Letter of invitation for visitors to Canada

Sometimes, when you apply for a visa to visit Canada, we ask you to give us a letter of invitation from someone in Canada.

A letter of invitation doesn’t guarantee that we’ll issue a visa. Visa officers assess you to decide whether you meet the terms of Canada’s immigration law.

Information for the person writing the letter of invitation

Writing a letter of invitation doesn’t mean you’re legally responsible for the visitor once they enter Canada. You should still write the letter in good faith. You must tell the truth and plan to keep the promises you make in the letter.

Send your letter to the person you’re inviting to Canada. The person must then include this letter when they apply for a visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa).

You should include this information about the person you are inviting:

You should include this information about yourself:

If you’re writing a letter of invitation for a super visa

Your letter of invitation for your parent or grandparent must include

  • a promise of financial support for the duration of their visit
  • the list and number of people included in the family size calculation

This information is only a guide. You must write the letter of invitation yourself.

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