Online Canada Visa Application

The Online Canada Visa or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) acts as an entry requirement, linked electronically to the traveller’s passport, for nationals travelling from the visa-exempt countries to Canada.

What is the Online Canada Visa Application?

The Online Canada Visa or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) acts as an entry requirement, linked electronically to the traveller’s passport , for nationals travelling from the visa-exempt countries to Canada.

The validity of the Canada visa online or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (Canada eTA) is up to five years. However, the visa will expire when the applicant’s passport expires. Therefore, the Canada eTA will expire if the applicant’s passport has a validity of less than five years.

Please note that if you get a new passport, you must simultaneously apply for a new Canada eTA.

Who needs to apply for the Online Canada Visa Application?

Travellers from visa-exempt countries need to apply for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). These countries include:

Travellers from the below-mentioned countries will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (Canada eTA) to board their flight to Canada. However, in case of arriving via sea or land, they would NOT need an eTA.

Conditional Canada eTA

Passport holders of the following countries are eligible to apply for a Canada eTA only if they satisfy the conditions listed below:

Conditions:

  • All nationalities held a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Canada Visitor Visa in the last ten (10) years.

OR

  • All nationalities must hold a current and valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa.

Who are exempt from applying for the Online Canada Visa Application?

  • U.S. citizens. However, must present proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport.
  • Residents with valid status in the United States who are lawful permanent residents (or Green card holders)
  • Travellers with a valid Canadian passport or Canadian Visa.
  • Travellers with valid status in Canada (for instance, visitor, student or worker). They must have re-entered Canada after visiting only the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon.
  • French citizens living in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and are flying directly to Canada from there.
  • Passengers destined for, or coming from, the United States on flights that stop in Canada for refueling, and:
    • The applicant has proper documents to enter the United States or
    • was lawfully admitted to the United States.
  • A foreign national who is travelling on a flight that makes an unscheduled stop in Canada.
  • Foreign nationals transiting through a Canadian airport under the Transit Without Visa or China Transit Program.
  • Flight crew, civil aviation inspectors, and accident investigators who will be working in Canada.
  • Diplomats accredited by the Government of Canada.

Who cannot apply for the Online Canada Visa Application?

Travellers from the following categories cannot apply for a Online Canada Visa or (Canada eTA) and must present some other identification document, to enter Canada.

  • Canadian citizens, including dual citizens - these categories of travellers are required to present a valid Canadian passport, and the American-Canadians can also travel by presenting a valid passport from either of the countries (Canada, USA).
  • Canadian permanent residents - these categories of travellers are required to present a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document for entry.
  • Visa-required countries , including the holders of alien passports and stateless individuals - if you are not a national or passport holder of one of the visa-exempt country, then you must instead apply for Canada Visitor Visa.

What information is required in the Online Canada Visa Application?

The Canada Electronic Travel Authorization form itself is quite straightforward and easy to complete in a few minutes. There is the information required from the applicants under the following major categories: Travel document, Passport details, Personal details, Employment information, Contact information, Residential address, Travel information, Consent and Declaration

Please note that you can apply for the Canada eTA in your native language as we also provide translation services from Spanish, German, Danish and most other languages to English.

When should I complete the Online Canada Visa Application?

The Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) approval usually takes less than 24 hours to be sent to the applicant via email. Hence, it is recommended to get your Canada eTA before booking your flight to Canada. However, it is still safe to apply a few days before booking your flight ticket, in case of being asked to submit supporting documents, the application might take several days to process.

How can I complete the Canada Visa Application?

Before applying for the Online Canada Visa (Canada eTA) you must make sure to have the following documents:

  • A valid passport from a visa-exempt country. Please note that lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the eTA requirement.
  • An email address that is valid and working.
  • Any one of the following acceptable methods of payment for the eTA fee:
    • Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or a pre-paid Visa, Mastercard or American Express,
    • Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard,

How long does it take to complete the Online Canada Visa Application?

It is quick and simple to file an online application for a Canada visa online. It requires you to spare only a few minutes to complete the process of the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or Canada visa online application.

You just need to have a valid passport, access to a device with a reliable internet connection, an active and working email address, and a valid debit or credit card that has been authorised for online payments to pay the fee for the eTA.

If there are any issues in completing the online application, you can contact the Help Desk and Customer Support team on this website using the Contact Us link.

Most applications are validated within a few hours of completion. Some applications could take longer and require additional time for processing. The outcome of your eTA will be sent to you automatically at the same email address.

Payment for eTA Canada Visa is done. What’s next?

To inform you that your eTA Canada visa application is through, you will receive an e-mail that confirms the status - Application Competed. Because this mail is automated, spam filters may block Canada Visa online e-mail IDs, especially corporate ones. You need to check the junk folder of the e-mail ID that you have provided, to check if there is any e-mail you missed regarding Canada Visa online.

It takes no more than 24 hours to complete the validation process for most applications. Having said that, a few applications may require some extra time to process and thus take a bit longer to complete. Whatever the outcome of your Canada Visa online or Canada eTA, it will be sent to your e-mail address automatically.

Make sure your passport number is correct
Image of approval letter and passport information page

The number in your passport must exactly match the password number mentioned in the eTA Canada approval e-mail. It is an electronic system in which the eTA Canada Visa is directly linked with your passport. If the number doesn’t match, you must reapply for a Canada visa online.

