How to apply for Canada visa
Step by step guide on how I prepared my documents for my Canada tourist visa application online from the Philippines. After going through the entire process, this is my recommended chronological order.
- Create a GCKey Canada account
Go to http://cic.gc.ca
You will be asked to create your own security questions and answers.
Tip: your Canadian visa application must not exceed 3 months before your travel date or you will have to re-apply again. A family of 4 got denied before me for their travel date was December and it was August at the time of their application.
I personally applied 1 month and 15 days before my travel date.
- Click Start an application – Apply to come to Canada
At this point, do not worry about the documents yet.
Answer the step by step questionnaire so it will give you the type of visa you qualify for and the list of required documents based on your choices.
You will have 60 days to complete your Canadian visa application online so you can save your progress and log back in.
Tip: for each question, there will be a small question mark icon at the end of the sentence if you need clarification. (Example: what to fill out for Given name or who is considered family member you can add together with your application)
I recommend having the CIC help center page open as you go through the questionnaire. - Gather the required documents
After the questionnaire, it will give you the list of documents you need to provide. (Note: the documents required on this list is based on the choices I answered in the questionnaire, you may get a different list)
Click on the small question mark icon to know some examples of those documents.
Ways to submit your documents
Online
You must compile the documents required in a pdf for each section.
Tips on how to compile your documents into a pdf below.
Paper application
Should you choose to provide paper documents instead, You can visit the nearest Canadian visa application center and link your paper application to your Canada Visa GCKey account - Prepare your certificates and photo.
I requested my bank certificates, bank statements, investment certificates, employment letter then have my photo taken.
Tip for the letter of employment, make sure it contains your position, length of employment and income; the full address and phone numbers for the company and the name and position of the person signing the letter. - Prepare to photograph/scan your documents.
You don’t really need a scanner device as long as your phone takes good pictures.
I used my Mi9 Phone to capture my documents.
I recommend using Adobe Scan app to photograph your documents.
Not only does it take good photos of your documents, but you can also directly rearrange the photos and create a pdf.
You also have the option to save your pdf in Adobe Cloud and retrieve it on your desktop using Adobe Reader DC.
Tip: Use the auto color feature if your documents are colored, and grayscale feature if the documents are black and white. It makes the text more clear and readable.
Crop out unnecessary white areas on the page edges using the crop option.
Tip for capturing passport pages: Place a sheet of glass on top to keep it flat. I used the glass of a picture frame.
For the best lighting, place a lamp in front of your documents and at the side to avoid shadows. - Create a checklist for each pdf
For my travel history, I inserted a page that summarizes my travel history in this format. Used Google Sheets to create the table, and saved it as a pdf.
Travel history table heading:
From(yyyy-mm-dd) | To (yyyy-mm-dd) | Length (#of days) |Destination (City, Country) | Purpose of visit
For Proof of Financial Support, I inserted a page with a summary of the list of documents and category, example:
Bank Certificates/Bank Statements | Name of Bank, Acct#, Balance: (Currency, Amount)
Investments | Certificate document # XXXX
Property | Land Title #, Vehicle Registration
Employment | Certificate of employment from XXX company, Payslips, Tax return
Business |
Supplemental Income | (other regular sources of income apart from your employment)
Tip: Include the receipts of your bank certificates/statements in the pdf. - Client information (Under Optional Documents)
From my research, these are the 4 things officers look for in an application:
1. purpose of travel
2. how long are you staying, why are you staying this amount of days? (itinerary)
3. how will you fund your trip? Do you have a stable source of income to support your trip duration without going broke when you return?
4. Are you going to leave Canada after your travel date? What will make you return to your own country? (Ties to your home country)
5. Are you truthful in your answers in the application?
I provided a tl;dr letter that says Who am I, what I do for work, how long I’ve been working with XX company, why I want to visit Canada (make it a personal story but still sounding respectful and formal), my travel timeline showing my arrival and departure date, point of entry and exit, and why I need to return to the Philippines after the visit.
Note that for each reason you mention in (reason to return), Make sure you have the document that supports it.
Example: to support my reason to return after my visit, I included an event contract and its receipt our company will be participating in after my travel date. - Pay your visa application and biometrics fee
Once you submit your application, you will get a pdf the day after confirming your submission, a biometrics instruction letter.
- Schedule an appointment at VSF Global
Print out your biometrics instruction letter, schedule an appointment and bring your passport. After submitting your biometrics, there’s nothing to do but wait for the original passport request letter then that’s the time you submit your passport.
Here’s my application timeline – Canadian embassy Manila processing time:
July 29, 2019 – Submission online
July 31, 2019 – Biometrics collection instruction letter
August 6, 2019 – Biometrics completed
August 15, 2019; 8:38 AM- Acknowledgement of biometrics
August 15, 2019; 3:38 PM – Original passport request
August 16, 2019 – submitted the passport to VSF Global. At the end of the day, it was dispatched to IRCC office.
August 19, 2019 – under process at the IRCC Office
August 20, 2019 – dispatched from the IRCC Office to the Canada Visa Application Centre. Couriered from the Canada Visa Application Centre.
August 21, 2019 – Received my passport through courier.
Do you really need a flight reservation from a travel agency?
I did not make any flight reservations as this visa application is a chicken and egg problem. I submitted a screenshot of my intended flight using SkyScanner app. Although I did have a booking reference code of my (unpaid) flight reservation.
I used PDF24 to rearrange, insert documents, and compress the size to fit the 4mb requirement.
It’s straightforward to use, and best of all, it’s free!
It depends on your purpose.
Benefits of paper application
As long as your documents are complete. You only need 1 visit to the visa application center, 2 if you decide to pick up your passport in person instead of having it couriered back to you.
When you submit your documents, your biometrics will also be collected. Then you can also link your paper application to your GCKey.
You can even do your entire application at the VSF office for they have the facilities to help you complete your application for a fee. Some of the services include having someone assist you to fill out your application form, photocopying your documents, having your picture taken, using their computers and scanning your documents. This could actually be a better option than seeking assistance from travel agencies.
Benefits of online application
If you have other travel plans while your application is still ongoing, you can use your passport until they request for it to stamp your visa. You have 30 days to submit your passport.
In the Philippines, I’m not really sure if submitting an online application is a benefit. The traffic going to the visa application center is really horrible. Makati has become very inaccessible to go around. You need to do 2 trips to the visa application center, one for providing your biometrics, and another for submitting your passport. 3 trips if you decide to pick up your passport in person.
It seems that going with the paper application saves you more time.
Be truthful in answering this question. (They can find out) In my case, I have been denied a US Visa and I indicated it in my application.
Poor Traveller’s blog post – contains full instructions and examples of each required document, his timeline, and process.
It’s Nike Neverland – shows actual examples of documents she provided (letter of invitation, itinerary, flight booking, etc)
Quora: As a visa officer, what do you wish applicants knew? – insight on what officers are looking for in an application.
Canada Visa Forum (third party website) – case studies and timelines of other applicants from all over the world.
