Canada Visa for Indians

A Canada Visa is a documentary permit that enables foreign nationals to enter the sovereign territory of Canada. The citizens of all the nations that do not have a visa treaty with Canada are required to have a pre-approved visa to visit this North American nation.

Not only do people travelling to Canada for any duration need a Canada Visa, but people passing through the country during their journey are also required to have a Canada Transit Visa. This rule applies to Indian citizens as well. Therefore, you must have a pre-approved Canada visa before travelling to the country.

As important as it is to apply for the accurate category of Canada Visa, it is also equally pivotal to opt for an adequate Canada Travel Insurance Policy. Such a plan can provide you with financial protection against a myriad of challenges that may arise during your journey, including flight delay or cancellation, loss of passport, delay or loss of baggage, accidents, illnesses, etc.

Before learning about the different types of Canada Visas available for Indian nationals as well as the Canada Visa Process, here are some salient features of a Canada Visa that you must be aware of.

1.A Canada Visa is issued by the Consulate or Embassy of Canada in the applicant's home country.
2.Different types of Canada Visas are available for different purposes of visiting the country.
3.You must have a valid passport to be able to apply for a Canada Visa.
4.The Canada Visa Fee is determined on the basis of the type of Canada Visa you apply for.
5.A Canada Visa is available for a single trip as well as multiple trips.

It is important to determine the type of Canada Visa you are required to apply to. This decision depends upon the nature of your visit to the country as well as the intended duration of your stay there. Here are the different types of Canada Visas for Indians.

1.Canada Visitor Visa: A Canada Visitor Visa is a temporary resident permit granted to foreign nations who wish to visit Canada. This visa is issued for a duration not exceeding six months. You can apply for a Canada Visitor Visa or short-stay visa if you wish to visit the country for tourism, meet your family or friends, carry out any official work, etc.

The fee for a Canada Visitor Visa starts from $100. A Canada Visitor Visa from India typically gets processed within 47 days.

2.Canada Tourist Visa: As its name suggests, a Canada Tourist Visa is granted to foreign nationals who aim to visit the country for the purposes of tourism. This visa has a maximum validity of 6 months from the date of entry into Canada. This means that a Canada Tourist Visa allows you to stay in Canada for a period not exceeding the aforementioned duration.

You can apply for a Canada Tourist Visa from India online or through the Embassy or consulates of Canada in the country. The fee for a Canada Tourist Visa is $100 onwards.

3.Canada Work Permit: If the purpose of your visit to Canada is working in an organisation in the North American nation, then you must apply for a Canada Work Visa or work permit. Such a visa application must be supported by your employer.

The duration of this visa or permit is contingent upon the nature and duration of your employment contract with an organisation in Canada. The fee for the application of a Canada Work Permit starts at $155.

4.Canada Study Permit: A Canada Study Permit is a document that allows for the citizens of foreign countries to pursue their studies at Designated Learning Institutions in Canada. This permit is usually valid for the intended duration of the academic programme, plus an extra 90 days after you have completed your studies.

The fee for a Canada Study Permit is $150 onwards.

5.Canada Transit Visa: A Canada Transit Visa is issued to visitors passing through Canada on their way from one international destination to another. This visa is documentary permission for travellers to transit through Canada for a period not exceeding 48 hours.

Depending on your travel plans, a Canada Transit Visa may be valid for one entry or two entries. A Canada Transit Visa carries no fee.

6.Canada Permanent Resident Visa: A Canada Permanent Resident Visa is issued to foreign nationals who wish to immigrate to Canada on a permanent basis. A person with a Permanent Resident (PR) status is not a Canadian citizen but can have access to the following privileges in Canada.

• Receipt of social benefits such as healthcare services;
• Permission to live and study in any part of Canada;
• Ability to apply for Canadian citizenship;
• Right to be protected under the laws of Canada.

You can apply for a Canada Permanent Resident Card here. The fee for an Indian citizen applying for the aforementioned card presently stands at CAN$50 (50 Canadian Dollars).

Here are the validity periods for different types of Canada Visas:

If you wish to know what the Canada Visa Fee is for different types of Canada Visas, the following table comprises a succinct summary of this information.

All Indian nationals travelling to Canada, except those with diplomatic privileges or specifically exempt from visa requirements, are required to have a pre-approved Canada Visa. If you wish to apply for a Canada Visa, here are the steps that you must follow:

1.Ascertain the type of Canada visa you need to apply for, for instance, a Canada Tourist Visa, a Canada Student Permit, a Canada Work Permit, etc.
2.Check whether you are eligible to travel to Canada.
3.Ascertain whether you have all the necessary documents for travelling to Canada as per the latest COVID-19 travel restrictions announced by the Canadian Government, that is, check whether you have a travel exemption.
4.Apply for a Canada Visa online by creating your account on the official website of the Canadian Immigration Services.
5.Upload all the documents required for your Canada Visa application.
6.Complete the visa application form and pay the requisite Canada Visa Fee.
7.Schedule an appointment with a Canada Visa application center in India for your visa interview and the submission of biometrics.
8.Await the processing of your application for a Canada Visa. The application processing time for a Canada Visa for Indian nationals is usually 47 days. Therefore, you must apply for a Canada Visa well in advance of your planned trip to Canada.

All citizens of India who plan to travel to Canada are legally required to apply for a Canada Visa. Whether you are travelling to Canada for work, studies, visiting family and friends, or for tourism, you need a pre-approved and valid Canada Visa.

The citizens of Canada and the citizens of the nations that Canada has visa treaties with are exempt from the requirement to apply for a Canada Visa before a visit to the nation. Since India is not on the aforementioned list of nations, no such exemption is available for Indian nationals.

