Canada Visitor Visa for Indians 2026: Requirements, Processing Time, Fees and Refusals

Canada Visitor Visa for Indians - 2026 Quick Answer

Indian passport holders need a Canadian visitor visa, officially a temporary resident visa (TRV), to visit or transit through Canada by air, land or sea. An electronic travel authorization (eTA) is not an option, even with a valid US B1/B2 visa or an older Canadian visa. Key facts as of October 2026:

• Fees: CAD 100 for the visa plus CAD 85 for biometrics, so CAD 185 per person; family maximums are CAD 500 (5 or more people) and CAD 170 for biometrics
• Processing from India: about 30 days for a visitor visa and 74 days for a super visa, per IRCC's tool as updated on 7 October 2026 (an estimate, updated weekly)
• Biometrics: at one of 10 VFS Global centres in India, within 30 days of IRCC's biometric instruction letter (BIL); booking through VFS is free
• Parents and grandparents: a super visa allows stays of up to 5 years per entry
• Validity: up to 10 years, but the officer sets the expiry date

The decision belongs to IRCC alone. Fees and timelines change, so we recommend checking IRCC and VFS Global India before applying.

Visitor Visa, eTA or Super Visa - Which One You Need

The regular visitor visa covers tourism, visits to children and relatives, and family events. For stays of 6 months or less, IRCC points parents and grandparents to this visa rather than the super visa.

Why the eTA does not work for Indians

A closed list of visa-required countries lets its citizens fly in on a CAD 7 eTA if they held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or hold a valid US non-immigrant visa. India is not on that list, and the latest expansion, on 26 May 2026, added only Indonesia and Malaysia. An Indian with a US B1/B2 visa or an expired Canadian visa still needs a visitor visa.

Super visa for parents and grandparents

According to IRCC, the super visa lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians (a status under Canadian law) stay up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over up to 10 years. The main conditions:

• The host is your child or grandchild, aged 18 or older and living in Canada
• You are outside Canada when you apply, and you take an immigration medical exam
• Private medical insurance from a Canadian or OSFI-authorized foreign insurer, with at least CAD 100,000 of emergency coverage (health care, hospitalization, repatriation), valid for at least 1 year from entry and for each entry, paid in full or in instalments with a deposit; quotes are not accepted
• A letter of invitation signed by the host, with proof of the minimum necessary income

IRCC's income table, marked "Updated July 29, 2025" when we checked in October 2026, sets these minimums by family size:

• 1 person - CAD 30,526
• 2 people - CAD 38,002
• 3 people - CAD 46,720
• 4 people - CAD 56,724
• 5 people - CAD 64,336
• 6 people - CAD 72,560
• 7 people - CAD 80,784
• Each additional person - CAD 8,224 more

Family size counts the host's own family, the super visa applicants and certain people the host previously sponsored or invited. Under Ministerial Instructions in force since 31 March 2026, the host can meet the minimum in either of the two tax years before applying, shown by the Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment.

IRCC's guidance adds a second option: if the host earned at least 75% of the minimum in the year before applying, the parent can add their own income to cover the gap. The 75% figure is not in the Ministerial Instructions text, so it is worth confirming with IRCC.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, IRCC's online questionnaire pointed one user to a super visa although the parents were already in Canada. The rule stands: applicants apply from outside Canada, and the questionnaire is a guide, not a decision.

How to Apply Online and Give Biometrics at VFS in India

Applications are made online through the IRCC Portal or an IRCC secure account. Paper is accepted only in specific situations, such as a disability that prevents applying online. The usual sequence:

• Complete the forms and upload documents online
• Pay the visa and biometrics fees together; IRCC says paying the biometrics fee later can cause delays
• Receive the biometric instruction letter (BIL)
• Book a VFS slot through the Appointment Management System, uploading the BIL
• Give fingerprints and a photo within 30 days of the date on the BIL
• If approved, submit your passport when IRCC sends a passport request letter

Most applicants aged 14 to 79 give biometrics, and only once every 10 years.

According to the official VFS Global India website, the 10 Canada VACs are in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

Since 21 February 2026, appointments are booked through VFS's Appointment Management System (AMS), and since 24 February 2026 the BIL upload is required to book. Booking is free, and VFS warns applicants not to pay outside parties for it.

For the passport, the deadline in your passport request letter is the one to follow. VFS India cites 30 days, including courier pick-up time, and says applications that miss it are refused for non-compliance.

Documents Checklist for Indian Applicants

The most useful reference for residents of India is IRCC's New Delhi checklist (form IMM 5881, version 05-2026).

Core documents

• A passport valid for the whole trip; IRCC recommends at least 6 months of validity, and the visa cannot outlast the passport
• Family Information Form (IMM 5707), completed, dated and signed
• Income tax returns for the past two years
• Bank statements or bank book covering the past six months
• Employees: an original employer letter on letterhead granting leave, with name, position, salary and date of hire
• Retirees: a retirement certificate showing the pension amount
• If someone else pays: a sponsor's letter and bank certificate
• Certified translations of any document not in English or French

Tourists

• A detailed itinerary with proof of air ticket and hotel booking
• Previous passports as proof of travel history

Visiting family in Canada

• An invitation letter stating the purpose and duration of the visit
• A list showing the number of people in the inviter's household
• The inviter's status or citizenship documents
• Proof of the inviter's income, such as the notice of assessment
• Proof of your relationship

IRCC notes that an invitation letter does not guarantee a visa.

