GLOBAL CARE Visitor Visa
Every year, Canada welcomes around 35 million temporary residents who are not immigrants. All other individuals, unless they are US citizens, need permission to enter Canada as visitors and require either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an ETA (electronic Travel Authorization), with the exception of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
The following foreigners need either a TRV or an ETA:
Tourists
Temporary
foreign workers (individuals with work
permits)
International students (individuals on study
permits)
Business
Visitors
TRV or an ETA? You Only need One Of Them, Not Both
When travelling by flight to Canada, citizens of nations exempt from visa requirements should have applied for and received an electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to their departure.
Except: American citizens are exempt from needing a TRV or an ETA, but all US Green Card holders—regardless of nationality—require an ETA in order to enter Canada.
You WILL require a TRV in order to enter Canada if you are not a citizen of a nation exempt from requiring one.
What is a ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization)?
As of March 15, 2016, travelers with passports from
countries that are visa-exempt who enter Canada by air will need an
ETA.
The authorization is electronically linked to your passport
and is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever
comes first.
What is a TRV and how to apply for one?
The Tourist Resident Visa (TRV) is a document that certifies that the bearer has met the conditions to enter Canada as a guest. It is granted by a Canadian Immigration Visa Office located outside of Canada. TRVs can be used for one or more entries. Tourists are often allowed entry for a six-month period. International students and temporary foreign workers are admitted for different lengths of time, depending on the circumstances of each instance. It is possible to apply for extensions from within Canada.
It is significant to remember that having a valid TRV does not guarantee admission into Canada by the officer at the port of entry. All travellers must show at the Port of Entry that their stay in Canada is only temporary in nature. Anyone who, in the judgement of the officers at the Port of Entry, does not plan to depart Canada when their visitor status expires will not be allowed entry.