Citizenship and Immigration Canada
www.cic.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Application for a temporary resident visa to visit Canada
This application is for persons from designated countries who wish to visit Canada for a temporary purpose, such as tourism, visiting family or friends, or business trips.
To find out if you need a temporary resident visa, check the list of countries and territories whose citizens need a visa to enter Canada to visit, study or work temporarily.
Those wishing to study or work temporarily in Canada will probably also need a study permit or work permit.
NEW: We have started a pilot project with a new application guide and forms for the following visa offices: Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington D.C. Applicants to these visa offices should use the new guide and forms. Applicants to all other visa offices should refer to the website for that visa office, as indicated below, for forms and instructions.
Many visa offices have specific local instructions about which documents you must submit with your application. You need to find out what they are, and make sure you include all the correct documents. Consult the list of Canadian visa offices abroad to find the office responsible for your country under “Applications for Temporary Resident Visas, Study Permits or Work Permits”. The page for your visa office includes a link to their website. Go to the website and find out what requirements and procedures you must follow when you apply.
Submit the application to a visa office at a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate abroad.
Some of the documents are available to you in Portable Document Format (PDF). This is a universal file format that allows you to read, print or download an online document while maintaining the fonts, graphics and general layout of that document. To view a PDF document, you must have a PDF reader installed. If you do not already have such a reader, there are numerous PDF readers available for free download or for purchase on the Internet.
This application includes the following items:
- Instruction Guide [IMM 5256]
> also in PDF format PDF, 234 KB - Application form for a Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257] PDF, 176 KB
- Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union [IMM 5409] PDF, 97 KB
- Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] PDF, 55 KB
- Document Checklist [IMM 5484] PDF, 29 KB
- Visa application photograph specifications.
Studying or working in Canada
If you want to study or work temporarily in Canada, you will probably also need to fill out an application for study permit or an application for work permit.
More information about:
