Canada Visitor Visa TRV/ETA
What is a Temporary Resident Visa(TRV)
A TRV is an immigration document issued by the IRCC. TRV is in the form of a small sticker (counterfoil) placed on a page in your passport. TRV is an requirement for citizens of many countries who wish to enter Canada for any purpose. It shows that you meet the requirements needed to enter Canada.
TRV referred as visitor visa, gives you the ability to travel to a Canadian port of entry where you will be examined for entry to Canada by a Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) officer. Your entry to Canada can be refused by CBSA officer if you are found inadmissible.
Types of Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)
There are two types of Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) you could get:
- A single-entry visa: This will allow you to enter Canada only once during its validity. If you leave Canada, excluding travel to the United States and St. Pierre and Miquelon, you will need to obtain a new TRV to re-enter Canada.
- A multiple-entry visa: This will allow you to re-enter Canada repeatedly during its validity. You must arrive in Canada on or before the expiry of your TRV.
Applying TRV
If you are currently outside of Canada
You must apply at the nearest Visa Application Centre.
If you are currently in Canada and have a valid study permit
You must apply either online or by paper through the Case Processing Centre in Ottawa.
The application fee for a TRV is $100.00 Canadian.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
An eTA is an entry requirement for foreign nationals from visa exempt countries who are travelling to Canada by air. U.S. citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement. You can get an eTA by submitting an online application with the required personal information. You will need your passport when completing the application.
To keep the process quick and simple, eTA applications are generally approved within minutes (hours) after submission. If IRCC requires additional time or information to finalize the decision, applicants will receive a notification of the upcoming delay within 72 hours.
Note that you will need 1 application per person. A family of 4 will have to complete the form 4 times and make 4 payments. And speaking of payment, this can only be done online, by credit card.
eTA’s are valid for either 5 years, or to the expiry date of the foreign national’s passport, whichever comes first. If an eTA has not reached its expiry date, it can be used to enter (or re-enter) Canada an unlimited number of times.