A completed visa application form is required for most visas issued by the Canadian government. You can download the form as a PDF from the Canadian Embassy website (see Resources). Questions on the visa application include basic questions about you, such as name, address and phone number. You'll also need to provide information about your passport, citizenship, work, itinerary, and the reason for your visit. Any application that's not submitted in French or English must be accompanied with a certified translation, which can be obtained from a certified translation service. There are several companies that provide this service, including most contract law firms (see Resources).
A valid passport is required if you're seeking a Canadian visa. Your passport should expire at least three months after the time you plan on entering the country. The length of the visa cannot extend past your passport's expiration date.
If you're planning on visiting with close friends or family, the people that you're going to visit must write a letter stating that they're inviting you to the country and that they'll be supporting your stay while you're in Canada. The original letter will need to be submitted by you with your completed application.
If you're coming to Canada for business purposes, you must submit a letter from your employer that states your intentions for being in the country and what you'll be doing while you're in the country.
If you're a United States citizen traveling to Canada, you'll need to show verification of citizenship—this can be proven with a birth certificate, passport or naturalization certificate. If you're flying into Canada, a United States passport is required to reenter the United States.
If you currently live in the United States and you're not a citizen, you must be able to prove that you're a legal resident of the United States. This can be done with a green card, the proper endorsement on your passport and a valid government-issued picture ID that has your address printed on it. Proper endorsement on your passport will be the United States visa that you obtained when you were legally issued nonimmigrant residency status in the United States.
If you have temporary residency status, you must provide a completed application form along with your U.S. nonimmigrant visa, your immigration card and proof of ties to the United States. This proof can be established with proof of intention to return (a return ticket), employment (a job established in the United States) or proof of studies (proof of enrollment in a school in the United States).
Government officials at the port of entry will determine if you can enter Canada if you cannot establish your identity, if you fail to show that you can support yourself while in the country, if you appear to not want to return to the United States, or if you have a criminal conviction.
