Visitor Visa

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To visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport,
• be in good health,
• convince an immigration officer that you have ties that will take you back to your home country,
• convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit, and
• have enough money for your stay. 
  

Starting between September and December 2013, citizens from 29 countries and 1 territory will need to give biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) when they apply for a visa.

Residents of the following countries and territory need to provide biometrics:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Exemptions:

If you are from one of the countries or territory above, you do not need to give your biometrics to visit Canada if you are:

• under 14 years old or 80 years old and over
  
• a diplomat, consular officer, representative, or official of:
  
  • a country,
  • the United Nations or any of its agencies,
  • any intergovernmental organization that Canada is a member of, and
  • you are traveling to Canada on official business (any family members traveling with you are also exempt),
• applying for a visa to transit through Canada for less than 48 hours, directly to or from the United States and you hold a valid United States entry visa, or
• already in Canada and are eligible to apply for a visitor (temporary resident) visa, study permit or work permit to an office in Canada.​​
  

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Inadmissibility

Some people are inadmissible. Several things can make you inadmissible, including involvement in criminal activity, human rights violations, or in organized crime.