)(b), to become a temporary resident, every foreign national who seeks to enter Canada must establish that they hold the visa required by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) and will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay. The foreign national must satisfy a border services officer of the CBSA that they have the ability and willingness to leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay.

Temporary residents may apply to change or extend their status in Canada, under certain conditions. For more information, see Eligibility for extending temporary resident status.

Procedure to Apply for TRV:

Document requirements

• When submitting an application for a TRV, all applicants must complete, sign and date the following Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) forms, unless otherwise noted:
• Application for Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257].
• Family Information [IMM 5707].
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409].

Use of a Representative [IMM 5476]

Note: Applicants must complete this form only if they use the services of a representative or if they are appointing or canceling a representative.

Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual [IMM 5475]

Note: This form is only to be completed by applicants who authorize IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to release information from their case file to someone other than the applicant.

In addition to submitting the forms listed above, applicants must:

• Pay the application processing and biometric collection fee.
• Submit the necessary supporting documents (such as a valid passport) to accompany their application.

An application package is considered complete when:

• All questions on the application forms have been answered.
• The fee has been paid.
• The forms have been validated.

For minors

In the federal context and according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is a person under the age of 18. Minors traveling alone must carry information concerning the person who will be responsible for them once they arrive in Canada.

It is recommended that minors traveling without their parents have a letter of authorization signed by both parents or legal guardians, granting permission to travel alone. This letter should be:

Submitted with their application carried on the minor as they travel

If the child is the subject of a custody order or is traveling with one parent, custody documents or a letter of authorization from the other, the non-accompanying parent providing consent for the trip must be:

Provided as part of the application carried on the minor when traveling to Canada to present to a border services officer at the port of entry.

These documents will allow a border services officer to facilitate the entry of these travelers.

Other documents may be required if requested, such as:

A letter of invitation or an explanation for the purpose of the trip evidence of ties to the applicant’s home country and proof of current immigration status in the country of application.

Note: When minors are traveling with only one parent, or with a relative or a friend, the officer’s primary duty is to ensure that the child is not being abducted from their parent(s) or lawful guardian(s).