When you apply for a visa to visit Canada, it may be helpful to provide a letter of invitation from someone you are visiting in Canada, particularly if you are staying with this person.
A letter of invitation does not guarantee that you will be issued a visa but it may assist the visa officer in assessing the case you have put forth to visit Canada.
NOTES FOR THE HOST
Writing a letter of invitation does not mean you are legally responsible for the visitor once he or she gets to Canada. You should still write the letter in good faith. You must tell the truth and plan to keep the promises you make in the letter. Send your letter to the person you are inviting to Canada. The person must then send this letter to the Canadian embassy or consulate outside of Canada when he or she applies for a temporary resident visa.
In some circumstances the visa office will request that you have your letter notarized or commissioned. Since we do not know if this request will occur or not and to prevent delays in application processing it is often beneficial to have the letter notarized or commissioned prior to submission.
A notarized letter indicates that you stand behind the words that you have written and that the letter came from you, the host. Notarizing the letter will strengthen the overall application.
Writing the Letter:
You must include this information about the person you are inviting:
complete name,
date of birth,
address and telephone number,
your relationship to the person,
the purpose of the trip,
how long the person plans to stay in Canada,
where the person will stay, and how he or she will pay for things, and
when the person plans to leave Canada.
You must include this information about yourself:
complete name,
date of birth,
address and telephone number in Canada,
job title,
whether you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
a photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada, such as
a Canadian birth certificate, if you were born in Canada,
a Canadian citizenship card, if you are a naturalized citizen, or
a copy of your PR card or your IMM 1000 proof of landing,
details of your family, such as names and dates of birth of your spouse and dependents (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa), and
the total number of people living in your household, including people you sponsored whose sponsorship is still in effect (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa).
For the parent and grandparent super visa only, you must also provide:
a written and signed promise of your financial support for your parents or grandparents for their entire stay in Canada, and
proof that your income meets or is above the low-income cut-off (LICO) for the total number of people, including the visiting parents or grandparents.
For more information about our services or to notarize a document for immigration click here.
About Us
Immigration Station Canada is a dedicated, professional Canadian Immigration firm practicing out of Northumberland County, just east of Toronto, in Canada. We serve clients from Kingston, Belleville, Brighton, Cobourg, Oshawa, the GTA, Guelph, Milton, Stratford and St. Catharines and around the world. Our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, Anne C. McCaughey (Annie) is an experienced immigration services provider and a fifth generation Canadian who values the immigration process and the unique individuals who immigrate to Canada to become part of the fabric of this wonderful country. If you would like to submit a question to Ask Annie, use the link located at the top right of the page.
How Can We Help?
We do work permits, study permits, visitor visas, Express Entry, spousal sponsorship, family class sponsorship, and Canadian citizenship with an expertise in Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications and Global Talent Stream applications.
Please contact us if you would like assistance with your immigration application or to book an appointment.
