Visitors are persons who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, and are legally authorized to enter Canada to visit or conduct business, etc.

Unless they are citizens of a visa-exempt country, individuals who wish to enter Canada for a temporary purpose, such as tourists, temporary foreign workers (individuals with work permits) and international students (individuals on study permits) must apply for and be granted a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). The TRV is a document issued by a Canadian Immigration Visa Office outside Canada, showing that the holder has satisfied the requirements for admission to Canada as a visitor.

You must:

• satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay,
• show that you have enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home,
• not intend to work or study in Canada unless authorized to do so,
• be law abiding and have no record of criminal activity,
• not be a risk to the security of Canada,
• provide any additional document requested by the officer to establish your admissibility, and
• be in good health (complete a medical examination if required).

Typically, when officers are satisfied that the foreign nationals are admissible, entry is granted for a six-month period, unless they hold a Parent and Grandparent Extended Stay Temporary Resident Visa (PG-1 or letter of introduction from the visa office), in which case, entry may be granted for up to 2 years. You may stay up to six months in Canada. If you would like to extend your stay, you should apply at least 30 days before your current status expires.