To apply for a Canadian visitor visa from the USA, you submit an online application through the IRCC Portal, upload proof of your U.S. status and finances, pay $185 CAD in fees, give fingerprints at a USCIS Application Support Center, and wait about 20 days for a decision. The process is straightforward on paper, but two things trip people up: not everyone actually needs a visa, and a policy change on April 26, 2026 means officers now decide case-by-case whether you get a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. What you put in your application matters more than it used to.
Do You Actually Need a Visitor Visa
Before starting an application, confirm you need one. The rules split into three groups based on your citizenship and U.S. status.
U.S. citizens don’t need a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization. A valid U.S. passport, passport card, or NEXUS card gets you in for stays up to 180 days.1U.S. Department of State. Canada Travel Advisory
U.S. lawful permanent residents are also exempt from both the visa and the eTA. Since April 26, 2022, green card holders flying or driving to Canada need only a valid passport from their country of nationality plus proof of permanent resident status. Acceptable proof includes a Form I-551 permanent resident card, a foreign passport carrying an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp, or an expired green card paired with a Form I-797 showing a pending renewal or removal of conditions.2Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. I Am a Lawful Permanent Resident of the US (Green Card Holder) – Do I Need an eTA?
Foreign nationals on U.S. non-immigrant visas (H-1B, F-1, L-1, and similar) follow the rules that apply to their country of citizenship, not their U.S. status. Citizens of visa-required countries — including India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and most of the Middle East — need a full Temporary Resident Visa even with valid U.S. work or study authorization. Citizens of visa-exempt countries (most of Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and others) only need an eTA when flying to Canada.3Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. What You Need to Enter Canada
Documents You Need Before You Apply
Canada judges visitor visa applications on two questions: can you afford the trip, and will you leave when your stay ends? Every document should answer one of those.
The Application Itself
If you apply through the IRCC Portal (the newer online system), you answer application questions directly in the portal. If you use the older IRCC Secure Account or apply on paper, complete Form IMM 5257, which covers your personal details, travel history, and background.4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) (IMM 5257) Either way, be ready to list every country where you’ve lived more than six months in the past five years.
You’ll also submit your passport number and expiration, proof of your U.S. status (a valid I-797 approval notice for work visa holders, a current Form I-20 for students), and a passport-style photo. The photo must be 35 mm × 45 mm, taken within the last six months, plain white or light background, neutral expression. Digital uploads should be JPEG or PNG.
Check every field before submitting. Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, misrepresentation — even an honest error that reads like a lie — can trigger a five-year ban from Canada.5Department of Justice Canada. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – Section 40
Financial Proof
Canada doesn’t set a specific dollar threshold, but your bank statements need to credibly cover flights, lodging, food, and an emergency reserve. For a one-to-two-week trip, showing the equivalent of CAD 3,000 to 5,000 per person (not counting airfare) is a reasonable starting point. The exact figure depends on your itinerary and whether you’re staying with family or in hotels.
The pattern of your finances matters as much as the number. A large, unexplained deposit right before you apply reads as borrowed money and is a common reason for refusal. Steady savings over several months are far more convincing than a sudden spike.
Supporting Documents
None of the following are required, but each one addresses a question the officer is already asking:
- A letter of invitation from anyone hosting you in Canada, explaining the purpose and length of your visit.
- Travel history showing you’ve followed the rules on past trips: stamps from prior travel, old visas, previous entries to countries with strict rules.
- Ties to the United States: an employment verification letter, a lease, an enrollment confirmation, evidence of family here.
- Travel insurance covering your trip. Not required, but it shows you’ve planned for medical costs.
Submitting and Paying
Most applicants in the U.S. apply online through either the IRCC Portal or the IRCC Secure Account. You create an account, answer eligibility questions, upload documents, and pay the fees in one session.
The fees are $100 CAD for visa processing plus $85 CAD for biometrics, or $185 CAD per person. Families of five or more applying together cap out at $500 CAD for the visa portion, and families of two or more cap at $170 CAD for biometrics.6Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees Payment goes through online and generates a receipt in your account, along with an automated confirmation of filing.
