This page is for families in India who want to visit relatives in Canada — parents meeting a new grandchild, brothers and sisters attending a wedding, families on holiday — and for the relatives in Canada inviting them. A visitor visa is a simple application on paper, but most refusals come from what the application fails to show, not from what the family is.
Do you need a visa or an eTA?
Canada has two kinds of entry document for visitors:
- an eTA (electronic travel authorization) — a short online form for citizens of visa-exempt countries flying to Canada;
- a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) — a full application, with biometrics, for citizens of visa-required countries.
Citizens of some visa-required countries can use an eTA if they have held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or hold a valid US non-immigrant visa. India is not on that list. Indian citizens need a visitor visa, even if they have visited Canada or the United States before.
Parents and grandparents planning long stays should also look at the Super Visa, which allows stays of up to five years at a time: see Parents and grandparents: sponsorship and Super Visa.
What a visitor visa gives you
A visitor visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. The visa officer decides whether to issue a single-entry or multiple-entry visa and how long it will be valid. A 10-year multiple-entry visa is possible, but it is not automatic; officers decide case by case.
Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry. The border officer at the airport decides how long you may stay and can set a different period.
Biometrics
Most applicants give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre after applying. The fee is $85 per person, or $170 for a family applying together. Children under 14 and applicants over 79 do not give biometrics for a visitor visa. If you gave biometrics for an earlier Canadian application, they may still be valid; check before you book an appointment.
The visa fee itself is $100 per person. Processing times change often; check IRCC's processing-times tool before booking flights.
What the officer looks at
The officer must be satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit, and that you are not inadmissible. In practice, the officer weighs:
- Purpose of the visit — clear, believable and consistent with the invitation.
- Ties to home — your job or business, property, family who remain in India, responsibilities you will return to.
- Funds — enough money for the trip and the stay, from sources you can explain, whether yours or your host's.
- Travel history — earlier trips abroad and returns on time help; past refusals must be declared.
- Health and background — some applicants need a medical exam; criminal or immigration convictions matter.
A file that answers these questions in plain language, with documents that support each answer, is far stronger than a thick file of unexplained papers.
Inviting family: the letter of invitation
A relative in Canada can write a letter of invitation. It is not a guarantee, but it helps the officer understand the visit. A good letter states:
- who you are and your status in Canada (citizen, permanent resident, or temporary resident);
- your relationship to the visitor;
- the purpose and dates of the visit, and where they will stay;
- who will pay for the visit;
- your contact details, with proof of your status and, if you are supporting the visit, proof of income.
Keep the letter consistent with the visitor's own forms. Different dates or purposes in the two documents are a common reason for doubt.
Visitors cannot switch to a work permit from inside Canada
During the pandemic, a temporary policy let visitors apply for a work permit without leaving Canada. That policy ended on 28 August 2024. A visitor who finds a job in Canada now generally has to apply for a work permit under the normal rules. Never travel on a visitor visa intending to work: if the officer believes the real purpose is work, you may be refused, and misrepresenting your purpose can lead to a ban. For work routes, see Work permits.
If you were refused before
A past refusal does not end your chances, but repeating the same application usually brings the same result. Read the officer's reasons first — they now come with the refusal letter — and apply again only when something has genuinely changed or you can answer the officer's concern. See After a refusal.
How Polinsys helps
Under Canadian rules, only a licensed representative may charge to advise on or prepare a visa application; travel agents and unlicensed consultants may not. Joy Stephen, RCIC (CICC licence R419719), represents our visitor visa and Super Visa clients. We review the family's situation honestly before any fee, tell you if we see a weakness, and prepare the forms, the invitation letter and a clear explanation of purpose, funds and ties. If an earlier application was refused, we begin with the officer's notes. Ask your questions at our free Friday Q&A: FREE Webinars: Resource Guides and AR Q&A.
Official sources
Rules change often. These are the government pages this page was checked against on October 2, 2026.
Related pathways
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