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Entry Visa & eTA

Whether you need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) depends on your country of citizenship. The Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website can help you identify whether a visa is required for entry into Canada.

UPDATEs FOR 2024

Mexican citizens

As of 11:30 p.m. Eastern time on February 29, 2024, only Mexican citizens who hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years and are travelling by air on a Mexican passport are able to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA). Those who do not meet these conditions will need to apply for a Canadian visitor visa.

All eTAs issued to Mexican passports before 11:30 p.m. Eastern time on February 29, 2024, are no longer valid — except for eTAs linked to Mexican passports with a valid Canadian study or work permit. Mexican citizens travelling to Canada without a valid work or study permit will need to apply for a TRV or reapply for a new eTA—if they are eligible.

Mexican citizens holding a valid study or work permit can still travel by air to Canada with their existing eTA as long as it remains valid, and they can continue to study or work in Canada based on the validity and conditions of their permit.

Details from IRCC.

Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs)

PALs are not required for TRV or eTA applications. Unfortunately, IRCC’s pre-application questionnaire might ask you whether you have a PAL. The ‘How to Apply’ section below has been updated to provide instructions about how to respond.

The Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is a sticker placed on your passport by Canadian immigration officials that allows you to travel to Canada. It is also sometimes called a visitor visa or entry visa. The TRV is granted automatically when a study or work permit application made outside of Canada is approved.

Expiry of the TRV

Your visa only needs to be valid when you enter Canada. After that, it is the study permit (or Post-Graduation Work Permit – if you have already graduated and received one) that allows you to remain in Canada.

If you plan to travel outside of Canada and your original TRV is going to expire before you plan to return, you will need to apply for a new TRV.

If you are a short-term student that is exempt from the requirement for the study permit but need a TRV to enter Canada, you should apply once you have your letter of acceptance and any other required documents.

If you are a current student with an existing study permit, you can apply at any time since the TRV is not what gives you status in Canada.

Check the estimated Temporary Resident Visa (TRV or visitor visa) processing times for guidance when deciding the best time to apply for your situation. Please note that estimated processing times do not include the delivery of your passport to and from the visa office.

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Watch our guide on Visa Renewal Part I : Introduction & Required Documents (Requires logging-in with UTORid)

Important:  Your answers on the online eligibility questionnaire determine which documents you must submit. These are standard requirements, but be prepared to provide other documents if requested by IRCC. 

  • Application form for a Visitor Visa (IMM5257)
    • Look for the title at the top of the application, or the code at the bottom-left corner of each page.
    • This form is not required for applications through the IRCC Portal. It is only required when applying through the IRCC Secure Account.
  • Recent Education Transcript
    • IRCC says that it can be an official transcript or one that is printed from the University’s website, but we recommend you order an e-transcript.
    • Transcripts for immigration purposes can be issued to your own address, and then shared with IRCC.
  • Canadian work or study permit (if you have one)
  • Confirmation of enrollment stating that you will be enrolled in the next semester (for current students)
    • Letter available on ACORN or from your Registrar’s Office.
      • Should include your:
        • Name,  
        • student number,  
        • enrollment status, and;  
        • expected graduation date.  
    • Students returning from a leave of absence should have confirmation of eligibility to re-enrol. 
  • Letter of acceptance (for new students)
    • Should include your:
      • Name,  
      • student number, and;  
      • expected start and end dates of program.
  • Proof of financial support
    • IRCC expects you to prove access to funds to cover a minimum of one year’s tuition plus $20,635 CAD (as of January 1, 2024) for living expenses. Additional funds are required if you are bringing a spouse/partner and/or children. Learn more on our Bring Your Dependants page. 
    • Details about more realistic living costs can be found on the U of T Financial Planning Calculator.  
    • Immigration officers expect you to show proof of enough funds to pay for at least one year tuition plus living expenses. How you prove access to funds depends on where they come from:
      • If funds are in your account, bank statement(s) with your name. Four to six months of bank statements are recommended.  
      • If funds are coming from the University or other institutional source, a letter detailing funding.  
      • If funds are coming from family or other individuals, a letter confirming their willingness to support you and documentation showing they have enough money to do so. This should include bank statements and income statements (or a letter of employment stating position and salary).   
      • If you have already paid tuition, you can provide proof of payment from by accessing your invoice on ACORN.  
  • Copies from your passport or travel document
    • Including the biographical data page and all pages with visas, stamps or markings (your passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond the expected date of your arrival to Canada).  
    • If you’ve got a brand new passport, you can provide copies from both your new and old passports, but put the new passport first, and mark it as ‘New Passport’ if possible. 
  • Passport-style photograph
    • Taken within the last six months following IRCC recommendations, noting that the frame size specifications do not apply for digital photos. 
  • $100 CAD processing fee 

You may need other documents, including (but not limited to): 

  • Biometrics (digital fingerprints and photographs)
    • Required by most temporary resident applicants (excluding US citizens) unless they have already submitted them to IRCC in the past 10 years.  
    • If required, an $85 CAD collection fee must be paid.  
    • IRCC provides additional details about requirements and exemptions. 
    • If you have previously submitted biometrics, it is a good idea to confirm that they will not expire during your planned time period in Canada.
  • Immigration medical exam results
    • Only required if you’ve been in a designated country for at least 6 out of the past 12 months or you intend to work in a field where protection of public health is required.
    • IRCC provides detailed information.

IRCC webpage for sign-in to Secure Account for online applications. 

NOTE: If you already hold a study permit, you should NOT use an IRCC Portal account for your TRV application. Students who already have a study permit must use an IRCC Secure account for all TRV applications.

