US citizens and US permanent residents do not need a visa to enter Canada for visits of up to six months. Whether other US residents need a visa to enter Canada depends on the passport they carry, not on their US immigration status. A valid US visa, work permit, or student visa gives you no special entry right into Canada.
If You Are a US Citizen
No visa. No Electronic Travel Authorization. A valid US passport is enough for tourist or business trips of six months or less.1Canada.ca. What You Need to Enter Canada
What you show at the border depends on how you travel. Flying in, you need a valid US passport; a passport card or Enhanced Driver’s License will not work for air travel. Driving or arriving by boat, you have more options: a valid US passport, a US passport card, or a NEXUS card.2U.S. Department of State. Canada Travel Advisory Residents of Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington can also use an Enhanced Driver’s License at land and sea crossings.
Documents get you into the inspection booth. They do not admit you. A Canada Border Services Agency officer makes the call, and the officer can ask about the purpose and length of your trip, your finances, and your ties back home.
If You Are a US Permanent Resident
Green card holders do not need a visa or an eTA. Canada dropped the eTA requirement for US permanent residents arriving by air on April 26, 2022.3Canada.ca. Electronic Travel Authorization eTA – Who Can Apply
For air travel, carry both a valid passport from your country of nationality and your valid permanent resident card.4Government of Canada. I Am a Lawful Permanent Resident of the US Green Card Holder – Do I Need an eTA Airlines check both at the gate. For land or sea crossings directly from the US, your green card alone is enough.1Canada.ca. What You Need to Enter Canada
Your passport does not need to be valid for a specific number of extra months, but Canada will not issue any permit that runs past your passport’s expiration date.5Canada.ca. Valid Passports and Other Travel Documents Needed to Come to Canada If yours expires soon, renew before you go.
If You Live in the US on a Temporary Visa
If you are in the US on an H-1B, F-1, L-1, O-1, or other nonimmigrant status, your Canadian entry requirements come from your passport, not from your US paperwork. Holding a US visa does not exempt you from Canadian visa rules.6Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Do I Need a Canadian Visa if I Have a United States Visa
Canada sorts nationalities into two groups:
- Visa-exempt countries (for example, the UK, Germany, Japan, Australia): you need an eTA to fly to Canada, and nothing to cross by land or sea. The eTA is a short online application costing $7 CAD, usually approved within minutes, and linked electronically to your passport. A new passport means a new eTA.7Canada.ca. Electronic Travel Authorization eTA – How to Apply
- Visa-required countries (for example, India, China, Nigeria, the Philippines): you must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) before you travel, regardless of how you enter. The base application fee is $100 CAD per person, or $500 CAD for a family of five or more, and biometrics add $85 CAD per individual. Processing times vary widely by country, so start early.8Canada.ca. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees
Confirm which list your nationality falls on before booking anything.1Canada.ca. What You Need to Enter Canada
Getting Back Into the US After the Trip
This is where nonimmigrant visa holders run into trouble, and it has nothing to do with Canadian rules. If your US visa stamp has expired but you still have valid status (a valid I-94 and unexpired underlying documents), a provision called automatic revalidation lets you re-enter the US from Canada with the expired stamp, as long as your trip is 30 days or fewer.9U.S. Department of State. Automatic Revalidation This covers most nonimmigrant categories, including H-1B workers and F-1 students.
Automatic revalidation does not apply if:
- You were outside the US for more than 30 days.
- You are a national of Iran, Syria, Sudan, Cuba, or North Korea.
- You applied for a new US visa and it has not yet been issued, or the application was denied.
- You hold an F or J visa and traveled to Cuba, or hold an M visa and traveled anywhere outside Canada or Mexico.
If any of those apply, you need a valid, unexpired US visa stamp to come back. Sort this out before you cross into Canada, not after.9U.S. Department of State. Automatic Revalidation
How Long You Can Stay
Most visitors get up to six months. If the border officer stamps a specific departure date in your passport, that date controls. Without a stamp, your authorized stay runs six months from your entry date or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.10Canada.ca. How Long Can I Stay in Canada as a Visitor
To extend, apply for a visitor record at least 30 days before your current status expires.11Government of Canada. Visitor Record – Who Can Apply Overstaying can lead to removal, a bar on future entry, or both, and it follows you on later applications.
A Criminal Record Can Override Everything Above
An American who needs no visa can still be refused at the border because of an old conviction. Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a foreign national is inadmissible for “serious criminality” if they have been convicted of an offense that carries a maximum sentence of at least 10 years under Canadian law.12Justice Laws Website. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act SC 2001 c 27 – Section 36 The sentence you actually received in the US is irrelevant. What matters is the Canadian maximum for the equivalent offense.
DUI is the most common trigger. Since Canada’s 2018 Criminal Code amendments, impaired driving carries a maximum of 10 years, which places it in the serious criminality category.13Department of Justice Canada. Impaired Driving Laws A decades-old misdemeanor DUI on your US record can still result in refusal at the border.
For offenses with a Canadian maximum below 10 years, you are “deemed rehabilitated” once 10 years have passed since you completed your sentence; for two or more minor summary offenses, the wait is five years.14Government of Canada. Rehabilitation for Persons Who Are Inadmissible to Canada Because of Past Criminal Activity Deemed rehabilitation does not apply to offenses in the 10-years-or-more category, so waiting alone will not fix a DUI. You must apply for criminal rehabilitation through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which costs $1,231 CAD for serious criminality and requires that five years have passed since you completed all terms of your sentence.8Canada.ca. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees
If you need to enter before rehabilitation is available or while an application is pending, a Temporary Resident Permit allows entry for a specific trip if you can show a compelling reason. The fee is $246.25 CAD, and approval is at the officer’s discretion.15Canada.ca. Temporary Resident Permit – Fees
Officers can also refuse entry on other grounds, including inability to support yourself during the stay, health concerns, security risks, or misrepresentation on any application.16Justice Laws Website. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act Bring proof of your finances and your plan to leave, such as a return itinerary or evidence of employment at home, and answer questions honestly.
If You Are Traveling With a Child
Canadian border officers pay close attention to minors, particularly when a child is not with both parents. A child traveling with both parents should carry their own passport and a copy of their birth certificate.17Canada.ca. Minor Children Travelling to Canada When only one parent is along, the other parent should provide a signed consent letter. Canada has no official template, but the letter should include the child’s full name, contact information for both parents or legal guardians, full details of the accompanying adult and their relationship to the child, and the destination, duration, and dates of the trip.
Getting the letter notarized is strongly recommended. Photocopies and digital versions draw more questions than an original signed letter witnessed by a notary.18Government of Canada. Consent Letter for Children Travelling Outside Canada
If one parent is deceased, bring a copy of the death certificate. A legal guardian should carry guardianship or adoption papers. A child traveling with someone who is not a parent or guardian needs written permission from the parents, with copies of the parents’ signed passports or ID cards attached.17Canada.ca. Minor Children Travelling to Canada