Invitation Letter for Canada Visa.
Getting a Temporary Canada Visa means that you will be visiting Canada for a short period, usually 6 months or less. The visit can be for different purposes such as tourism, visiting friends or family, for business, and so on. In some cases, the Canadian Embassy where you are applying will request an invitation letter to Canada from someone you know there.
This article will go through the details of what an invitation letter for a visa is, how to get it, as well as sample invitation letters to Canada that you can use.
What Is an Invitation Letter?
An invitation letter for a visitor visa in Canada is a simple signed letter from someone you know well in Canada inviting you to the country. This person can be your friend, family, or business partner, but it must be someone with whom you have a close relationship and who can verify your identity and purpose for visiting Canada.
The invitation letter is a plea from this person in Canada asking the Canadian Consulate to give you a visa and allow you to enter the country. It also serves as a sort of guarantee from the person inviting you to the Consulate that you are not giving false information about your intentions to enter Canada, that you will leave Canada and not overstay your visa, as well as that they can support you financially if you are not able to.
This letter of invitation will serve as further evidence of why the Canadian Consulate should give you a visa to go to Canada. It is an addition to the rest of the application and can strengthen your case if it meets the requirements.
Who Can Write an Invitation Letter for a Canadian Visa?
As mentioned, an invitation letter for a visa can be written by anyone you know well. It can be a close family member such as a parent, sibling, spouse, child, and so on, a close friend, or a business partner if you are visiting Canada for business.
The important requirement, in any case, is that the person sending the invitation letter is a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada. The person inviting you cannot be an illegal immigrant or not have legal status in Canada. They must have a good standing status as well as a job and stream of income to increase the chances that their letter will have a positive impact on the Canadian Consulate’s decision to give them the visa.
What Are the Requirements for the Invitation Letter to Canada?
The invitation letter for the Canada Visa must meet a few requirements in terms of the information that it should contain. The person writing the letter must include all of the details below or it is a risk that the Canadian Consulate will not accept the letter and even worse, it can end up hurting your chances of getting the Canadian visa. There are three sets of requirements:
- The information of the visa applicant;
- The information of the person inviting the applicant;
- Specific information for the Super Visa.
The Information of the Visa Applicant
The invitation letter must include the following information about the visa applicant:
- The full name (first name and last name);
- Date of birth;
- Contact information (telephone number and email);
- Exact address;
- The relationship that the applicant has with the person inviting them;
- The purpose of the visit to Canada;
- The duration of the visit;
- Where the applicant will stay in Canada and how they will pay for their stay;
- The date when the person will arrive in Canada and the date they will leave;
The Information of the Person Inviting the Applicant
The Canada invitation letter must have this information on the person who is inviting the applicant to Canada:
- The full name (first name and last name);
- Date of birth;
- Contact information (telephone number and email);
- The exact address in Canada;
- Status in Canada (Canadian permanent resident or citizen) through providing a copy of their status such as:
- Canadian citizenship card or passport if the person is a citizen;
- Canadian birth certificate if the person was born in Canada;
- Copy of their Permanent Resident card or the IMM 1000 (Proof of Landing document), if they are a permanent resident;
- The job title;
- Names and dates of birth of close family members and dependents (spouse or common-law partner and children);
- The total number of people that live in your household, including people that the person has sponsored or whose sponsorship is still in effect).
Specific Information for the Super Visa
The Super Visa is a visa for parents and grandparents to visit their children or grandchildren for longer than 6 months. Because this visa is valid for longer than other Temporary Resident Visas, additional information in the letter is required besides the one mentioned above. So for those children and grandchildren inviting their parents or grandparents to Canada, they must also include the following:
- A written and signed declaration that you will financially support your parents or grandparents for their whole stay in Canada;
- Proof that you have enough income for the total number of people living in your household, including for the visiting parents or grandparents.
Where Should You Send an Invitation Letter?
