Visiting Canada

Depending on where you live outside Canada and the reason for your visit to Canada, you will need to meet certain visiting entry requirements and you may need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). In case of a person visiting Canada temporarily, the common language used for TRV is a Visitor’s Visa. To see if you are a visa exempt national or not, click here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Important Information for Visa Exempt Nationals:

Even if you are a citizen of a country where you do not require a visa to visit Canada, you must still have a valid passport. All US Citizens require a valid passport to be able to attend our conference in Toronto. If you are a US green card holder, you will require a valid passport and you must be in possession of your valid green card when travelling.

Citizens from other visa exempt countries may have more requirements such as having a machine readable passport or an e-passport to travel to Canada.

For specific information on passport requirements for your country please see the List of Canadian embassies at the following link: http://www.international.gc.ca/ciw-cdm/embassies-ambassades.aspx?lang=eng

Note: a visa exemption does not guarantee you automatic entry into Canada. You must still satisfy an immigration officer that you are admissible as per the requirements that were set out in the link below. If you do not, you may not be allowed to enter Canada.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/apply-who.asp

Information for Nationals who require a visa is included below. As a registered delegate of the 18^th Annual NetIP Conference, it is your responsibility to ensure you have the necessary travel documents and appropriate visa to enter and exit Toronto.

If after reading the information and perusing the links provided below, you continue to have questions regarding your Visa Application to attend the conference, we encourage you to contact our empanelled Immigration Consultant, Monit Soni. Monit is a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) and is a fellow of Canadian Migration Institute (CMI). He is a member in a good standing of Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) and is authorized as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to advise about immigration matters and represent you with the CIC. Monit Soni may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at or by phone at (416) 939-0456

**Please note NetIP is not responsible or liable for any information exchanged between our Immigration Consultant and our conference delegates. We are providing his contact as an added service to our members.

Information for Nationals who require a Visa:

How to Apply:

You have to submit a complete application to a Visa Office at your nearest Canadian Embassy/Consulate. Following is the step by step guide on a Visitor’s Visa Application for Canada:

Step 1: Gather necessary information and documents

Please download the relevant application guide and forms as follows for the applicants applying from within U.S.A.

a) Application for a temporary resident visa to visit Canada (Pilot project):

For applications submitted to the following Canadian visa offices: Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington D.C., you are now required to complete and submit the following application kit:

• Instruction Guide [IMM 5256P]
  > also in PDF format PDF, 240 KB
• Application Form for a Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257 PILOT PROJECT] PDF, 214 KB
• Application for Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257 SCHEDULE 1] PDF, 84 KB
• Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union [IMM 5409] PDF, 97 KB
• Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] PDF, 55 KB
• Document Checklist [IMM 5484] PDF, 29 KB
• Visa application photograph specifications.

Please note that this is a generic application kit. You are encouraged to download the visa specific application kit (if applicable) from the web links in the ‘Where to Apply’ Section.

b) Supporting Documentation:

Please note that being an applicant, the onus is on you to prove your eligibility for the Temporary Resident Visa to the Visa Officer. Most of the times, the decision is made on the basis of the supporting documents you provide to the visa officer at the time of application. Please ensure that apart from the documents listed in the checklist, your application is accompanied by proper supporting documentation. Following is a suggestive but not exhaustive list of supporting documents:

1. Proof of your registration for the conference and all relevant documents such as hotel reservations, tour bookings, travel itinerary, travel insurance etc; whatever is applicable.
2. Proof of your employment such as Employment Confirmation letter from your employer, copies of pay stubs for the last 2-3 months, copy of your I.D Card etc.
3. If you are in business, copy of business registration/incorporation and articles of incorporation, bank statements for the business account for last 12 months (preferably for the last 24 months), business tax returns for the last 3 years.
4. Your personal income tax returns for the last 2 years.
5. If you are accompanied by your spouse, similar documents should be attached for him/her too.
6. Copy of your civil documents such as Social Security Number etc.
7. Copy of your ownership documents of the house or the lease agreement, if you are renting the accommodation.
8. Copy of your personal bank statements for the last 12 months (preferably for the last 24 months), proof of any savings, investments, fixed deposits etc.
9. If you have children and they are staying back in the U.S.A, copies of their birth certificates and/or passports and/or school reports etc.

Step 2: Where to Apply:

Following is the list of Canadian Visa Offices in the United States. Please follow the internet link for the nearest one to download visa office specific application, documentation and application instructions, as applicable:

BUFFALO: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/buffalo

DETROIT: http://www.detroit.gc.ca

LOS ANGELES: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/los_angeles

NEW YORK: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/new_york

SEATTLE: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/seattle

WASHINTON, D.C: : http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/menu-en.asp