In Canada, a tourist visa and a visitor visa are the same document. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) calls it a visitor visa, also known as a temporary resident visa (TRV). It covers holidays, family visits and business trips.
You apply for one visitor visa and state the real purpose of your trip. Whether you need it depends on your passport. Visa-exempt travellers who fly in need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead. Citizens of some visa-required countries can also get an eTA instead of a visa when they fly, if they meet IRCC’s conditions. US citizens and US green card holders need neither.
Visitor visa vs tourist visa: one document
Tourist visa is an everyday term, not a separate category. The visa is a sticker placed in your passport. It does not let you work, it is not permanent residence, and a border services officer still decides on arrival whether to let you in.
Visitor visa eligibility
IRCC says you must:
- have a valid passport or other travel document
- be in good health
- have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
- show ties, such as a job, home, financial assets or family, that will take you home
- show that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
- have enough money for your stay
The officer weighs the whole file, so your documents need to match the purpose you state. You may also need a medical exam and a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada. If no one is hosting you, see our guide to a Canada tourist visa without an invitation letter. For documents and how to apply, see our Canada visitor visa page.
Visitor visa, eTA, super visa and visitor record compared
| Document | Who it is for | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (TRV) | Citizens of visa-required countries, including Iran | Sticker in your passport; most stays up to 6 months |
| eTA | Visa-exempt travellers, and some citizens of visa-required countries who meet IRCC’s conditions, flying to or through a Canadian airport (not US citizens or US permanent residents) | Linked to your passport; valid up to 5 years or until the passport expires |
| Super visa | Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians | Stays of up to 5 years at a time; multiple entries for up to 10 years |
| Visitor record | People in Canada who extend their stay as a visitor, or whose stay an officer limits | Not a visa; shows the date you must leave |
The super visa has its own income, insurance and medical exam rules; see our super visa guide.
Single-entry and multiple-entry visas
IRCC decides which one you get; you do not choose it. A single-entry visa lets you enter Canada once. In most cases, once you leave Canada you need a new visa to come back. You do not need one if you travel only to the United States (including its territories and possessions) or Saint Pierre and Miquelon and return directly to Canada before your authorized stay ends.
A multiple-entry visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. Ten years is a maximum, not the standard.
Validity is not the length of your stay. The expiry date is the last day you can arrive. Most visitors can stay up to 6 months, and the border services officer may allow less or more.
Visitor visa fees
The fee is the same whatever you call the visa. IRCC’s fee list (updated September 2026):
- Visitor visa, including the super visa: CAD 100 per person (at most CAD 500 for a family of 5 or more applying at the same time and place)
- Biometrics: CAD 85 per person (at most CAD 170 for a family of 2 or more applying at the same time)
- Extending your stay as a visitor: CAD 100 per person
- eTA: CAD 7
One applicant who gives biometrics pays CAD 185. Processing times change; check IRCC’s current processing times.
Business trips on a visitor visa
Business visitor is not a separate visa. You travel on a visitor visa or an eTA, depending on your passport. You must show that you plan to stay less than 6 months, that you do not plan to enter the Canadian labour market, and that your main place of business and your source of income and profits are outside Canada, with documents to support this. Meetings, conferences and trade fairs are typical examples. If you plan to work in Canada or stay longer than 6 months, you may be considered a temporary worker and need a work permit.
Limits on visitors: work, study and overstaying
- Work. A visitor visa or eTA does not give you the right to work. Unauthorized work can lead to removal and a 5-year ban. IRCC ended the temporary policy that let visitors apply for a work permit from inside Canada on 28 August 2024. Our guide on moving from a visitor visa to a work permit covers what is still possible.
- Study for more than 6 months. A course or program of 6 months or less needs no study permit. Longer study does.
- Overstay. To stay longer, apply for a visitor record at least 30 days before your status expires.
Choosing the right document
- Holiday or family visit: a visitor visa, or an eTA if you are eligible for one and you fly
- Meetings or conferences: a visitor visa or eTA, as a business visitor
- Long visits by parents or grandparents: a super visa
- Work, or study over 6 months: a work or study permit
Related: claiming asylum in Canada after entering on a visitor visa.
If you would like our team to look at your situation, fill in the assessment form.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Canadian tourist visa the same as a visitor visa?
Yes. Canada has no separate tourist visa. Tourism is one purpose of the visitor visa.
Does a 10-year visa let me stay for 10 years?
No. Each stay is usually up to 6 months unless the border services officer sets another date.
Do I need both a visitor visa and an eTA?
No, one or the other, depending on your citizenship. Some citizens of visa-required countries can fly in with an eTA, but they still need a visitor visa when arriving by car, bus, train or boat.
Official sources
- IRCC: Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
- IRCC: Guide 5256, applying for a visitor visa
- IRCC: Visitor visa, about the document
- IRCC: Eligibility to apply for a visitor visa
- IRCC: Visitor visa, prepare for your arrival
- IRCC Help Centre: Single and multiple entry visas
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 190
- IRCC Help Centre: Visitor visa and visitor record
- IRCC: Entry requirements by country or territory
- IRCC: eTA, who can apply
- IRCC: Find out about the eTA
- IRCC: Super visa for parents and grandparents
- IRCC: Visitor record, who can apply
- IRCC: Business visitors
- IRCC: Fee list
- IRCC: Biometrics
- Government of Canada: Consequences of unauthorized work
- IRCC notice: Policy allowing visitors to apply for work permits in Canada ended
- IRCC: Who can study without a permit
- IRCC: Check processing times
This article is general information, not legal advice, and it describes published official rules rather than any individual case. Hadi Imani is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, licence R522575, practising in Toronto; that licence covers Canadian immigration only.