It is crucial to check the passport because if you enter the wrong number, you may miss your flight.

And the worst part is that you may only get to know about this mistake when you reach the airport. In such a scenario, you need to apply for an eTA Canada visa or Canada visa online again. However, you may not be able to get an eTAa Canada Visa when it is almost time of the flight to depart; it all depends on your situation.

What is the validity period of the Online Canada Visa Application?

The Online Canada Visa or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) has a validity of five (5) years. Normally, a stay of up to 6 months is allowed. In some cases, however, officers may limit or extend your stay in Canada based on the planned purpose of your visit.

Do children need to obtain the Canada Visa Application?

Yes, children are required to apply for the Online Canada Visa or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). There is no age exemption for the Canada eTA and, all the eligible eTA-required travellers, regardless of their age, are required to get an eTA for entry into Canada. The Canada Visa Application for minors must be filled by their parent or a legal guardian.

Minors entering Canada without the proper documents, or who are with adults other than their parents or legal guardian(s), will be checked more closely. The Border Services officers may question you about children who come with you to Canada or even question the child travelling alone. Please make sure to have the proper documents with you, to travel to Canada without any hassle.

Can I apply for the Canada Visa Application as a group?

No, you cannot. The Online Canada Visa or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (Canada eTA) is a single document and, each family member must apply for a separate eTA. Applying for more than one Canada eTA at a time is not allowed.

Do I need to apply for the Canada Visa Application every time I visit Canada?

No, you need not apply for the Online Canada Visa or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (Canada eTA) every time you enter Canada as long as your passport number has not changed. Once, the eTA gets approved it will be valid for five years, and you can use it to enter Canada, as many times as required, within the five years validity of your Canada eTA for a given passport number.

What are the possible reasons for the refusal of Canada visa online application?

There can be many reasons why your Canada online visa application may get refused. One of these reasons can be prior criminality. When it comes to criminal inadmissibility, it can be even the smallest of crimes that can result in the rejection of your Canada visa online application. For example, it can be a very old DUI (Driving Under the Influence) crime that can become an obstacle in getting a nod for a Canada visa online. The minor crime could have occurred many years ago and your record may be clear since then. But, the authorities can still reject your application if they are not satisfied.

The nature of crime can be anything including

  • Theft/Larceny
  • DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired)
  • Drunk and disorderly conduct
  • Assault
  • Petty theft
  • Possession of cocaine, marijuana, or other controlled substances/drugs
  • Obstruction of justice

All the crimes mentioned above are minor and may be ignored when considering valid points of rejection of your Canada visa online application. However, there are a few more serious reasons for which you may end up with a refused visa to Canada. These are:

  • Membership in terrorist organizations
  • Espionage
  • International human rights violations
  • Participation in crimes against humanity or war crimes
  • Issues endangering public health, such as Corona Virus
  • Membership in organized crime groups, criminality

What to do with a temporary resident visa?

Has your visa application been refused like student permit or visitor visa? Or the Canada online visa application rejected was for Canadian permanent residence? In any case, you need to know the reasons for the rejection. Having said that, it is important to define whether your file was only returned or refused. It may seem like the same thing, but there is a difference in both terms. You must be clear about these two terms before trying to re-apply for the visa.

Returned vs Refused

The visa officer assigned your case will refuse the application if he/she determines that your Canada visa application online fails to meet the minimum requirements for the visa category that you are applying for. It is within the rights of the visa office to refuse the application if he or she is not satisfied with the documents that you have produced.

As mentioned above, there can be many reasons from medical to criminal for which your Canada visa application online can be refused. The most common question people ask is – will the visa application charges be refunded in case of rejection? The answer is NO. It is an amount paid to the government as processing fees and not be refunded in case of refusal.

At times, an application gets returned because there are some additional documents that an applicant has failed to provide. In this case, one must not consider it as a refusal. It is the return of the application because the documentation that the applicant has provided is not enough to prove their eligibility.

Not only that, one common reason for the return of your application package is the non-availability of space in the program you have applied under. It is determined by the immigration authorities at the time they receive your application. Unlike the refusal of the application, in case your application is returned, you are entitled to get a refund of the processing fee that you have paid to the government.

Refused Visas can be complicated

If your application is simply returned, then there are not many complications. You can file the visa application again by taking care of the things for which it is returned. However, things are not that simple if the visa is refused. You must contact a qualified Canadian immigration lawyer in case your visa is rejected due to medical or criminal inadmissibility. This person can help you correct any mistakes you have made in your visa application.

One must keep in mind that it doesn’t mean that if you have been denied a temporary Canada visa online such as work, visitor, or student, you cannot apply for PR. Many times, the reason for the rejection of a temporary visa is that the visa officer is concerned about you staying in the country even after the tenure of your visa has expired.

Returned File

There are two major reasons for the return of the file. One reason is that you have missed the quota of the program you are applying for. In such a case, you can consider yourself unlucky. You can do nothing other than apply again and wait for the right time.

Secondly, improper documentation or paperwork can be the reason for visa rejection. This is one of the most common reasons for the return of visa applications. By correcting the documents, you can easily overcome this issue and simply reapply.

It is always advised to check your documents thoroughly as when applying Canada visa online, there will be no person available to tell you that have some documents short.