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Canada visitor visa: application steps

Quick answer

Start with Canada’s official entry checker. If you need a visitor visa, follow IRCC’s instructions to choose the appropriate application channel and use its personalised checklist. An eTA is a separate route; the newer IRCC Portal is not available to every applicant.

Official visitor visa steps Prepare a document copy

Reviewed 27 Oct 2026 against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · Check entry requirements · New IRCC Portal eligibility · IRCC Portal process · IMM 5257 instructions · Official photograph specifications

In this guide
  1. Official screenshots and examples
  2. 1. Check what you need to enter Canada
  3. 2. Choose the application channel IRCC gives you
  4. 3. Gather your personalised checklist
  5. 4. Complete the forms for that channel
  6. 5. Check the photograph instructions
  7. 6. Review, submit and follow biometrics messages
  8. 7. Follow IRCC’s next steps
  9. Prepare supporting copies, keep official forms intact
  10. Questions

Visual guide · reviewed 27 Oct 2026

Official screenshots and examples

Public authority guidance captured on 27 October 2026. Use the linked official page for the current instructions and your application’s own checklist.

  1. 1. Start with the current IRCC instructions

    Use the public visitor application page to find the channel and instructions for your own circumstances. Follow the checklist provided by your actual application.

    Public guidance · captured 27 October 2026. Personalised application screens are not shown.

    Full image Official source

1. Check what you need to enter Canada

Use the official checker with your nationality, travel document and method of travel. A visitor visa and an eTA are different routes. Follow separate official instructions for work, study or immigration.

2. Choose the application channel IRCC gives you

Read the current visitor application instructions before creating or using an account. Eligibility for the newer IRCC Portal is limited; do not assume every visitor should use it. Follow the channel directed for your circumstances.

3. Gather your personalised checklist

Use the checklist provided by your application channel and any local visa-office requests. Read the instructions for each file instead of applying one size limit to every upload.

4. Complete the forms for that channel

IMM 5257 is used for the IRCC secure-account or paper route as instructed; it is not required for an IRCC Portal application. Where it is requested, follow the original form’s completion and validation instructions and retain that original file.

5. Check the photograph instructions

Follow the photograph instructions in your actual IRCC checklist without digital alteration. Use the printed temporary-resident-visa specifications only when printed photographs are requested; they are not a universal digital-upload specification.

6. Review, submit and follow biometrics messages

Review your application and pay official fees yourself through IRCC’s instructed channel. Follow the biometrics letter and appointment instructions if requested.

7. Follow IRCC’s next steps

Monitor the channel you used for further document requests, passport instructions and the decision. Do not send your passport or assume approval merely because you prepared the supporting files.

Prepare supporting copies, keep official forms intact

Use your application’s checklist and upload instructions for each supporting scan. Enter those requirements in custom document preparation, then inspect small text, stamps and every required page. These settings are your requirements, not a government-verified preset.

Keep original government forms and barcode confirmations. Do not flatten, resize or compress a validated form or confirmation through the document-copy tool; follow the authority’s instructions for that original file.

Questions

Should everyone use the newer IRCC Portal?

No. IRCC limits access by application circumstances. Start with its visitor application instructions and account options.

Do I need IMM 5257 in the IRCC Portal?

The official IMM 5257 page distinguishes secure-account and paper applications from IRCC Portal applications. Follow your selected channel’s checklist; do not flatten a validated form into an image PDF.

Is there one file limit for every Canadian application?

Use the requirements beside each upload in your actual application. This guide does not publish a universal portal cap.

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