How to Apply for the Courtesy Visa?

Who is Eligible for Canada Courtesy Visa?

You must follow a few requirements to be eligible for a Courtesy Visa. Applicants must justify why the government should give them this visa. Courtesy visa is equal to a Diplomatic visa.

To receive the Courtesy visa, first, you must be eligible for the Temporary Resident visas. You should have the following requirements too:

• You must have a significant position in your government.
• The Canadian government should have an agreement or bilateral interest in your country.
• You should have an official invitation from an international institution or the Canadian government to come to Canada.
• A valid passport from your government, valid for longer than the time you will spend in Canada.
• You must have official duties in Canada.

If you have these requirements, the Canadian Embassy might ask for more proof. You should convince them why they should give you this visa.

If you can’t prove you are eligible, you get rejected right away. The only way after this is to apply for a different sort of Canada visa.

How to Apply for the Courtesy Visa?

The process of application for Courtesy Visa is different from other Resident Visas. It is a bit like the Diplomatic and Official Visa. If you have the mentioned requirements and want to visit Canada for official duties, you can submit your direct visa application to the Canadian Embassy.

In case your documents are not in French or English, you should have them translated. You should also get the verification that translation is correct.

Step 1. Eligibility

The first step in the application for a Canada courtesy visa is to be eligible. You can read the parts above to see whether you are eligible or not. Please note that the visa you apply for must suit the purpose of your visit.

Step 2. Gathering the Requirements

Besides the required documents for any Canada visa application, you have to submit these documents:

• A valid passport issued from the government.
• Your financial reports to prove you have enough money to afford the trip to Canada.
• One of the following statements:
  
  • A written letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accredit the head of mission or post.
  • A formal request for a diplomatic mission or consular post of your government.
  •  An international organization written request. It should be in the Temporary Worker Guidelines.
  • Secretaries of the International Civil Aviation Organization letter for the diplomat or official will work with them. It must be on behalf of the Secretary-General or signed by him.
  •  Different invitations from an international agency or governmental institution in Canada.
• Your Declaration Letter to the Canadian Government explaining why they should give you the Courtesy Visa
• The details of your official duties in Canada, in one itinerary.
• Visa photos according to the Canada photo requirements.

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Step 3. Appointment with the Canadian Embassy

You should schedule an appointment with the Canadian embassy or consulate in your home country. You could get a date through their website or by phone. When the date comes, you should attend it in person. Don’t forget to bring your requirements and passport.

When you submitted the requirements, you have to pay the fee. If officials ask about your biometrics, you have to pay the fee for it as well.

As you are not an official or diplomat, the Embassy may ask for your Biometric information. They might even ask you to go through a medical examination.

If they asked this, you should submit:

• Your photos
• Fingerprints
• Go through the necessary tests and submit the medical form to a licensed doctor
• The results of the test and the mentioned documents.

You Might have to go through an interview. The Canadian visa officer will ask you about the purpose of your visit and your background.

Step 4. Processing

When you finished all procedures during your appointment, you have to wait. You must wait until your visa gets processed. The processing time for Canada courtesy visa depends on:

1. The country you apply from.
2. Your special case.
3. The Canadian embassy or consulate workload.

If your application gets approved, the officials will send it to you. If get rejected, they will send you a letter explaining the reason.

The Processing Time for a Canada Courtesy Visa

It could take one week to two months for the Consulate to process your application. It much depends on:

• The country you apply from.
• Your special case.
• The Canadian embassy or consulate workload.

Please remember that the Courtesy Visa is not an ordinary visa, and the Embassy rarely approves it. This is why you should have a strong case to get approves

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What are the Courtesy Visa fees?

The application fee costs C$100 for all Temporary Resident Visas, so it is for the Courtesy Visa. If you should give your Biometrics information, you should pay its fee of C$85.

In the end, to get your passport processed, you should pay the processing fee of around C$45.

How Long is the Courtesy Visa Valid?

The Courtesy Visa is usually valid for up to 3 years. It is also often a multiple-entry visa. Please remember that a Canada courtesy visa is a non-immigrant (short-stay visa). You can not stay in the country for longer than six months at a time.

If your official duties are not complete, you must leave the country and enter again.

Can You Bring Your Dependents Under a Courtesy Visa?

As the Courtesy Visa is like the Diplomatic and Official Visa, you may bring your dependents with you to Canada. In this case, your dependents are your spouse and under 22 children.

If your children are over 22, they can go with you only if they are full-time students. If your children are over 25, they may not accompany you. They have to apply for a Canada Tourist Visa.

As well as your family members, some service staff may come with you if they come to one of these categories:

• Private Servants.
• Live-in Caregivers.

Let’s sum up…

In this blog, we explained all about the Canada Courtesy visa.

We explained the requirements for a Courtesy visa, application process, fees, processing time, a few FAQs, etc.

You can find all the Canada visa information in the world here.

To find out more about the visa that suits you, go through the menu of the site. You can find all types of Canada visas at the left sidebar.

You can check the Visa Library website to find more information about other countries’ visas.

In case you have some experience, please write it down in the comment section. Your comments let the readers choose better and avoid mistakes. Conveying your experiences as comments is a great help for applicants.