Visitors

Visiting Canada , whether for tourism, business meetings, family events, or as a step toward longer-term immigration, usually requires either a visitor visa (TRV) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA), depending on your country of citizenship. Stays are typically authorized for up to six months at a time, but extensions, status changes, and visitor record renewals are all possible if your plans evolve while you’re here.

This section explains how to navigate the visitor system: standard TRV processing times, how to extend your stay legally before your authorized period ends, how to obtain a visitor record (the document that officially extends your status), and the IRCC authorization letter process. Many visitors eventually transition to longer-term status, these guides cover the rules so you keep your options open.