Your passport is from a visa-exempt country
A citizen of a visa-exempt country needs an eTA to fly to Canada or to change planes here. Arriving by car, bus or train takes a valid passport and no eTA.
IRPR s.7.1
Visiting Canada
Canada Visitor Visa and eTA
Most visitors to Canada need one of two documents. A citizen of a visa-required country needs a visitor visa, however they travel. A citizen of a visa-exempt country needs an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to fly in. US citizens need neither. A border services officer decides each entry and sets the stay, usually 6 months.
Checked against official sources:
$100
IRCC’s visitor visa fee for each person
$85
Biometrics fee for each person where IRCC requires them
$7
IRCC’s fee for an eTA
6 months
The stay unless an officer fixes another period (IRPR s.183(2))
The fees were checked against IRCC’s fee list on November 11, 2026. See every fee and the visitor visa wait for each country.
Which case is yours?
Your passport is from a visa-required country
A citizen of a visa-required country needs a visitor visa, by air, land or water. Citizens of some of those countries can fly in with an eTA if they held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa.
IRPR s.7, s.7.01
You are a US citizen
A US citizen needs no visitor visa and no eTA, by air, land or water. IRCC recommends a valid US passport as proof of identity and citizenship.
IRPR s.190(1)(c), s.7.1(3)(b)
You hold a US green card
A lawful permanent resident of the United States needs no visitor visa and no eTA. To fly, IRCC asks for a valid passport from the country of nationality and a valid green card.
IRPR s.190(1)(c), s.7.1(3)(b)
Your child or grandchild lives in Canada
A super visa lets a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident stay up to 5 years at a time. The host’s income must meet IRCC’s minimum, and the visitor needs private health insurance and a medical exam.
IRPA s.29(3)
You have a criminal record
A conviction can make a person inadmissible to Canada, whatever passport the person holds. The Act sets out which offences count.
IRPA s.36
How does a visitor visa application go?
These steps are for a visitor visa applied for outside Canada.
The passport decides the document
The passport and the way of travelling decide between a visitor visa, an eTA and neither.
The applicant gathers the documents
IRCC’s list starts with the application form, a valid passport, proof of financial support and the family information form.
Form IMM 5257
Build a document listThe applicant shows money for the trip
IRCC names no set amount. It says the amount depends on the length of the stay and on where the visitor will stay.
A host can write a letter of invitation
A person in Canada can write a letter for the visitor to send with the application. IRCC says a letter does not guarantee a visa.
The applicant applies online and gives biometrics
The application and the fee go to IRCC online. Most applicants then give fingerprints and a photo, and a visa officer decides.
Visa fee $100
How biometrics workA border officer decides on entry
A border services officer decides whether the visitor enters and for how long.
Usual stay 6 months
How long a visitor can stay
Which tool answers your next question?
- Visa CheckerVisa or eTA, by passport and how you travel
- Document ChecklistTypical documents by application type
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
Does a visa or an eTA guarantee entry to Canada?
No. An officer at the border decides each entry.
- Before the trip
- A foreign national who needs a visa or an eTA applies for it before entering Canada. An officer may issue it to a person who is not inadmissible and meets the Act (IRPA s.11).
- At the border
- Every person seeking to enter Canada must appear for an examination. A visitor must show the officer the required document and that they will leave by the end of the stay (IRPA s.18, s.20(1)(b)).
- The length of the stay
- The stay is 6 months unless the officer fixes another period. The officer can weigh the visitor’s means of support, the period asked for and the passport’s expiry date (IRPR s.183(2)).
Which guide covers your question?
Do I need a visa or an eTA?, guides: 2
What applies to my country?, guides: 5
Can my parents or grandparents visit?, guides: 2
What goes into the application?, guides: 4
What happens at the border and during the stay?, guides: 5
What if a visa is refused or a stay runs over?, guides: 3
What do people ask about visiting Canada?
What is the Canada visitor visa processing time?
It depends on the country a person applies from. The median of IRCC’s country figures for a visitor visa applied for outside Canada is about 5 weeks, and one country can run far longer.
How much does a Canadian visitor visa cost?
IRCC charges $100 for each person, or $500 for a family of five or more who apply together. Biometrics cost $85 for each person where IRCC requires them, to a maximum of $170 for a family. An eTA costs $7.
What are the Canada visitor visa requirements?
An officer issues a visitor visa to a person who holds a valid passport, is not inadmissible and will leave Canada at the end of the stay (IRPR s.179). IRCC also looks for enough money for the trip and ties to the home country.
How long can I stay in Canada on a visitor visa?
For 6 months from the day of entry, unless a border services officer fixes another period (IRPR s.183(2)). An officer chooses between a single-entry and a multiple-entry visa, valid for up to ten years. The stay is set at each entry.
Can I extend my visitor visa from inside Canada?
Yes, by applying for a visitor record before the authorized stay ends (IRPR s.181). IRCC’s fee is $100, and its published time is 310 days. A visitor who applied in time keeps visitor status until IRCC decides (IRPR s.183(5)). After status ends, a visitor has 90 days to apply to restore it (IRPR s.182).
Can my parents visit Canada on a visitor visa?
Yes. A parent or grandparent can apply for a visitor visa, or for a super visa to stay up to 5 years at a time. The super visa needs a host who meets IRCC’s minimum necessary income, a letter of invitation, private health insurance and a medical exam.
I’m a US citizen. Do I need a visa or an eTA to visit Canada?
No. A US citizen needs no visitor visa and no eTA, by air, land or water. A conviction, including one for impaired driving, can still make a US citizen inadmissible (IRPA s.36).
Can I work in Canada on a visitor visa?
No. A visitor may not work in Canada unless the Act or the Regulations authorize it (IRPA s.30, IRPR s.183(1)(b)). A visitor may take a course of 6 months or less that ends within the authorized stay (IRPR s.188(1)(c)).
Where is the full explanation?
This page is the short version. The textbook explains the subject in full.
The chapters on this subject
- How Admissibility Works: The IRPA Framework
- At the Border: What an Examination Is, and What the Published Manuals Say Happens
- Non-compliance with the Act: IRPA s.41
- Misrepresentation: IRPA s.40
The textbook on this subject
Volume 1: Entering Canada $79
Six IRPA inadmissibility grounds (s.36 and s.38 to s.42), explained with the official text cited.
Follow on Facebook to hear when the library opens (opens in a new tab)Where do these rules come from?
IRCC: entry requirements by country
Who needs a visitor visa, an eTA or neither.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)IRCC: about the visitor visa
The usual stay and how long a visa can be valid.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)IRCC: prepare for your arrival
What a border services officer checks on arrival.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)IRCC: super visa eligibility
The host, the income minimum, the insurance and the medical exam.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Sections 7 to 7.1, 179 to 183 and 190.
laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Sections 11, 18, 20, 22 and 29.
laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)