How to Prepare a Strong Canadian Visitor Visa Application

My name is Paul and I’m a Canadian Immigration Lawyer. I deal with a lot of visitor visa applications, especially those who have been refused before. 

I had a client who was trying to get her daughter to Canada. She was refused a visitor visa twice before coming to me for advice. We made improvements and applied again. The application was refused for the third time. But this time, I knew we had a strong case, so we applied for reconsideration, which is a way to challenge a visitor visa refusal. 2 weeks later, the visitor visa came back approved. And so, I have a good idea of what makes a strong visitor visa application.

It’s okay if you do not have every document I mention in this video, these are just the recommended visitor visa requirements in Canada. Everyone has a different situation. If you want more detail into your specific situation, here is a link to schedule a consultation. 

Otherwise, my goal is to give you the information you need to prepare the strongest application possible. 

Visitor visa applications have 3 main requirements:

• Purpose of Visit 

• Financials

• Ties to Home 

These 3 requirements are what visa officers will look at to determine if they should approve or refuse your application. 

Let’s get into it:

Number 1: Purpose of Visit

People visit Canada for many reasons. The main ones are:

• Family

• Tourism

• Networking

• Business

You can have more than 1 purpose for visiting Canada. You don’t have to pick one. Be honest in your application. If you’re coming on vacation and also want to visit family in Canada, then you have 2 purposes for your visit. 

Your reason for visiting will be written in your Purpose of Travel Letter. 

You can separate the purpose of travel letter into 5 sections:

First is the purpose of the visit. If you're visiting family, talk about why you're visiting them and the nature of your relationship.  If you're coming for business, the purpose should be related to attending business meetings, conferences, or trade shows. Talk about why it’s important for you to be in Canada and your role in your company. 

Second is the travel itinerary. If you’re planning to visit many locations in Canada, it’s good to have a list of places you’re planning to visit along with accommodations and planned activities. 

Third is financials. Outline the expenses for your trip and how much you have reserved. Also, explain the source of your funds - is it from your job, savings, gifts from family members, etc. 

Fourth is home ties. Talk about your life back home and the commitments you have. You want to show the officer that you need to leave Canada.  This can be your job, family, school, business, and more.

Finally, at the end of your letter, list each supporting document. 

This helps the Visa Officer better understand your file and avoids them overlooking important documents.

Number 2: Financials

How much money do you need to show for a visitor visa application?

It’s a bit of a gray area here since there is no specific rule. It depends on how long you're planning to visit and what activities you’ll be doing. Visa officers want to see that you can reasonably cover the cost of your trip. This includes flights, hotels, transportation, food, and any activities. In the purpose of the travel letter that I previously discussed, you would lay out your budget for the trip. 

To showcase your finances, you need bank statements. Depending on your country of citizenship, you may need to give a 3-6 months history of bank statements. You can check in the visa office instructions associated with your country. 

As a general rule, the more funds you show, the better. You don’t want to show the bare minimum for the trip. For example, if you’re coming for 5 days and you only show $5,000, a visa officer may question your intention to return home. This is because they only see $5,000 in your name and nothing else. You want to show as much as possible. This includes your income sources. 

If you’re married, you can pool your funds with your spouse. If your parents or close family members give you money, you can include their financials. But make sure to get a proper letter of support from them, confirming how much money they plan to give you. 

If they transfer you the money, you want to get a gift deed to prove it was a gift. Any large deposits that are unusual in your bank statements should also be explained. Otherwise, a visa officer can doubt the credibility of those funds. An example can be gifts, selling a car, or any jewelry. 

Number 3: Ties to Home

This is arguably one of the main reasons people get refused visitor visas. It means the officer was not convinced you would leave Canada and return home after your visit. You want to avoid the perception of showing no life back home. Any indication that you’re coming to Canada to apply for refugee status will get you refused. 

Here are examples to show strong home ties:

Family

Family can be a big reason to return home. Especially if your spouse or young child did not come with you. You should try to include support letters from your close family members. If any of your family members rely on you for financial or emotional support, mention it! That can be a great reason to go back home. 

I have clients who are the breadwinners of their families. Their job provides for their family. So why would someone want to leave the country, lose their job and abandon their family like that? Now, that’s a strong tie to home. I have other clients who take care of their elderly parents and so they cannot be away for too long. These are examples of family ties to highlight in your application. 

Employment

A good paying and secure job is a great reason to return home. Talk about how long you’ve been working and why it wouldn’t make any sense to leave that job or career behind to stay illegally in Canada. This is especially true for those who financially provide for their families. 

An employment letter, pay stubs and tax returns are important here. The employment letter should mention your start date, position, salary and any benefits. 

One thing about employment letters that I want to mention. If you can, it’s always a good idea to show job security in the employment letter. What do I mean by that? Getting your employer to mention that you’re taking time off for a trip to Canada or a leave of absence does a better job of showing the officer that you need to return to work after your visit. Or if you have vacation time, you can mention that in the employment letter.

Business

If you’re a business owner, talk about the nature of the business and the role you play in it. Can you step away from the business while you're traveling to Canada? Is there anyone to manage the business while you’re away? Is your physical presence needed to run the business, and if so, why?

These are good questions to think about.

For proof of your business, you can include:

• Business license or registration

• Proof of business operations, like recent client invoices

• Tax returns 

• Pictures

• And anything else you can think of. 

Properties and Cars

Owning property, whether residential or investment, can be used as a reason to return home. If you are the legal heir to your parents' property, that is something to mention. Now, not everyone has a home, especially if you’re young. And that’s ok. Property ownership alone is not a strong tie, so don’t think you need to buy a house. The same goes for a car. Everyone has their own unique situation. You have to work with what you have. 

Conclusion

That was an overview of how to look at a visitor visa application and the type of documents you’ll need. 

Visa officers will be looking at your 

• Purpose of Visit 

• Financials; and 

• Ties to Home

You don’t need a lawyer to prepare your application. But if you’re confused, have been refused before or just want proper guidance, we’re here to help. You can book a consultation with me or one of our other lawyers.