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An entry visa, also known as a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), is a document issued by the Government of Canada that allows foreign nationals to enter Canada as visitors, students, or workers. Visa-exempt foreign nationals traveling to Canada by air require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
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Temporary Resident Visa
Unless you are exempt, a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is required to travel to Canada. A TRV is commonly known as a visa. It is a sticker placed in your passport that allows you to enter Canada until its expiry. TRVs can be for single or multiple entry.
A TRV does not give you status in Canada. It is your responsibility to ensure you maintain valid status while you are in Canada.
Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) FAQ
Check the expiry dates of all your documents. IRCC cannot issue documents beyond your passport validity. If your passport is expiring, we recommend you renew it 6 months in advance if possible. Contact your local embassy or consulate for information on when and how you can renew your passport.
When you are inside Canada, it is a two-step process. You must apply for a status document first. See study permit extension or post-graduation work permit for information on how to get a new status document. We recommend you apply for your status document 3-4 months in advance. Once you have the new permit, you can apply for a new visa.
Applications can be processed inside or outside of Canada. What documents you need depend on where you are applying from.
Note: Visitors in Canada are not eligible to apply for a visa from inside Canada.
Study permit holders in Canada
You will need all the same documents used for your study permit extension application as well as a transcript. You may be able to reuse the same documents. Documents submitted to IRCC should not be more than 6 months old.
Undergraduate/Graduate students
Request transcripts via my.brocku.ca. Only select “hold for official marks” if you’re finishing the term and you don’t need the transcript right away.
ESL/IELP Students
ESL/IELP students should request transcripts from the ESL Services (GLN_B 208, Information Desk on the 2nd floor of the International Centre).
PGWP holders in Canada
The main document you will need is a copy of your work permit.
Those outside Canada
If you are applying for a study permit or a work permit, there is no separate application for a visa required. If you only need a visa, please speak with an international student advisor for advice on documents to provide.
You can check the average processing times online. These times do not include the time it takes to mail your passport back and forth for visa issuance, so add at least a few weeks to the posted processing times.
Although the application should be made online, immigration officials will require your passport to issue your visa. Read your passport request letter carefully for information on how and where to send your passport for visa issuance. Visa processing from inside Canada is done in Ottawa.
Tips for mailing your passport:
- Choose a service with tracking
- Record the tracking numbers for both envelopes before sending your passport
We do not recommend you leave Canada without a valid visa if you plan to return. If a visa is required for your return, you could get stuck outside Canada until you can get a new visa. Processing times can be extremely lengthy, especially if you are applying just for a visa.
Please speak with an international student advisor if you are travelling and your documents are expiring before you can get new ones.
Travelling to the US or St. Pierre and Michelon only
If you hold a valid study permit (or work permit), you do not need a visa to come back to Canada following a visit only to the United States or St. Pierre and Michelon as long as you return before the expiry date of your study permit (or work permit). Even if you are eligible to travel without a visa, we still recommend you have one before travelling if possible to make things smoother at the border. IRPR 190 (3) (f)
If you recently renewed your passport and you have a valid visa in your old passport, you will need to travel with both passports.
When you apply for a visa, the expiry date is usually determined based on the status you had or were applying for. As an example, if you applied for a study permit, your visa would usually have an S-1 or SW-1 code on it and expire at the same time as your study permit.
Unlike a study permit which becomes invalid 90 days after program completion, a visa is valid until its expiry. If your visa is valid, you can continue using it even if the code on your visa doesn’t match your current status.
Note: As a result of COVID-19 processing delays, visas issued from inside Canada may have a V-1 code on them even if you applied based on a study permit or a work permit. This was not an error.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
Electronic Travel Authorizations (eTAs) are required by citizens of most visa-exempt countries that want to fly or transit through Canada. Exceptions include U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and travellers with a valid visa. There is no physical sticker; the eTA is just associated with the passport number. To check what you document you need, use IRCC’s Find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada tool.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) FAQ
If you applied for a study or work permit from outside Canada and it is approved, you will automatically be issued an eTA (or visa) if you need one. No separate application is required.
You must apply online through IRCC.
You will need:
- A valid passport
- E-mail address
- Credit card
- An eTA costs $7 CAD and is normally valid for 5 years or until the expiry of your passport, whichever comes first.
In most cases, your eTA will be issued in minutes. Confirmation is sent by email. Make sure to keep this as a record of your eTA and its validity.
If you can’t remember when your eTA expires, you can use IRCC’s eTA status tool.
United States (US) Travel
The licenses of the international student advising team at Brock International only cover Canadian immigration law. We cannot advise on US immigration matters.
Before travelling to the US, it is your responsibility to ensure you have any documents you need. Please refer to the following websites for information about travelling to the US.
Some temporary residents of Canada leave Canada and re-enter within 24 hours to receive immigration services. This is known as “flagpoling”.
For important information about flagpoling, please visit the Flagpoling page.
Disclaimer
The information on this page is intended as general information for Brock University students. It has been reviewed by Brock International’s international student advising team who are Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs). Please note that this website is not a legal document.
Immigration information can change quickly and without notice, so always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for the most current information.