Canada Visitor Visa from India: How to Apply
By Ganesh ·
How Indians apply for a Canada visitor visa: the IRCC online form, fees, biometrics at VFS, the documents that matter and common refusal reasons.
To visit Canada as a tourist from India you apply online for a visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa) on the IRCC website, pay the visa and biometrics fees, give fingerprints and a photo at a Visa Application Centre in India, and then send your passport for the visa to be stamped once it's approved. There's no interview in most cases. The decision rests mainly on your ties to India, your finances and your reason for the trip, so the strength of your documents matters more than anything else.
Fees (approximate)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa fee | About CAD 100 per person |
| Biometrics fee | About CAD 85 per person (family maximum applies) |
| VFS service and passport courier (optional extras) | Varies, roughly ₹1,000–3,000 |
Check the current fees on the official IRCC fee page at canada.ca before paying.
Step by step
- Create an IRCC secure account on canada.ca and choose the visitor visa application.
- Fill in the forms and upload documents (list below). Answer the questions about past travel and refusals honestly; a mismatch is a common reason for refusal.
- Pay the visa and biometrics fees online.
- Book a biometrics appointment at a VFS Global centre (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jalandhar and other cities) within the time given in the biometrics letter.
- Wait for a decision. If approved, you get a passport request; submit your passport at VFS for the visa to be placed.
Documents that usually matter
- Valid passport, plus old passports if you have them.
- Bank statements for the last 4–6 months and income tax returns for 2–3 years.
- Proof of a job or business in India: employment letter with leave approval, salary slips, or business registration and ITRs.
- Travel plan and hotel bookings, or an invitation letter if you're visiting family, with their status in Canada.
- Proof of ties at home: property, family dependants, a course you're returning to.
- Earlier visas for the US, UK, Schengen or Australia help show a travel history.
Why applications get refused
The refusal letter usually says the officer wasn't satisfied you'd leave Canada at the end of your stay. That comes down to weak ties, unexplained large deposits in the bank statement, a vague purpose, or a mismatch between the forms and the documents. If you're refused, read the reasons, fix what you can, and reapply with better evidence rather than resubmitting the same file.
FAQ
How much bank balance do I need?
There's no fixed figure for visitors. Show enough to cover the trip comfortably along with steady income. A sudden large deposit just before applying raises questions unless you explain it.
Can parents visit children in Canada?
Yes, on a visitor visa with an invitation letter. For longer stays there's also the Super Visa for parents and grandparents, which has its own rules on income and medical insurance.
How long is the visa valid?
Officers often issue multiple-entry visas valid for several years or until the passport expires, but each stay is limited, usually up to 6 months, as decided at the border.
Photo: 1 moraine lake pano 2019 by Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
