Tourist/Visitor Visa

Tourist Visas / Visitor Visas

A visa that allows you to visit a country for a short time on holiday.

A visa generally gives non-citizens clearance to enter a country and to remain there within specified constraints, such as a time frame for entry, a limit on the time spent in the country, and a prohibition against employment. The possession of a visa is not in itself a guarantee of entry into the country that issued it, and a visa can be revoked at any time. A visa application in advance of arrival gives the country a chance to consider the applicant’s circumstance, such as financial security, reason for applying, and details of previous visits to the country. A visitor may also be required to undergo and pass security and/or health checks upon arrival at the border. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter (or exit) a country, and are thus, for some countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country.

The visitor category has different distinct classes

Persons seeking entry into any country as ordinary tourists, or who wish to visit
friends and/or relatives abroad.
Persons who seek entry abroad in order to study for a short term.
Persons who seek entry abroad to take up temporary employment.

Visa Definition
A visa is defined in the Canadian Act as a “document issued or a stamp impression made on a document by a visa officer.” It indicates that the prospective visitor has been prescreened and that the visa officer is satisfied that the visa holder complies with the requirements for admission to Canada.

Security screening of visitors
Definition – it refers to the procedures used to identify persons seeking admission abroad who are, or have been, involved in espionage, subversion, or terrorism.
Purpose – to maintain and protect the safety and good order of Canadian society by preventing the admissions of persons who threaten the internal security of Canada or endanger the lives or the safety of persons in Canada.

Funds
Visitors must be in possession of or have satisfactory evidence of sufficient funds to maintain themselves abroad.

Passport Requirements
Every visitor must be in possession of either a valid and subsisting passport, travel document, or identity document which guarantees his/her readmission to the country of issue.

Medical Requirements
Visitors are required to undergo a medical examination for few countries.

Processing of Visitor Visa Applications

Application Forms – Visitor visas are made on three different forms due to the three distinct classes.
Personal interviews – Visitors will normally be interviewed unless, in the opinion of the visa officer, an interview is deemed to be unnecessary.
Record of Examination – The visa officer will record his/her assessment of all the factors, which will enter into the decision of whether to grant or refuse a visa applicant.