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The letter should be written on company or personal letterhead and include: contact information of the person extending the invitation; their relationship to you (friend, relative); how long they will host you; what financial commitments they will make during your stay; where in Canada they live; and more.
We’ve gone through the details of what a Canada visitor visa invitation letter is and added sample invitation letters as well. Read on!
Table Of ContentsA Canada visitor visa invitation letter is a simple letter written and signed by someone you have a close relationship with within Canada, inviting you to the country. The person can be your relative, friend, or business partner, but you must have a close relationship with him or her, and they should be able to vouch for your identity and the purpose of your visit.
Whether you are applying for a Canadian temporary resident visa or a business visa, a letter of invitation can strengthen your application.
The person inviting you is basically guaranteeing the Canadian Consulate that you are not giving false information about your reasons to enter Canada, that you will not overstay your visa, and that they can provide you financial support if you can not. However, the invitation letter does not guarantee your visa approval.
Most people intending to visit Canada will not need an invitation letter for a Canada visa. People who are qualified or eligible for an eTA (electronic travel authorization) do not need to include an invitation letter in their application.
Citizens of other countries apart from the United States travelling to Canada have to apply for a paper visa at Consulates or Canadian Embassies. Most of these applications will not require an invitation letter, but applicants are asked to present one in some cases.
The invitation letter only strengthens the visa application with a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or temporary resident (such as a student) backing. It does not guarantee visa approval.
As stated earlier, anyone close to you that resides in Canada can help you write an invitation letter for a Canada visa. The person can be a close relative or friend and must meet the following requirements:
An invitation letter for a Canadian working visa application must come from the Canadian host company. The letter should be written by a representative of the company.
Let’s discuss them one after the other.
What is a Super Visa? It is a visa that allows parents and grandparents to visit their children or grandchildren for a period longer than six months. Since the visa’s validity is longer than that of other Temporary Resident Visas (TRV), the super visa invitation letter must contain some additional information to the ones above.
Children and grandchildren who are inviting their parents or grandparents to Canada have to include the following in the super visa invitation letter:
In some cases, the person inviting you has to notarize the letter of invitation in Canada. However, there’s no way you can tell if the visa officers will ask for a notarized invitation letter. But, it is better to be safe and have a notarized copy prepared and ready for submission in case they request it.
These can help you:
A Commissioner for Oaths or a Notary Public will have to sign your letter or a certificate attached to the letter for your Canada visa invitation letter to be notarized.
The person inviting you to visit Canada should sign and date the letter to make it more official. After this, they can scan it and email it to you. If the Canadian Consulate requests the letter to be notarized, they should do this before sending it.
However, a notarized letter may need to be mailed. Mailing is pretty slow, causing the letter to take longer to arrive. So, in this case, they should not send the notarized letter by regular mail. Instead, they should mail the letter through a service that tracks the letter to prevent it from getting lost.
After receiving the invitation letter, there’s no need to submit it separately from other documents. Instead, if possible, you should submit it when you submit your initial Canadian visa application. Do not wait till the visa office requests you to submit an invitation letter before you do, as this can delay your application.
The writer of the invitation letter is not legally responsible for the person they invite. Visitors are held responsible for their actions once they arrive in the country.
The letter of invitation only helps convince or assure the immigration officers that the visitor has a genuine reason to visit Canada and has financial support (if applicable) and a place to stay.
To give you a clearer picture of everything we’ve discussed, we’ve added an image of a complete letter from a person inviting their close family friend to stay in Canada.
Below is a template of an invitation letter for Canada visa. The italicized words indicate where the person will write the personal information. You can follow this template and include your information:
The Canadian High Commission
(Address of the Embassy)
(Country of the Embassy)
SUBJECT: Letter of Invitation for (Full Legal Name of Applicant as noted on their passport)
Dear Visa Officer,
My name is (Full Legal Name of the Person Inviting) and I am the (relationship to the applicant – daughter, son, brother, sister, spouse, friend, etc.) of (Full Legal Name of Applicant). I am a (current status in Canada – citizen, permanent resident, international student), and I live at (complete Canadian address). My household has (total number of people who live in the home), and I work as (job title, company, and location), earning (monthly or yearly income).
This is to confirm that I am inviting (Full Legal Name of Applicant), born on (date of birth) and currently residing at (the exact address of the applicant) to Canada for a temporary visit. I will be hosting (Name of Applicant) at my residence from (date of arrival) till (departure date).
(Name of Applicant) has strong economic, financial, and family ties to their home country, (Name of Country). He/She currently works (job title and location), and earns (monthly or yearly income) with which they will afford to stay in Canada. (Name of Applicant) is a legitimate visitor who will not overstay their visit in Canada. He/She has visited (Name of other countries the applicant has visited – the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, etc.) in the past and returned back to their home country.
Kindly find attached a copy of my (Proof of status in Canada – Canada citizenship certificate, Canada birth certificate, PR card, study permit, work permit, etc.) and my bank statement for the past six months. [Note: You do not need to provide your bank statement if you will not be financially responsible for the applicant during their visit to Canada.]
Should you require any additional information, you may reach me via my contact information provided below.
(Signature)
(Full Legal Name of the Person Inviting the Applicant)
(Phone Number)
(Email Address)
How can I invite someone to Canada?
You can invite someone to Canada by writing and providing them with a letter of invitation for their Canada visa. Then, they will have to apply to the Canada visa office for a Canada visa at their country of residence. A visa officer will review their application and decide whether to issue a visa or not.
Is invitation letter required for Canadian visa?
No, an invitation letter is not required when applying for a Canadian visa. There’s no need for one if the government does not request it. However, it is recommended that you include a letter of invitation to your Canada visa application, if possible; as this could increase the chances of your visa approval
How do I write an invitation letter?
You can write an invitation letter for Canada visa by yourself. Just look for a template of a good invitation letter on the internet as a starting point to make it easier for you. Also make sure you include the required information as per IRCC guide.
What is proof of relationship for Canada visa?
Proof of the relationship is the evidence that confirms your relationship with the applicant – for example, a birth certificate, an official document that names the applicant as a relative, etc.
Does Canada have a 90 day fiancé visa?
No, Canada does not have a fiancé visa category. Canadians who wish to sponsor their foreign fiancé for permanent residence will need to be married first before applying through the spousal sponsorship category. Alternatively, the fiancé can apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).
Now that you know what an invitation letter for Canada visa is and how to write one don’t forget to include all the necessary information in the letter to prevent any ambiguity.
Remember that providing a letter of invitation from a resident of Canada is not a guarantee that your Canada visa will be approved. However, it certainly helps to provide one.
What if you followed all these steps and your Canada visa was not approved? Learn about the chances of getting a Canada TRV after refusal.
Charee Oisamoje is the founder of CanadaWiz. She leads the editorial team, which is comprised of subject matter experts that aim to create well-researched, highly detailed content related to studying, working, immigrating, and settling/living in Canada as a newcomer.
Charee's personal experiences as a Canadian immigrant and her professional competencies make her uniquely qualified on the subject matter.
With extensive educational credentials, she is an expert at collecting details, verifying facts, and making complex subjects easy to understand. MBA in Finance MScIB CCEA (#CCG 271) CPA Candidate ✔️CIP ✔️BSc Accounting
