Canada Visitor Visa Documents Checklist for Pakistan Passport Holders

Pakistan appears on IRCC's list of visa-required countries. IRCC says citizens of those countries "need a valid visitor visa and a valid passport to visit or transit through Canada", whether they arrive by air, land or sea. Pakistan is not on the list of countries that may use an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a visa.

A visitor visa is placed in your passport. Guide 5256 says you must get it before you leave and "cannot obtain one upon arrival in Canada". It also says the same fee applies to single and multiple entry visas, and IRCC decides which one to give you. A visa can be issued for up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. Getting a visa does not guarantee entry: a border officer decides at arrival whether you may enter and how long you may stay, usually up to six months.

Most people must apply online through the IRCC Portal. Paper applications are only for people who cannot apply online, for example because of a disability, or who travel on a refugee, stateless or non-citizen document.

IRCC lists these for all applicants:

• A digital copy of your valid passport. IRCC says it "should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you plan to travel" and tells you to renew it before applying if needed. Include the page with your birth date and country of origin, and any pages with stamps, visas or markings.
• A letter authorizing a minor child to travel (if applicable). Guide 5256 says a minor travelling alone or with someone other than both parents should have a letter signed by both parents or legal guardians, naming the adult responsible in Canada.
• Everything on your personalized portal checklist. IRCC says: "Make sure you provide all the documents listed on the checklist."
• The application form. Online, the portal collects your answers. On paper, this is the Application for Visitor Visa (IMM 5257), and Guide 5256 tells paper applicants to use the Document Checklist (IMM 5484).

Your checklist may also ask for a Family Information form (IMM 5645), a Use of a Representative form (IMM 5476) if someone applies for you, and an IMM 5475 form if you allow IRCC to share your file with another person.

IRCC also says your local visa office may require additional documents, and asks you to choose the country you are applying from on its apply page. Pakistan is in that list. Read the Pakistan instructions there before you submit.

IRCC asks you to say why you are travelling, then shows documents for that purpose:

• Tourist or family visit: IRCC's tourist path says to include a letter from a person or business inviting you, and proof of your relationship with a family member who invites you, such as a marriage certificate, a birth certificate, or a document naming you as a parent.
• Business visitor: you must show you plan to stay less than 6 months, will not enter the Canadian labour market, and that your main place of business and income is outside Canada. Include the event code if your conference is registered with IRCC. A letter of invitation from the Canadian business should be written to you.
• Parents and grandparents staying longer than six months may qualify for the Super Visa instead, which allows stays of up to five years at a time.

Guide 5256 says you must show "enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home", and that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay. IRCC does not publish a minimum bank balance on these pages, so we do not quote one. The application form asks how much money in Canadian dollars you have for the trip.

IRCC lists these as recommended documents:

• Bank account statement: bank name and contact details, your name and address on the statement, and "at least 6 months of account details, including balances".
• Employer letter: on official letterhead, dated no earlier than 3 months before you apply, confirming your job, full name and date of birth, start date, a short job description, current salary, your manager's phone and email, and the company name and address, signed by your manager or HR.
• Travel history: copies of previous passports or visas used in the last 10 years, entry and exit stamps, and past study or work permits.
• Itinerary: flight details, proof of accommodation or event registration.

If a relative or friend is supporting your trip, their invitation letter and proof of relationship go in the same application. Keep every document honest: Guide 5256 calls false or misleading information "a serious offence".

IRCC says that in most cases visa-required travellers "need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) after you apply". The order is:

1. Pay the biometrics fee with your application.
2. Wait for your biometric instruction letter (BIL).
3. Book an appointment at an official collection point. Outside Canada and the US, Guide 5256 says this is a Visa Application Centre (VAC).

Biometrics usually last 10 years, so a repeat applicant may not need to give them again. IRCC starts processing after it receives your biometrics. We could not load the VFS Global Pakistan page for Canada during this check, so confirm VAC cities and appointment steps from the link IRCC gives in your BIL.

If you give biometrics, Guide 5256 says "you do not need to include paper photos". Paper applicants who are not giving biometrics provide two photos that meet IRCC's visa photo specifications, with name and date of birth on the back.

All fees are in Canadian dollars and paid by card at the end of the online application:

IRCC says fees "will not be refunded, regardless of the final decision". If you apply again, you pay again. The family maximums only apply when family members apply at the same time and place. For other destinations, see our visa fees guide for Pakistanis.

Source: IRCC fee list – ircc.canada.ca

Any document not in English or French needs an English or French translation. If the translator is not a Canadian certified translator, it also needs an affidavit from the translator, sworn before a notary public. IRCC says translations must not be done by you or your family members.

IRCC does not set one fixed time. Guide 5256 says processing "may vary from one visa office to another" and points to IRCC's application processing times page. Things that slow a file include unclear copies, document checks, medical or security issues, and late biometrics. To help, submit every document on your checklist, pay both fees together and book biometrics soon after your BIL arrives. Our upcoming Canada processing time guide and the Canada page for Pakistan will cover timelines.

1. Pakistani passport valid at least 6 months from travel, with copies of the bio page and stamped pages
2. Online IRCC Portal application and every item on your personalized checklist
3. Purpose documents: invitation letter and proof of relationship, or business letter
4. Bank statement covering at least 6 months, employer letter and travel history
5. CAD 100 visa fee plus CAD 85 biometrics fee paid together
6. Biometrics given at a VAC after your instruction letter

Comparing destinations? See our USA visit visa documents checklist, UK visit visa documents checklist and visa-free countries for Pakistanis.