The invitation letter should be signed and dated by the person who is inviting the applicant and if necessary and required by the Canadian Consulate, it should also be notarized. The letter does not need to be submitted as a separate document from the rest of the application.
Instead, the applicant must submit the letter to the Canadian Consulate when they submit the rest of the documents. If applying online, a scanned PDF version of the letter should be attached to the online application. If submitting a physical application, then the letter should be printed and a copy should be included with the rest of the documents.
Sample Invitation Letter for Canadian Visa
To have a clearer picture of what a Canadian letter of invitation should look like and what kind of information it should include, you can see a full written letter below with blank spaces where the personal information should be included.
The person inviting the applicant is referred to as the “Inviting Person”, while the person being invited is referred to as the “Applicant” in the sample below. This sample can be used for any occasion and by any person as long as the relationship is specified and the requirements above are fulfilled.
After that, we have included a completed letter from one person inviting their friend to stay in Canada for reference.
Name of Place in Canada, Date
To the Canadian Embassy in (Country Name)
(Embassy Address)
(Embassy Phone Number)
Subject: Invitation Letter for Mr./Miss (Applicant’s Name)
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is (Inviting Person’s Name), I was born on (date of birth), and I am from (location in Canada). I am a (status in Canada – citizen or permanent resident) and I live in (address in Canada). My household has (number of people living in the household) and I work (job title, company, and location), earning (monthly or annual salary).
Through this letter, I am inviting (Applicant’s Name), born on (date of birth) and currently living in (address in Foreign Country) to Canada for a short stay. (Applicant’s Name) will be staying in (location and address in Canada such as a hotel or your house) from (date of entry) until (date of departure). I am (Applicant’s Name), (State relationship such as brother, sister, friend, etc), and we will be visiting and touring around Canada for (duration in days or months) in different locations.
(Applicant’s Name) currently works (enter job title and location), earning (monthly or annual salary) with which they will be able to afford the stay in Canada. (Applicant’s Name) is a genuine visitor who will not overstay their visa. Their work obligations in (Name of foreign country) extend and (Applicant’s Name) is needed back to work as soon as they return from Canada.
Please see attached a certified copy of my (Document proving status in Canada such as passport, birth certificate, or PR card) and my bank report for the past 6 months.
Feel free to contact me should you have any further questions regarding myself or (Applicant’s Name).
I look forward to having (Applicant’s Name) visit me in Canada so we can spend time together and visit Canada.
Kind regards,
(Inviting Person’s Name)
(Address)
(Phone number)
(email) Signature
A Real-life Example of an Invitation Letter
Toronto, September 10, 2018
To the Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica
(Embassy Address)
(Embassy Phone Number)
Subject: Invitation Letter for Miss. Natali Franco
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Micaela Abasto, I was born on March 5th, 1983 and I am from Toronto, Canada. I am a Canadian permanent resident and I live in 2623 Bayfield St. My household has 2 people living in it (my husband and son) and I work as an Insurance Officer at Toronto International Insurance, earning CAD$89,000 per year.
Through this letter, I am inviting Natali Franco, born on August 10th, 1985 and currently living in San Jose, Escazu in Costa Rica to Canada for a short stay. Natali will be staying at my house from April 5th until May 5th, 2019. I am Natali’s childhood friend and we will be visiting and touring around Canada for 1 month in different locations.
Natali currently works as a bank clerk at the Bank of Costa Rica, earning CAD$55,000 per year with which she will be able to afford the stay in Canada. Natali is a genuine visitor who will not overstay her visa. Her work obligations in Costa Rica extend and she is needed back to work as soon as she returns from Canada.
Please see attached a certified copy of my Permanent Resident Card and my bank report for the past 6 months.
Feel free to contact me should you have any further questions regarding myself or Natali Franco.
I look forward to having Natali visit me in Canada so we can spend time together and visit the country.
Kind regards,
Micaela Abasto
2623 Bayfield St., Toronto, Canada
(Phone number)
(email) Signature