Biometrics at a USCIS Application Support Center
Once your fees are paid, IRCC issues a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL) in your online account.7Canada.ca. Biometrics – How to Give Your Fingerprints and Photo In the United States, you give fingerprints and a photo at a USCIS Application Support Center. Book the appointment through the USCIS website; the appointment itself costs nothing since you already paid the biometrics fee with your application.8Canada.ca. Biometrics – Where to Give Your Fingerprints and Photo Bring your BIL and your valid passport.
Your file won’t move to a decision until biometrics are done, so schedule promptly. If you gave biometrics for a Canadian immigration application within the past 10 years, you may be exempt.
Processing Time and Sending Your Passport
Processing times shift with volume. As of mid-2025, IRCC data showed roughly 20 days for applications filed from the U.S. Check the IRCC processing times page for the current estimate before you plan travel.9Canada.ca. Check Current IRCC Processing Times
If you’re approved, two letters appear in your IRCC account: a confirmation of approval and a passport request. Wait for the passport request before sending anything. You’ll mail your passport to a Visa Application Centre, which returns it to you with the visa affixed inside.10Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. After You Apply for a Visitor Visa11Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Find a Visa Application Centre
The April 2026 Change to Multiple-Entry Visas
Until recently, most approved applicants automatically received a multiple-entry visa valid up to 10 years or until their passport expired. On April 26, 2026, IRCC ended that default. Visa officers now decide the type of visa and its validity period case by case.
Officers weigh immigration risk, the stated purpose of travel, financial resources, and ties to the applicant’s home country or country of residence. A strong travel history, a clear purpose, and solid finances can still produce a long-validity multiple-entry visa. A thinner file — limited travel, weak ties outside Canada, a vague trip — can result in a single-entry visa only. The fee is the same either way, and you can’t choose.6Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees
Practically, this means the supporting documents that used to feel optional now do real work. If you want a multiple-entry visa, give the officer the evidence to justify one.
Criminal Record Warning Before You Apply
This is the issue that catches applicants off guard most often. A single criminal conviction, even a misdemeanor, can make you inadmissible to Canada. The most common example is a DUI. Since December 2018, Canada treats impaired driving as serious criminality because the maximum Canadian sentence for that offense is 10 years’ imprisonment.12Canada.ca. Convicted of Driving While Impaired One DUI can bar you from entering the country.
Section 36 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act defines “serious criminality” as an offense that carries a maximum Canadian sentence of at least 10 years, and “criminality” as indictable offenses with lower maximum sentences.13Department of Justice Canada. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – Section 36 Canadian officers translate your foreign offense into its Canadian equivalent, so a DUI charged as a misdemeanor under U.S. law is still assessed against the 10-year Canadian maximum.
Three paths can restore eligibility:
- Deemed rehabilitation, available automatically if at least 10 years have passed since you completed your sentence (including fines and probation) and the offense carries a Canadian maximum below 10 years. For DUI convictions after December 2018, deemed rehabilitation generally isn’t available.14Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Rehabilitation for Persons Who Are Inadmissible to Canada Because of Past Criminal Activity
- A criminal rehabilitation application, filed once five years have passed since you completed all parts of your sentence. It permanently removes the inadmissibility but takes over a year to process.
- A Temporary Resident Permit, a discretionary permit for a single trip or a defined period up to three years. The fee is $200 CAD, and the officer weighs the reason for your visit against the seriousness of the offense.15Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. What Is the Temporary Resident Permit Fee Waiver for Criminal Inadmissibility
If you have any conviction on your record, work out how it translates under Canadian law before you apply or arrive at the border. A refusal creates an immigration record that follows you.
What to Expect at the Border
A visa lets you board the plane or approach the border. It does not guarantee entry. The border services officer at the port of entry makes the final call.16Canada.ca. Visitor Visa – Prepare for Your Arrival The officer verifies your identity, may ask about the purpose and length of your visit, and must be satisfied you’ll leave when your authorized stay ends.
Most visitors are authorized to stay up to six months. If the officer stamps your passport with a specific date, that date is your deadline. If there’s no stamp, your authorized stay is six months from the day you entered, or the day your passport expires, whichever comes first.17Canada.ca. Visitor Visa – About the Document Giving false or incomplete answers to the officer results in denial of entry.