The Temporary Resident Visa or Visitor visa is an official Canadian document placed on a visitor’s passport. It shows that the holder has met all the requirements to be admitted into Canada as a temporary visitor.
A temporary resident visa is mandatory for visitors who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The TRV allows them to stay for a brief period, whether visiting on holiday, visiting family or conducting business.
Since it is a legal document, applicants are subject to various rules and regulations when applying. The article will look into the Visitor visa and the processing times for such applications.
Requirements to apply for a TRV
To be eligible for a Canadian Temporary Resident visa, a candidate must:
- Have a valid passport or official travel document
- Be in good health
- Have no previous criminal or immigration-related convictions
- Be able to convince immigration officials of their ties to their home country. This is so visitors have reason to leave at the end of their visit.
- Have enough money to support themselves and any dependents during their stay
Candidates can be automatically rendered inadmissible for involvement in any criminal activity, human rights violations and organized crime. National security, health and financial reasons are also grounds for refusal of entry.
How to apply for a TRV
Applicants can either apply online or on paper.
Applicants applying online must create an IRCC account and have soft copies of the required documents to be uploaded with the application. A valid credit card is also necessary to pay the fees.
Processing times for a Canadian TRV
The processing time for a Visitor visa depends on where the applicant is applying from. Below are the processing times from some of the most popular source countries as per the Government of Canada’s updated data.
- India- 25 days
- Philippines- 29 days
- China- 30 days
- Afghanistan- 322 days
- Nigeria- 357 days
- France- 146 days
- Pakistan- 235 days
- Iran- 84 days
- USA- 14 days
- Sri Lanka- 125 days
The Approval rates of TRV applications in some major visa centres outside Canada are as follows:
- Bangalore- 68%
- Chandigarh- 48%
- New Delhi- 49%
- Islamabad- 86%
- Manila-76%
- Beijing- 85%
- Shanghai- 88%
- Guangzhou- 78%
- Colombo- 51%
Recent admissions under TRV
In 2021, Canada issued 654,027 Temporary Resident visas, according to the 2022 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration. The lower numbers were primarily due to the effects of COVID-19 restrictions which were gradually wound down by September of the same year.
