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Canadian Visa Application Guide

by Emme Celera

Philippine passport holders who want to visit or tour around Canada are required to secure a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) prior to their Canada trip.

There are two ways to apply for a TRV a) personal application via the designated Visa Application Center (VAC), or b) online application via the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website.

This application guide outlines the steps you need to take to apply for a TRV ONLINE. The advantage of applying online is that you will no longer have to print the documents thus making the application process cheaper and more efficient.

ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS:

  1. CREATE CIC ACCOUNT

First, create your own CIC Account (GCKey) via the following link:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account.html

Follow the step by step account registration procedure and answer all questions TRUTHFULLY. Afterwards, you will be directed to a page where you’ll see all the documents required to apply for a TRV.

  1. SUBMIT REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Your account dashboard will show all the documents required for your application and instructions on what specific documents to upload under each type of document. You need not submit all documents at once since you have a 30-day period within which to submit all the required documents. You can log in and out of your account to upload documents anytime within the 30-day timeframe.

File types accepted: PDF, JPG, TIFF, PNG, DOC, DOCX

Files allowed per requirement: 1 file only, meaning if you have several documents under Proof of Financial Support (Bank Statements, Bank Certificates, and Payslips), you would need to scan all of these, compile and save them under one file. If the file is too big: you can have the file compressed as the maximum size for each file is 4MB.

After submitting all the requirements, you will be asked for an electronic signature. You need not print or scan anything, you just have to type in your full name and that’ll be considered as your electronic signature.

  1. PAY CORRESPONDING FEES

Cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are all accepted.

Visa Fees: CA$100

Biometrics Fee: CA$85

Upon paying the fees, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your application. You will also receive a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL) with instructions regarding the submission of your biometrics.

  1. SUBMIT BIOMETRICS

To submit your biometrics, you will need to visit the VCA within 30 days upon receipt of the BIL. To schedule, visit this link.

https://www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/philippines/Schedule-An-Appointment.html

Once you have scheduled your submission, print the appointment letter, bring your passport and any other documents indicated in the said letter during your biometrics schedule in either of these two VAC offices:

MAKATI CITY
VFS Global, Canada Visa Application Centre

29th Flr., The World Center Bldg
330 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave, Makati City
07:00am – 03:00pm

CEBU CITY
VFS Global, Canada Visa Application Centre
9F Keppel Center Unit 905 Samar Loop cor. Cardinal Rosales Ave,
Cebu Business Park, Cebu City
07:00am – 03:00pm

  1. CHECK FOR UPDATES

The CIC will send you an email every time a new update has been made on your account. You can then log in to your GCKEy account to check the update.

My timeline when I applied for the TRV:

  • Confirmation of Online Application Transmission       August 27, 2019
  • Submission Confirmation                                            August 27, 2019
  • Biometrics Collection Letter                                        August 28, 2019
  • Correspondence Letter                                               September 11, 2019
  • Original Passport Request                                          September 11, 2019
  • Submission Passport at VAC                                       September 11, 2019
  • Passport Pick-up at VAC                                             September 13, 2019

6. SUBMIT PASSPORT

If your application is denied, you will receive a message of visa denial. If your application is approved, you will get an Original Passport Request message on your CIC account.

You can submit your passport in two ways- in person, by going to the VAC, or by mail. If you want a faster processing, submit your passport personally.

NOTES

  • View and fill out the documents using Adobe Acrobat Reader. When filling out the documents, leave the signature field blank as you will be prompted for an electronic signature later.
  • When applying, a mere roundtrip flight reservation will suffice, you need not purchase the ticket itself. There are travel agencies who can do this for you at a minimal cost.
  • As for hotel booking, look for accommodations that offer full refund in case of a visa denial or those that don’t require prepayment for booking confirmations. If you are staying with a friend or a relative, provide the latter’s address.
  • If you have a sponsor or if you’re invited by a friend or a relative in Canada, you need to the provide the following during your application: a) invitation letter, b) a copy of their citizen card and c) payslips or tax docs
  • Although not required, you can also upload a Letter of Explanation providing the details of your trip. You can also explain your employment status, reasons for visiting Canada and your day-to-day itinerary.

For more information, please visit the Canadian Embassy website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada.html

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