Every year, more than 35 million people visit Canada. Many of these people must apply for a Visitor Visa (formally referred to as a Temporary Resident Visa) under Canadian Immigration laws.  The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires all visitors, except those exempt by regulation, to obtain a Visitor Visa before coming to Canada. Visitor Visa applicants must demonstrate to visa officials that they have significant family, social, economic and cultural ties to their country of origin and that they have sufficient means to support themselves during their visit to Canada. Applicants must also satisfy visa officials that there is no risk that they will overextend their visit to Canada.

Citizens of certain countries must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa at a Canadian mission prior to entering Canada. Certain visitors to Canada are exempt from the requirement to apply for a visa.

In most cases, a visitor’s status does not allow an individual to work or attend school in Canada.  An applicant for a Temporary Resident Visa must undergo a medical examination if:

• The applicant has resided or sojourned for a period of six consecutive months, at any time during the one-year period immediately preceding the date they sought entry or made their application, in an area that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration determines, after consultation with the Minister of Health, has a higher incidence of serious communicable disease than Canada
• an immigration officer or the Immigration Division has reasonable grounds to believe the applicant is inadmissible on health grounds

A Temporary Resident Visa obtained overseas can either be issued on a single-entry basis or a multiple-entry basis and it is valid for up to five years.

To be able to visit Canada, visitors:

• Must be healthy and might require a medical examination
• Must respect Canadian laws
• Will need a valid passport, proof of identity or other travel documents
• Will need a Visitor Visa if they are from certain countries
• May need a letter of invitation.

Upon arriving in Canada, visitors will be asked a few short questions by an Immigration officer. The officer will stamp the visitor's passport or advise the visitor how long he/she may stay in Canada.

After arriving, a visitor may want to change the conditions of his/her visit. This is possible in special cases and must be done before the visitor's status as a temporary resident expires.

Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors. Visitors should ensure they have health insurance to pay their medical costs before they leave for Canada.