Are you planning on travelling to canada? It is important to know the basics on how to apply for a Canadian Visa. Most times, individuals confuse Canadian Visa with Canadian Resident Permit.
Well, here is the explanation.
Canadian Visa is a document that approves one’s entry in canada temporarily while on the other hand, a Resident Permit, also known as a TRP, is a document that allows people who are technically inadmissible to Canada to visit the country.
Steps involved in applying for a Canadian visa
These are the basic steps you need to apply for a Canadian visa.
Check your eligibility status
Create an online account
Compilation of document
Payment of fees
Wait for processing
Submit your passport and processing fee
Check your eligibility status
The Canadian government made it quite easy to check your eligibility status. This is made possible by filling out an online questionnaire. The questions on this questionnaire may vary according to the type of visa you wish to apply for.
After filling out this questionnaire you can only get one of these three responses.
- You are not eligible for this visa you selected
- You are eligible for this visa you selected
- You are eligible for another kind of visa the system would pair you with
If you are deemed eligible by the system for the visa you applied for or the visa you are matched with by the system, your email address would be requested and a series of documents alongside a reference code would be sent to you via the email address you provided.
The visa description, instructions, and also details on how to carry out your application.
The reference code is a very important element you would not want to lose sight of as it contains the information filled out in your questionnaire and also the kind of visa you applied for. You are therefore advised to save the email and also copy out the code somewhere else as a backup plan.
Without the reference code, you would have to repeat the questionnaire process all over again.
Below are the most important information and application you need before relocating to Canada.
Create an online account
From the instructions sent to your email, it would be decided if you would need to apply in person or to create an online account. But more often than not an online account is usually the way to go as most Canadian records are digitized.
There are two ways of creating an online account. You can either make use of your online banking login or create a GCkey ( Government of Canada login). The former is advised as Canada is known to have partnered with many banks.
Compilation of documents
Compiling your document file is the next step in completing your application. After creating your account and logging in, you can begin your application. To do this, input your reference code, it contains the necessary documents needed for the application depending on the visa you are eligible for. Fill these out and submit them online. Then you can proceed to submit your application.
Payment of fees
Having compiled and submitted your documents, you would be redirected to a page for payment purposes. You are to make payments using your bank details, that is the bank details should correspond with the information provided on the documents you filled out.
The payment fee depends on the type of visa you are applying for. When you have completed the payment, your application will be submitted.
It would take a maximum of five working days for your application to be displayed on your account.
Wait for processing
After payment and submission of your application, it would take about two weeks for processing your application. All notifications about your visa application would be seen on your account so it is important to check your account often.
You might be asked for additional documents or biometrics, if this happens, you would have to present those physically at the embassy regardless of how you submitted your documents. You either book an appointment or the embassy would do that for you.
Your biometrics alongside a passport photograph would be required of you. Also, you would be asked some questions by an official at the embassy. These series of questions should be answered with utmost caution as they play a great role in determining if you would be granted a visa or not. You would find out the result of the interview immediately or a notification would be sent to you later.
Submitting your passport and processing fee
When you do get a positive notification about your visa, the next step is to submit your passport and pay your processing fee. The processing fee may vary according to the type of visa you applied for. You are also to pay for a return envelope for your passport.
You are to submit those to the Canadian embassy in your home country either in person or by mailing them. If mailed the embassy would stamp on it and mail it back to you.
However, If you do get your response immediately after your interview, you are to pay the processing fee immediately and provide your passport for a visa stamp.
Having completed these necessary steps ( and more as the case may be) you are allowed to proceed to Canada.
The final decision however lies with the officials in charge at the Canadian airport. If they check your documents and find any anomalies they have the right to deny you entry into Canada and send you back to your home country.
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