Canada is known to be a welcoming country for refugees and immigrants, but it could not easy to apply for a Canadian visa.

Depending on your country of residence, if you want to visit or enter Canada, you may have to know the requirements for applying for a Canadian visa.

The type of Canadian visa you need to apply for depends on the purpose and length of your stay. For example, if you want to go to Canada for studies, you would need a Canadian study permit. If you wanted to work, you would need a work permit.

What you need to know before submitting a visa application to the Canadian authorities.

The Requirements for Applying for Canada Visa

There are four general types of visas in Canada:

• Canadian Study Permits
•   Work Permits
•   Temporary Resident Visa
•   Permanent Resident Travel Document

Canadian study permit

Documentation required for applying for a study permit

• An acceptance letter from a designated learning institute (DLI)
• A passport or valid travel identification
• Proof that you have enough money for:

Tuition

Living costs for yourself and any other household members that may be living with you in Canada

Coming back transportation for yourself and any household members with you in Canada

Canadian Work Permits

If you’re an impermanent worker, businessman, student, or caregiver in the Caregiver Live-in Program, seek a work permit to work in Canada. A Canadian work permit is not a Canadian visa for tourists or long-term residents; it is planned to make it easier for temporary employees from other nations to share their skills in Canada for a restricted period.

Documentation required for Canadian work permits

• Passport or legal travel document
• Language test results in Education credential assessment results if you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers program or you need to obtain points for the education you got outside Canada.
• Provincial nomination, if you have any.
• Written job offer from an employer in Canada; if you have any
• Proof that you have a job type set out in NAFTA (for example, accountant, computer systems analyst, or engineer)
• Police certificate and criminal history background
• Medical check-ups proving that you are healthy
• Proof of resources for living costs and transportation

Temporary Canadian Visa

If you plan to visit Canada temporarily, extend an existing visit to Canada, tour Canada’s attractions and events, or visit friends or family, look into a temporary Canadian visa.

Read Also: How to Extend Your Stay as a Visitor in Canada 

Documentation required for a temporary Canadian visa

• Minors traveling alone must have a letter of authorization from a parent or guardian
• Reason for travel or visit
• Fee payment at the visa application office
• A photocopy of your passport or valid travel identification
• Two visa photos that fit the photo specification with your name and date of birth on the back
• Proof of financial support
• Photocopy of marriage license/certificate
• Photocopy of current immigration status (visas or passport for other countries)

Permanent Canadian Resident Travel Document

A permanent resident travel document allows residents of Canada to travel outside Canada with proof that they are authorized residents. This is legal for a single entry.

Documentation required for a permanent resident travel document

• Child’s birth certificate (when traveling with child)
• Marriage license or proof of joint law partnership (if traveling with spouse or partner)
• Business licenses or articles of incorporation, business partnership agreements, etc.
• Legal passport
• Fee payment: $50
• A pair of visa photos that fit the photo specification
• Photocopies of all previous passports or travel documents used in the last five years
• Two pieces of evidence showing residency in Canada for the last five years:
  • Paystubs or employment records
  • Bank statements
  • Rental agreements
  • Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment for five years before the application
  • An indication that you have received benefits from Canadian government programs

Fees Related to the Application for a Canada visa

• If your documents, such as academic certificates, work documents, etc., are in another language rather than French and English, you have to translate those by an authorized translator.
• Your foreign degrees recognized in Canada, called credential evaluation, would cost about $115 and sometimes a bit more.
• If your country’s administrator language is not English or French, you must prove your language aptitude. You have to take the test from an officially recognized organization to show that. For example- IELTS will cost $265, and TEF will cost $250.
• A health check-up is a must for all. It must be made by a physician on Canada’s list of selected medical practitioners. Fees vary by country and even by geographic location.

Conclusion

Obtaining a visa to live, work, or study in Canada may take some time, so take your time to research and get your documentation ready in advance. We suggest that before starting your plan to apply for immigration to Canada, you should prepare one budget for whether you will be able to bear the cost or not.

Read Also: Canada Student Visa Guide: Requirements, Fees, Study Permit, Application, Process

FAQS

How Much Money do You Need to Immigrate and apply for a Canada visa?

The Processing Fees

If you apply in the skilled worker category, it is $550 for the principal applicants, $550 for the spouse, and $150 per child (under 22 years old).

For the sponsorship category, the sponsor application is $75, and $475 will be charged to the sponsor.

Besides, if you plan to settle in Quebec, you must apply for a Certificat de Selection du Quebec (CSQ), which will cost $390 for the principal applicant. Again, it is $150 for the spouse and each child.

The right of permanent residence fee is $490 per person for all landed Canadian immigrants.

Miscellaneous Fees

You will need just one passport before the application. Making that passport will cost you, and the cost differs from nation to nation.

The Settlement Fund

Be sure that if you are applying for the skilled employee type. You must prove that you have enough funds to take care of yourself and your family for the first few months.

For a person, it is about $12,669, and for a family of five, it is approximately $26,701.

Read Also: How to Apply for Permanent Residence in Canada from outside Canada with ease.