Invitation Letter for Canada Visa
Thinking of welcoming relatives or friends from afar? Let Axess Law's notary publics write a Canada visitor visa letter of invitation for you. We take the work out of getting visitors into Canada. Our Ontario registered notary publics draft visitor invitation letters, witness sponsors' signatures and give you a notary sealed invitation letter to visit Canada. Getting a letter of invitation costs just $69.99, plus $9.99 for each additional visitor.
Who Needs an Invitation
Canada welcomes international and U.S. citizens who want to visit or work or study temporarily in Canada.
U.S. visitors require only a passport or frequent traveller NEXUS card to enter Canada for brief stays. International visitors from outside the U.S. may be asked for a letter of invitation when they apply for a visa in their country of origin. You can assist their application by providing a notarized letter of invitation, addressed to the head of the Canadian embassy or consulate in their country.
You should only provide invitation letters to family, relatives, friends or acquaintances you know well enough to vouch for. Invitation letters are not a guarantee of admission. Visas may be denied if the traveller you are inviting:
- has committed a crime or made security threats (in Canada or elsewhere)
- has family members who are inadmissible to Canada
- participated in human or international rights violations, such as while in the military
- has health issues that may require treatment while here
- is unable to support themselves
- lies about or misrepresents why they are visiting Canada
- violates Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
How Do I Write an Invitation Letter for Visas?
Invitation letters for Canadian embassies and foreign consulates include information about you and your visitor. When you visit Axess Law, your notary public will prepare a letter of invitation for Canada sample that includes your visitor's:
- arrival and leave dates
- complete name and date of birth
- relationship to you
- address and phone number
- reasons for being in Canada
- length of stay
- accommodation plans
- and financial arrangements.
You’ll be asked for the following personal information:
- your complete name and date of birth
- address and phone number
- job title
- citizenship (Canadian or PR)
- family details, including complete names and dates of birth for spouses or dependents
- and how many people are in your household.
Be ready to provide originals or certified true copies of your Canadian birth certificate, citizenship card, PR card for permanent residents or IMM 1000 proof of landing.
Essentials for Invitation Letters
Invitation letters must be honest, written in good faith and signed. Having your letter notarized beforehand by an Ontario notary public prevents delays in case a foreign visa officer requires an official copy.
Sending Visitor Visas Internationally
Email a scanned copy of the letter if a notarized original is not required. Otherwise, mail the notarized original by registered post or courier it to the person you are inviting. Visitors submit this letter with their application at their local Canadian embassy or consulate when they apply for a visitor visa (or temporary resident visa, as it’s sometimes called).
Documents Every Visitor to Canada Needs
Foreign nationals need a valid passport to affix the visa to, photos and fingerprints for biometrics, return tickets to their home country and proof of financial support. Passports from Somalia, Czech Republic that are non-machine readable, Republic of South Africa if temporary or Venezuela if provisional are not accepted.
Financial Support While in Canada
Visitors must declare if they are bringing $10,000 or more in cash or other currency, such as stocks, bonds or GICs, into Canada. You are not legally responsible for your visitor while here, but include in the letter if you are offering a place to stay or financial aid. Canadian immigration officers in their home country will assess if they have sufficient funds to travel. The amount needed depends on how long they stay and whether you or someone else will provide food and accommodation or they will pay their own expenses.
Extending Visitor Visas
A valid visitor visa or eTA is needed if your visitor plans to leave Canada and return. A visitor visa is valid until its expiry date, to a maximum of six months. Visitors can extend their visa while in Canada. Apply at the nearest Canadian embassy for a visitor record before the visa expires. Axess Law remote notaries can video conference with you from anywhere in Ontario to complete the paperwork.
Visitors who apply for extensions but whose visas expire are allowed to remain in Canada until they receive a decision. If extended, they will receive a visitor record -- keep this to show immigration officials if asked -- and notice with a new travel expiry date. They must leave Canada immediately if the extension is denied.
Applying as Permanent Resident - Canada
Visitors who decide they want to live in Canada can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They may apply while in Canada, but only if their visitor visa hasn't expired. Applications can take months or years to be processed. Unless your guest qualifies for express entry, it is unlikely they will be approved for permanent resident status (called PR) during their visit.
Marrying a Canadian While Visiting
Visitors who marry a Canadian citizen or permanent resident must leave when their visitor visa or visitor record expires. While their spouse can sponsor them to immigrate to Canada, marriage to a Canadian is not a guarantee of immigrant or permanent resident status or Canadian citizenship.
Notarize a Letter of Invitation
Axess Law’s Ontario notary publics can notarize a letter of invitation via virtual video call or in person. Arrange day or evening appointments 7 days a week by dialing toll-free to 877-522-9377 or using our online booking form. In Greater Toronto, call 647-479-0118 or drop in to any of our nearby law offices.
COVID Alert!
Due to COVID-19, non-essential travel to Canada is restricted to foreign nationals who are exempt, travelling for compassionate reasons or visitors who are immediate or extended family members of Canadian citizens, someone registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent residents.
Bring a valid visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) and 14-day mandatory quarantine plan -- you must stay 15 or more days. Extended family members require written authorization from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Visitors entering for compassionate reasons need written permission from The Public Health Agency of Canada.
Travelling for compassionate reasons can include:
- Attending funerals or end-of-life ceremonies.
- Attending a loved one's final moments of life.
- Supporting a critically ill person.
- Caring for someone who needs medical support.
Go to the Public Health Agency of Canada website for information.
