Visitor Visa or Temporary Resident visa allows you to enter Canada as a temporary resident. This visa is stamped on your passport by Canadian Visa Office located in your country of residency. The visa is approved by visa officer only if you meet the criteria to enter Canada.
Extensions: Temporary Resident status can be extended in Canada, subject to conditions. A person may apply to extend their status as a temporary resident in Canada beyond the initial period granted for their stay at the port of entry.
Before immigrating to a new country, it’s advisable to see what the atmosphere is like first. For this reason, we recommend a Visitor Visa to those who want to do the exploring on their own terms before making big decisions. Canada’s Visitor Visa, or Canadian Tourist Visa, is required for applicants who want to enter Canada on a temporary basis, whether it be to visit family or see the country as a tourist. There are two types of Canadian Visitor Visas, one for single entry and another for multiple-entry use.
Single entry visas are granted for a period of up to 6 months while the maximum validity date for multiple-entry visitor visas is up to 10 years or one month prior to the expiry date on the passport or re-entry visa (whichever date comes first). You’ll only need a multiple-entry visa when travelling in and out of Canada, for example, you may land in Canada, travel to countries in South America, and fly back to Canada again to travel home from there.
A lot of countries are exempt from applying for a Canada Visitor Visa and will only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) but those that are not exempt need to appear in person at the Canadian embassy in their country of residence. A biometric screening is done by an embassy consultant and the travel documents that you must collect and present are checked for approval (generally over a 4-6 week waiting period however this depends on your nationality and where you are applying from).
