What is a Canada Visa?
A Canada visa is a stamp on your passport which allows you to enter the country of Canada. It is a permission for you to travel to the country and legally be able to stay either temporarily or permanently.
Getting a visa to Canada means that the Canadian Consulate or Embassy in your home country decided that you are eligible and fulfill the requirements for entry. However, once you are at the Canadian border and customs, it is up to the officers at the border to evaluate whether you are fit to enter.
If you answer the Canadian Border Services Officer (BSO) questions honestly and correctly, they will allow you to enter. Otherwise, if they suspect that you are not eligible to enter, they can deny you and ask you to go back to your home country even if you have a Canada visa.
Who Needs a Canadian Visa?
People from countries that do not have a visa exemption or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) agreement with Canada will need a visa to enter the country. More specifically, people from around 148 countries need a visa to visit, work, or immigrate to Canada.
If you are one of these applicants and you need a visa for Canada, you must apply for one. Depending on the type of visa you want, you will have a method of applying, but there are a few general steps you must take.
What are the Canadian Visa Categories?
There are two categories of the Canada Visa. These are:
- Temporary Canada Visas – allow the holder to stay in Canada for a limited amount of time for purposes of tourism, visit to family, studying, or working.
- Permanent Canada Visas – allow the holder to move to Canada permanently to work and be on a path to a Canadian citizenship.
What are the Canada Visa Types?
Before you apply for a Canadian visa, you must first know which visa you want to apply for. There are different types of Canada visas, ranging from:
- Visitor visas.
- Student visas.
- Work visas.
- Permanent residence visas.
You must pick the one that fits the motive of why you want to go to Canada.
