On This Page, You Will Find:
- What a temporary resident visa is
- Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
- Electronic travel authorization (eTA)
- Visa-required countries with partial eTA access
- Super visa for parents and grandparents
- Study permits and work permits
- Biometrics: who must give them and what they cost
- Current IRCC fees at a glance
- Processing times and how to apply
- Frequently asked questions
Anyone who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident needs permission to enter Canada temporarily. For most travellers that means one of two documents: a visitor visa, formally called a temporary resident visa (TRV), or an electronic travel authorization (eTA).
Which one you need depends on your citizenship, the passport you are travelling on, and how you are arriving. Students and workers need a permit on top of the entry document.
This page is the starting point for Canada’s temporary entry system. It sets out the current rules, the fees Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) charges in Canadian dollars, and where each category leads.
What Is a Temporary Resident Visa?
A temporary resident visa is a counterfoil placed in your passport by a visa office outside Canada. It allows you to travel to a Canadian port of entry and ask a border services officer for admission.
A visa is not a guarantee of entry. The final decision is made by a Canada Border Services Agency officer when you arrive, and the same is true of an eTA.
Temporary residents fall into three broad groups: visitors, students and workers. Each has its own permit or authorization, but all of them must first satisfy Canada’s entry-document rules.
Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa)
Citizens of visa-required countries need a valid visitor visa and a valid passport to visit or transit through Canada, whether they arrive by air, car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship.
The fee is CAD $100 per person for either a single-entry or multiple-entry visa; IRCC decides which type to issue. Families of five or more applying together at the same time and place pay a maximum of CAD $500.
Visitors are normally admitted for up to six months. If you want to stay longer, you must apply to extend your stay from inside Canada before your status expires, which costs CAD $100 per person.
- Restoring visitor status after it has lapsed costs CAD $246.25, plus the CAD $100 visitor extension fee.
- A temporary resident permit, used where a person is otherwise inadmissible, costs CAD $246.25.
Our Canada visitor visa guide walks through the application and the supporting documents in detail.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
Visa-exempt foreign nationals need an eTA to board a flight to Canada or to transit through a Canadian airport. They do not need one when arriving by car, bus, train or boat.
An eTA costs CAD $7 and is applied for online. It is electronically linked to the passport used to apply, and is valid for up to five years or until that passport expires, whichever comes first.
Most applications are approved within minutes by email, though some take several days if IRCC asks for supporting documents. Apply before booking your flight.
United States citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement. Lawful permanent residents of the US are also exempt, but must carry proof of status plus a valid passport from their country of nationality. Full details are set out in our comprehensive guide to Canada’s eTA.
Visa-Required Countries With Partial eTA Access
Seventeen otherwise visa-required countries now have partial access to the eTA. Their citizens may apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa if they are flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport and meet all three of IRCC’s conditions.
- They have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years, or hold a valid US non-immigrant visa on the day they apply.
- They are coming for a temporary stay, normally up to six months.
- They are travelling on a passport from an eligible country.
The eligible countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. Indonesia and Malaysia were added on 26 May 2026.
Anyone from these countries who does not meet all three conditions, or who is arriving by land or sea, still needs a visitor visa.
Super Visa for Parents and Grandparents
The super visa lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians visit for five years at a time. It allows multiple entries and is valid for up to 10 years. Dependants cannot be included in the application.
Applicants must be outside Canada when they apply, complete an immigration medical exam, and hold private health insurance valid for at least one year from the date of entry.
That policy must provide minimum emergency coverage of $100,000, cover health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, and be issued either by a Canadian insurer or by a foreign insurer authorised by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to do insurance business in Canada.
The host child or grandchild must be at least 18, live in Canada, sign a letter of invitation and meet a minimum necessary income set by family size. See our super visa page for the income table and document list.
Study Permits and Work Permits
A study permit or work permit is not an entry document. If you need a visa or an eTA, IRCC issues it automatically once the permit application is approved.
A study permit costs CAD $150 per person, including extensions. A work permit costs CAD $155 per person, and an open work permit holder fee of CAD $100 applies where relevant.
When you travel, carry your letter of introduction, your valid passport and the visa or eTA attached to it. If you were issued an eTA, you must fly on the same passport you used to apply for the permit.
Details on each stream are set out in our Canada work permit and study permit sections.
Biometrics
Most temporary residence applicants must give fingerprints and a photograph. The requirement applies to visitor visa, study permit and work permit applicants, and to visitors extending their stay unless they are from a visa-exempt country.
- The fee is CAD $85 per individual.
- Families applying at the same time pay a maximum of CAD $170.
- Groups of three or more performing artists applying for work permits at the same time pay a maximum of CAD $255.
Exemptions include US nationals, children under 14, applicants over 79, travellers applying only for an eTA, and holders of diplomatic or official visas. There is no fee for transit visa biometrics.
Current IRCC Fees at a Glance
- Electronic travel authorization: CAD $7
- Visitor visa (including super visa): CAD $100 per person, CAD $500 per family of five or more
- Extend your stay as a visitor: CAD $100
- Restore visitor status: CAD $246.25, plus the CAD $100 extension fee
- Study permit, including extensions: CAD $150
- Work permit, including extensions: CAD $155
- Temporary resident permit: CAD $246.25
- Biometrics: CAD $85 per person, CAD $170 per family
Processing Times and How to Apply
IRCC does not publish a single processing time for temporary residence. Times vary by application type and by the visa office handling the file, and biometrics collection is not counted in the published estimate.
Check the department’s processing times tool before you book travel, and apply well ahead of your departure date.
Almost all temporary residence applications are now made online through an IRCC secure account. Applicants who are inadmissible to Canada, including for criminality, should seek advice before applying, because a refusal is recorded and affects later applications.
Types of Temporary Visa: Where to Go Next
- Canada visitor visa — enter Canada as a visitor or tourist, normally for up to six months.
- Canada student visa — study at a designated Canadian institution in an approved programme.
- Canada work visa — work in Canada temporarily on an employer-specific or open work permit.
- Parents and grandparents super visa — extended visits of up to five years at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a visitor visa and an eTA?
No. Most travellers need one or the other, not both. If you are a citizen of a visa-required country you need a visitor visa; if you are visa-exempt and flying to Canada you need an eTA. A small group of visa-required nationals may choose an eTA instead of a visa when flying, if they meet IRCC’s conditions.
How much does it cost to visit Canada in 2026?
A visitor visa costs CAD $100 per person, or a maximum of CAD $500 for a family of five or more applying together. An eTA costs CAD $7. Most visa applicants must also pay a biometrics fee of CAD $85 per person, capped at CAD $170 per family.
How long can I stay in Canada as a visitor?
Visitors are normally admitted for up to six months, though the border services officer decides the exact period on arrival. To stay longer you must apply to extend your stay from within Canada before your current status expires, at a cost of CAD $100 per person.
Does a work or study permit let me enter Canada?
Not on its own. A permit is not a travel document. If you need a visitor visa or an eTA, IRCC issues it automatically when your permit is approved, and you must travel with the same passport and carry your letter of introduction.
Who does not need to give biometrics?
US nationals, children under 14, applicants over 79, heads of state and government, holders of diplomatic or official visas, and travellers applying only for an eTA are exempt. Applicants who already gave biometrics for a permanent residence application still in progress are also exempt.
Can parents and grandparents stay longer than six months?
Yes, through the super visa, which permits stays of five years at a time and is valid for up to 10 years with multiple entries. Applicants must complete a medical exam and hold private health insurance with at least $100,000 in emergency coverage, valid for a minimum of one year from entry.