Tips

Applying from WITHIN Canada

If you already have a study permit or work permit and are applying for a TRV from INSIDE Canada, you must adjust your answers on the IRCC pre-application questionnaire:

  • Select “Study” when asked “What you would like to do in Canada?”.
    • If you have recently graduated and have a Post-Graduation Work Permit, you can answer “Work” and you should not be asked about the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
  • If you select “Study” and then see questions about the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), answer them in this way:
    • Do you have a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)?
      • No
    • Do you qualify for an exception?
      • Yes
    • Which exception do you qualify for?
      • “I am an applicant who meets another exception on the IRCC website.”
  • Answer the rest of the questions until it asks if you want to apply for a “Study Permit (in Canada)” or a “Temporary Resident Visa”.
    • Choose “Temporary Resident Visa”
  • When you continue, the first question should be “Which of the following best describes your situation?”
    • Answer either “I have a study permit” or “I have a study permit for a specific institution or level of education” (depending on your permit)
  • Answer the remaining questions.
    • Make sure that your personal application checklist includes “Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) Made Outside of Canada (IMM5257)”.
    • This is the correct application form (pdf), even though you are applying from within Canada.

IRCC also provides additional instructions.

Applying from OUTSIDE Canada

If you already have a study permit or work permit and are applying for a TRV from OUTSIDE Canada:

  • Select “Study” when asked “What you would like to do in Canada?”.
    • If you have recently graduated and have a Post-Graduation Work Permit, you can answer “Work” and you should not be asked about the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
  • If you select “Study” and then see questions about the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), answer them in this way:
    • Do you have a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)?
      • No
    • Do you qualify for an exception?
      • Yes
    • Which exception do you qualify for?
      • “I am an applicant who meets another exception on the IRCC website.”
  • Continue until it asks “Do you have a valid work or study permit, and need a visa to return to Canada?”
    • Choose “Yes, I have a study permit” if you have a study permit
    • Choose “Yes, I have a work permit” if you have a work permit
  • Answer the rest of the questions until it asks if you want to apply for a “Study Permit” or a “Temporary Resident Visa”.
    • Choose “Temporary Resident Visa”
  • When you continue, the first question should be “Which of the following best describes your situation?”
    • Answer either “I have a study permit” or “I have a study permit for a specific institution or level of education” (depending on your permit)
  • Answer the remaining questions.
    • Make sure that your personal application checklist includes “Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) Made Outside of Canada (IMM5257)”.
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Visa Renewal: How to create an IRCC Secure account to apply online (Requires logging-in with UTORid)

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Visa Renewal Part II: The Online Eligibility Questionnaire for a Visa Application (Requires logging-in with UTORid. NOTE: this video only covers INSIDE CANADA visa applications.)

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Visa Renewal Part III: Completing a Visa Application Form IMM [5257] (Requires logging-in with UTORid)

If you are not an American citizen and have not provided biometrics as part of a Canadian immigration application in the past 10 years, you will be required to do so.

Immigration officers may ask you for additional documentation to make a decision about your application. If they ask you to attach the documents to your online application, you will login to your account where you must upload the documents and re-submit the application. IRCC provides specific details about how to do so. Failure to do so will likely result in a refusal of your application.

If you need to notify IRCC about a change, you can use their web form.

If you wish to track the status of your application, you can create a special IRCC “tracker account” to do so (note: this is not the same account where you submitted the online application).

IRCC will notify you through your IRCC account that the application was approved. You will then be asked to send your passport to the appropriate visa office.

If you applied from within Canada, IRCC recommends that you send your passport to the Case Processing Centre in Ottawa using Canada Post’s Xpresspost service and that you include a second pre-addressed Xpresspost envelope for them to return the passport to you.

If you applied from outside Canada, the Visa Application Centre (VAC) may also offer secure passport delivery services. Please note that estimated processing times do not include the delivery of your passport to and from the visa office.

If you are visa-exempt (and not an American citizen), you will be required to have a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) when flying into Canada. Like with the visa, an eTA is granted automatically once a study or work permit application is approved. Unlike with the visa, this happens whether the eTA application is submitted within or outside Canada.

The eTA is valid for up to 5 years or until the expiry date of the passport (whichever comes first). If you need to apply for an eTA on its own, the application is submitted online, and is usually processed in minutes.

Register for a live Question and Answer session (Requires logging-in with JOINid/UTORid)

Frequently Asked Questions

The notation on your TRV does not need to match your permit. It is valid, regardless. You can continue to use your TRV until it expires.

If your TRV was issued as part of a study or work permit application made outside of Canada and the notation on the visa doesn’t match, it will be important to confirm with IRCC that the correct permit was approved.

Because the TRV is used only for entry into Canada, it is allowed to expire after you have arrived. It only must be valid when you enter Canada. As the study permit is what grants you status in Canada, it is the document that must be extended before its expiry date. 

International students who hold an expired TRV may be allowed back into Canada if they travel only to the United States. You may be allowed to re-enter Canada with an expired visa if you meet the following conditions:

  • you hold a valid study permit; and,
  • you return directly to Canada from the USA without having travelled to any other country during that trip.

Where possible, we recommend all students that require a TRV to enter Canada, to have one despite these rules.

Find more information about What to Expect When Entering Canada.

Every refusal is accompanied by a letter that gives some information about the reason for the decision. If you need help understanding it, and your next steps, you can book an appointment with an International Student Immigration Advisor.

Check out our Resources page for more support.