Steps To Apply Canada Visitor Visa Via New IRCC Portal

Last Updated On 4 August 2023, 1:26 PM EDT (Toronto Time)

Do you plan to visit Canada any time soon? Depending on your country of residence, you will need a visitor visa, also known as a temporary resident visa, to enter Canada. 

Best thing about visitor or tourist visa is that anyone can apply who want to visit Canada for:

• Tourism purposes
• Visiting a family/friend
• Business visit

Moreover, IRCC offers a specific online application platform for those seeking visitor visas.

Nevertheless, the processing time may vary for each country. 

In this article, you can learn how to apply for a visitor visa using the new IRCC portal. As well as visitor visa requirements and stay details. 

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Who can apply for Canada visitor visa? 

Regardless of the portal type, you must meet the basic eligibility requirements to get a visitor visa. These include: 

• Having a valid travel document, such as a passport 
• Being in good health 
• Convincing the visa officer that you have strong ties to your home country, such as a job, home, family, financial assets, etc 
• Ensuring the visa officer that you will leave Canada by the end of your visit 
• Possess sufficient funds for your stay; the amount of money you will need depends on how long and where you will stay. 
• In addition, you may need a medical exam and
• A letter of invitation from the person residing in Canada if you are visiting your family or friend or for business meet. 

How long can you stay in Canada on a visitor visa? 

You can stay up to six months as a visitor in Canada. However, The border services officer at the point of entry may let you stay for more or less than six months. 

If so, they will record the date for your departure in your passport. They may also provide you with a visiting record, including the time you must depart and other information.

If your passport is not stamped, you may remain in Canada for six months beginning on the day you entered or until your passport expires, whichever occurs first.

After that, you can ask a border services officer for a stamp if you need one. 

Furthermore, you can also apply to extend your stay on visitor visa beyond 6 months by applying for an extension from within Canada.

How to apply Canada Visitor Visa?

Below is the step-by-step guide on how to apply using the new portal. You will need create GCKey account. An invite code will be sent to your email address after creating your GCKey.

Using this invite code, you will need to sign up on the new IRCC portal and follow below listed steps to apply.

Step 1: 

First, you have to indicate if you are applying only for yourself, for someone else or yourself and someone else.

Select the appropriate option from the “Before you start your application” page to begin the process, as shown below. 

Step 2: 

Once you select one of the three options, you will be presented with the following question “Do you already have an application in process?” Select “Yes” or “No,” according to your situation. 

If you select “Yes,” indicating that your application is in progress, you can choose to apply again and withdraw your ongoing application. However, you may not get a refund. 

However, if you still want to proceed, select “I understand and want to apply.” Below is the page you will see once you click yes for your application in progress. 

The next step explains the steps if you select “No,” for no application in process. 

Step 3:

If you don’t have any application in process, you need to create an online account and register using an email.

Hence, select “Get an IRCC Portal account.” Below is a reference of what it will look like. 

Step 4 

Once you register using your email, you will receive a code to sign up for an account. Then, you can complete the online form and upload your documents.

You may need to answer some of the prompted questions that will generate the list of required documents. 

However, you can use this link and answer: “Why are you visiting Canada?” Then, depending on your answer, you can get a list of supporting documents needed for a visitor visa application. 

Step 5: 

After you upload all your documents, you will be asked to pay the processing fee of $100. You can pay this fee using a credit card or a prepaid card from Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, JCB® and UnionPay®.

Extend Visitor Visa Stay After 6 Months: Here Is Full Guide

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