Visitor Visa 

Visitor visas and eTAs (Electronic Travel Authorization) for Canada's temporary residents


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.


​Foreign nationals listed below require an eTA or a TRV:

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TRV or an eTA? You only need one of them, not both.​


When traveling by air to Canada, citizens of nations exempt from visa requirements should have applied for and received an electronic travel authorization (eTA) prior to their departure.


The following are the exceptions: US citizens do not need a TRV or an eTA to enter Canada, however US Green Card holders—regardless of their nationality—must.


You WILL require a TRV in order to enter Canada if you are not a citizen of a visa-exempt country.


 How do I apply for a TRV and what is a TRV?

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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. 


Its is important to keep in mind that having a valid TRV does not guarantee admission into Canada by the officer at the port of entry. All travelers must show at the Port of Entry that their stay in Canada is only temporary in nature. Anyone who, in the judgment of the officers at the Port of Entry, does not intend to leave Canada when their visitor status expires will not be allowed entry.