Temporary Resident Visa Application Form (IMM 5257)

If you are coming to Canada as a tourist, visiting family or friends, or travelling for business, you may need a Temporary Resident Visa. This video will help you complete the “Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada” form, also known as IMM 5257, by explaining each question on the form.

Once you are ready to begin completing your form, you can follow along with the video open in a separate window. Listen to each explanation and then press pause as you answer your question on the form. Once you are ready, press play to move to the next question.

The best way to make sure you have completed all the steps is to read the instruction guide entitled “Applying for a Temporary Resident Visa Outside Canada.”

  Temporary Resident Visa Application Form
  (IMM 5257)

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Other versions of this video on YouTube:

• French (Français)
• Spanish (Español)

Transcript for “Temporary Resident Visa Application Form (IMM 5257)” Video

Length: 11:13 minutes

Welcome! If you are coming to Canada as a tourist, visiting family or friends, or travelling for business, you may need a Temporary Resident Visa.

First, check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at www.immigration.gc.ca/visit to find out if you need a visa to enter Canada.

If so, there are a number of steps in this process – completing forms, paying fees and providing supporting documentation.

This video will help you complete the application form called “Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada”, form IMM 5257.

Before we start, be sure to read the instruction guide. It’s called, “Applying for a Temporary Resident Visa Outside Canada.” You will find it on our website at www.immigration.gc.ca/TRVguide.

Now, let’s talk about the IMM 5257 application form. 

We encourage you to complete it on your computer. You can download it in PDF from our website at www.immigration.gc.ca/TRVapplication.

Filling the form out electronically is the best way to avoid making mistakes that can slow down the application process.

Answer each question by typing your information into the white spaces.

A check mark will appear in the boxes as you click on them. Some questions will require you to choose an answer from a drop-down menu. You can save your information on this form.

Remember that you can follow along with this video open in a separate window as you complete the form. Press pause and play to stop and start the video as you answer each question.

Let’s get started.

We’ll start at the top, question 1. Fill in your universal client identification number, or UCI. If you don’t have one, or you don’t know it, leave this box blank.

Question 2. Which language do you prefer? Check “English” or “French”.

Question 3. Select the type of visa for which you wish to apply:

• single entry if you plan to visit once
• multiple entry if you want to visit several times
• or transit if you are passing through Canada on your way to another country.

A transit visa is required for persons who would normally require a visa to travel to Canada but who are travelling through Canada for less than 48 hours on their way to another country.

Now it’s time to fill out your personal details.

Question 1. Enter your family name and all of your given names as they appear in your passport or travel document.

Question 2. Enter any other names that you have ever used which are different from those in Question 1. This might be your birth name, maiden name, married name or nickname.

Question 3. Select your sex.

Question 4. Enter your date of birth.

Question 5. Where were you born?

Question 6. Choose your country of citizenship from the list. If you have dual citizenship, select the country that issued the passport you will be using for this trip.

Question 7. Select the country in which you live. Next, indicate your immigration status in that country: citizen, permanent resident, visitor, worker, student or other.

If you selected “other”, complete the next box. Then, select the dates you have been living in your country of residence.

Question 8. Check “yes” if you have lived in any other country for more than six months in the past five years. Check “no” if this does not apply to you.

If you checked “yes”, complete this section.

Question 9. Are you applying from your country of residence? If so, check “yes”. If not, complete this section.

Question 10. What is your marital status? Select from the drop-down menu.

If you are married or in a common-law relationship, provide the date you were married or the relationship started, and the family and given names of your spouse or common-law partner.

The box at the bottom of the page is for official use only. Do not enter information here.

Over to page 2, question 11. Have you previously been married or in a common-law relationship? Check “no” or “yes”.

If you answer “yes”, complete this section. Otherwise, move on to the passport section.

Insert your passport or travel document number, the country of issue, and dates.

Now to your contact information.

Question 1. Enter your current mailing address.

Question 2. Is your residential address the same as your mailing address? If so, check the “yes” box. If not, check “no” and complete the next section with your full residential address.

In questions 3 through 6, we want to know where we can reach you. Enter your phone, fax and email contact details in the boxes provided.

If you do not have email or a fax number, leave the box blank.

It’s now time to provide the details of your visit to Canada.

Question 1. What is the purpose of your visit? Select from the list: business, tourism – which includes visiting family – or other.

If you select “other”, provide the details.

Question 2. How long do you plan to stay in Canada? Enter the dates.

Question 3. Enter the amount of money you will have during your stay in Canadian dollars.

Question 4. Who are you visiting? Or what institutions? Enter the details in this section, including your relationship with them.

Over to page 3, Education. Do you have post-secondary education or training? Check “no” or “yes”.

If yes, provide the details of your highest level of post-secondary education, including dates, your field of study, the name of the school and location.

Next, the employment section. Here, you must provide the details of your most recent 10 years of work. For each occupation, fill in the name of your position and company. If you are or were a student, not working or retired, indicate this under “current or previous activity.”

Complete the dates and locations.

Everyone must complete this section, regardless of age. If you are under the age of 18, you may not be able to provide ten years of activity. For example, a 7 year-old who started school at the age of 5 would enter only the past two years of school.

The background information section must be completed if you are 18 years or older.

Question 1. If you or your family member has had tuberculosis of the lungs or been in contact with someone who has, check “yes”. If not, check “no”.

If you have a mental or physical disorder that would require social and/or health care services during your stay in Canada, check “yes”. If not, check “no”.

Complete this box if you checked “yes” to one or both questions. Provide the details in the box.

Question 2. Please indicate whether you have previously applied for a Canadian visa—no or yes.

Next, have you been refused a visa to travel to Canada? Check “no” or “yes”.

Have you ever been refused admission or ordered to leave Canada in the past? Check “no” or “yes” here.

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions in this section, provide the details in this box.

Go to page 4, question 3. Have you ever committed, been arrested for or been charged with any criminal offence in any country? Answer “no” or “yes”.

Question 4. a) Have you ever served in the military, militia, civil defense unit or the police? Check “no” or “yes”.

b) If you answered “yes” to question 4 a), please provide your dates of service and the countries where you served.

Question 5 asks whether you have ever worked for a government in a security role. Check “no” or “yes”.

Question 6. If you have held a position of authority in any government, judiciary or political party, check “yes”. Otherwise, check “no”.

Question 7 asks about your involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity. Check “no” or “yes”.

You are almost finished.

If you are filling out the form on your computer, click the “Validate” button located at the top or bottom of the form. This will tell you if you have completed all sections of the form.

If not, it will highlight incomplete sections in red. It is crucial that you validate your form.

If you go back and make any changes to your application, be sure to click “Validate” again.

Now, you’re ready to print your application form. When you do, you will have five pages. The last page has several barcodes on it.

Be sure to include the barcode page with your application when you submit it.

If you completed the application by hand, you will not have a barcode page.

Now, you are ready to sign and date the form. If you are under the age of 18, the form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Remember, without your signature, your application cannot be processed.

Before you submit your application, a few more things to remember.

Double-check your application to make sure it is complete. This will help avoid processing delays.

Go over the document checklist, form IMM 5484, which you can find on our website at www.immigration.gc.ca/TRVapplication.

Make sure you collect all the necessary documents and include them with your application, along with photos, a valid passport, your fee payment and any other supporting documents required.

When you’re done, save your file, then print the forms, sign them and mail us your completed application.

Do you have any questions? Visit our website at www.immigration.gc.ca/visit for answers to your most frequently asked questions. And remember to use the instruction guide.