In order to apply for a Canada Visa, you must fulfil certain eligibility criteria. These eligibility criteria have been discussed below:

1.You must have a valid Indian passport as a travel document

2.You must not have any health-related issues

3.You must not have any criminal history or immigration crime history

4.You must have sufficient proof of your intention to return to India. This proof can be in the form of work and/or family residing in India

5.You must have evidence of your plans to return from Canada at a predetermined date

6.You must have enough funds to sustain your stay in Canada during the validity period of your Canada Visa

7.You must have medical examination proof and a letter of invitation, if applicable

The application for a Canada Visa necessitates the availability of certain important documents. Here are the documents that you need to apply for a Canada Visa:

1.A valid Indian passport

2.A permissible proof of identity, for instance, Passport

3.Recent passport-sized photographs

4.The use of a representative (IMM 5476) if the visa application is being submitted by a family member or a third-party on your behalf

5.The particulars of your family (IMM 5645)

6.Specific documents for minor children travelling to Canada, including custody papers, adoption papers, permission for the minor to travel to Canada, etc. (as applicable)

7.The proof of vaccination against COVID-19

8.The proof of a negative result for a COVID-19 test

Owing to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has closed its borders to everyone except their own citizens and fully vaccinated foreign nationals whose travel needs are deemed necessary by the country's immigration authorities.

For foreign nationals who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, permission to travel to Canada may be granted under specific circumstances. In order to check whether you are eligible to travel to Canada in the present scenario, you must visit this page.

If you are a fully vaccinated Indian who has been granted permission to travel to Canada, then you are required to carry the following documents with you upon your arrival in Canada (in addition to the basic documents mandatory for travel to Canada):

1.Proof of having been vaccinated against COVID-19 with one of the vaccines accepted by the Canadian Government

2.Proof of a negative COVID-19 test conducted not earlier than 72 hours before your arrival in Canada

3.Your ArriveCAN receipt (physical or digital copy), detailing the submission of the following information on the ArriveCAN application before checking in at the airport for departure to Canada

• Travel Itinerary
• Contact Details
• Your Quarantine Plan
• A COVID-19 self-assessment form
• Proof of approved COVID-19 vaccination

Your application for a Canada Visa may get rejected due to some reasons

The main reasons for such rejection are:

1.The immigration officer processing the visa application has cause to believe that you are likely to overstay the validity period of your Canada Visa.

2.You are inadmissible to enter Canada

Barring a substantial change in the circumstances or reasons that have led to the refusal of your Canada Visa application, even a repeated application is unlikely to be approved.

One of the essential prerequisites of planning for a safe trip to Canada is selecting and purchasing a suitable Travel Insurance. There is no dearth of challenges and unexpected events that may transpire in your journey to and from Canada and your stay there. For instance, you may fall ill during your trip or meet with an accident in Canada. Your flight may be delayed or cancelled or your passport may be lost.

In order to financially safeguard you against a wide gamut of adverse circumstances that can occur during your Canadian trip, you must opt for a Canada Travel Insurance Plan that offers extensive coverage. Not only should such a plan have an adequate journey cover, baggage cover, and Hijack cover, but it must also have a sufficient medical cover.

The Tata AIG Canada Medical Travel Insurance Plan comprises extensive coverage for your trip to Canada and offers you the following covers:

1.Medical Cover

2.Travel Assistance

3.Cover Against Personal Liability

4.Cover For Accidents and Sicknesses

5.Hijack Cover

6.Baggage Cover

7.COVID-19 Cover

8.Automatic policy extension for 60 days or date of discharge whichever is lesser in the event of your hospitalisation in Canada during the policy tenure & the policy expires.

You can visit our official website to check out our entire range of travel insurance plans. It is easy to compare travel insurance online, using our Travel Insurance Premium Calculator. Our excellent Travel Insurance Canada Plan is available at a starting price of ₹60.32 per day.

Canada is a country with a vibrant and diverse culture and landscape. Before travelling to Canada, you must carry out adequate research on the places you can explore. Here are a few key things about Canada that you must be aware of:

1.Be prepared for the cold weather in Canada and pack accordingly

2.You must be able to converse in either English or French, which are the two official languages of Canada

3.Be mindful of the fact that you shall have to pay a Federal Sales Tax on every item that you purchase in Canada

4.Acquaint yourself with the traffic rules and the speed limits before renting a car or bike and driving in Canada

5.Healthcare in Canada is quite expensive. Therefore, you must have a suitable Canada Travel Medical Insurance Policy during your journey

There is no dearth of things that you can do in Canada. Here are some of the most popular activities that you can engage in whilst in the picturesque North American nation.

1.River Rafting

2.Skiing

3.Surfing

4.Skydiving

5.Beholding the Northern Lights in Whitehorse

6.Attend the Montreal Jazz Festival

7.Take a rail trip through Canada

8.Visit the iconic Rockies

9.Go on a River Canal Cruise

10.Visit the famous wine valleys of Canada

The breathtaking landscape of Canada attracts the attention of tourists from different parts of the globe. From mountains to rivers, glaciers to national parks, Canada has something to offer for all types of visitors. Here are some of the best places to visit in Canada:

1.The Niagara Falls

2.The city of Whistler

3.Ottawa

4.Toronto

5.Vancouver

6.Banff National Park

7.Quebec

8.The Magdalen Islands

9.Emerald Lake

10.The Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral

Information last updated Jan '22. While this information is sourced reliably, visa requirements can change. For the most current visa details, visit the official Consulate/Embassy website.