Fees and Processing Time from India

IRCC fees, per its fee list last modified on 21 September 2026:

• Visitor visa, including super visa - CAD 100 per person
• Family of 5 or more applying together - CAD 500 maximum
• Biometrics - CAD 85 per person
• Biometrics for a family of 2 or more - CAD 170 maximum

The fee is the same for single-entry and multiple-entry visas, and IRCC decides which one to issue. In most cases, fees are not refunded after a refusal once processing has started.

VFS Global India sells optional extras. As of October 2026, its charges (effective 1 May 2026, taxes included) are:

• One-way courier for passport return - INR 858
• Two-way courier (pick-up and return) - INR 1,716
• Premium Lounge - INR 4,767 per person
• SMS service - INR 179

None of these is mandatory. VFS has announced new service charges from 1 November 2026, and the amounts were not yet published in mid-October, so we recommend checking VFS before paying.

Processing time from India, per IRCC's tool as updated on 7 October 2026: about 30 days for a visitor visa and 74 days for a super visa. These are estimates for an application received today, including the time to give biometrics. IRCC updates them regularly (weekly, according to its tool) and says they are not a maximum or a guarantee.

Why Canada Visitor Visas Get Refused

Under section 179 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), an officer issues a TRV only if satisfied, among other things, that the applicant will leave Canada by the end of the authorized stay (paragraph 179(b)), holds a valid passport and is not inadmissible.

IRCC's eligibility list adds good health, no criminal or immigration-related convictions, enough money for the stay, and ties such as a job, home, financial assets or family that will take you back to India.

What the numbers show

IRCC's May 2026 briefing material for the Commons immigration committee says the vast majority of TRV refusals happen because the officer was not satisfied the applicant would leave Canada. The global TRV refusal rate across all countries was 51% in 2025, compared with 54% in 2024 and 39% in 2023. Misrepresentation accounted for 7.1% of visitor visa refusals in 2025.

We could not find an official India-specific refusal rate on IRCC's public pages. The Globe and Mail reported, as summarized by Moving2Canada in July 2026, that among visitor applications linked to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Indian applicants had almost 2,000 refusals against 665 approvals, an approval rate of around 25%. That covers World Cup-linked applications only, not Indian applicants in general.

Misrepresenting or withholding material facts makes an applicant inadmissible for five years.

What applicants report

According to applicant reports on Reddit in September and October 2026:

• One Indian family said a mother's visitor visa was refused in 2024 and again in 2025 on ties and finances, despite more than CAD 38,000 in savings, property papers and a pension
• A mother's super visa was refused with a note that the list of all household members in Canada had not been provided, although a sibling was named in the invitation letter

These are individual accounts, not rules. The second matches an official requirement: the super visa invitation letter lists every person counted in the family size, with names and dates of birth.

IRCC states that hiring a consultant or agent does not increase approval chances. What an applicant controls is how complete and consistent the file is. Visarun helps applicants prepare and check their documents; the decision belongs to IRCC, and no one can guarantee an outcome.

After a Refusal - Reapply or Ask for Notes

Under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, there is no formal appeal for a visitor visa refusal. The options are to reapply or to seek judicial review.

Read the reasons first

Since 29 July 2025, IRCC sends officer decision notes with most refusal letters for visitor, super and transit visas. Parts may be redacted.

For the full file, including GCMS notes, a Privacy Act request is free and open to foreign nationals wherever they live. The CAD 5 Access to Information Act route is only for Canadian citizens, permanent residents or people currently in Canada.

Reapply only with something new

IRCC advises reapplying only if your situation has changed significantly or you have new information that addresses the refusal reason. The same file, even through an agent, will likely get the same result. Biometrics given for a visitor visa stay valid for 10 years, even after a refusal.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in September 2026, one family's parents were refused earlier over weak home ties and a missing notice of assessment; after the file was strengthened, the mother's super visa was approved while the father stayed home. It is one account, not a rule.

Judicial review

An application for leave and judicial review of a decision made outside Canada goes to the Federal Court within 60 days. A Canadian immigration lawyer can advise on this route.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

Key dates for Indian visitors, as of October 2026:

• 6 November 2024 - maximum-validity multiple-entry visas stop being the default; officers decide on entry type and validity
• 31 January 2025 - officers can cancel TRVs and eTAs case by case
• 29 July 2025 - officer decision notes start arriving with refusal letters
• 21 and 24 February 2026 - VFS India moves biometric booking to its Appointment Management System, with BIL upload
• 26 March 2026 - Bill C-12 becomes law, letting IRCC cancel or suspend large groups of documents and pause processing, each time by a Governor in Council order in the Canada Gazette; we found no order affecting Indian visitors
• 31 March 2026 - new super visa income rules: either of two tax years, plus an applicant-income option
• 26 May 2026 - eTA eligibility extended to Indonesia and Malaysia only
• 1 November 2026 - new VFS India service charges, amounts not yet published

FAQ

Can Indians with a US visa travel to Canada on an eTA?

No. India is not on the list of countries whose US visa holders may use an eTA, so Indian citizens apply for a visitor visa.

How long can I stay in Canada on a visitor visa?

The visa expiry date is the last day to arrive. The border officer sets the stay at each entry; with no date written in the passport, visitors can usually stay 6 months and super visa holders 5 years.

Does Canada still issue 10-year visitor visas?

Yes, for up to 10 years or until the passport or biometrics expire. Since November 2024 this is no longer the default, and the officer may set a shorter expiry date.

Do parents staying more than 6 months need a medical exam?

Usually yes. Visitors staying more than 6 months need an immigration medical exam if they lived in or travelled to a listed country for 6 months or more in a row in the year before arrival, and India is on that list. Super visa applicants take one in any case.

Do I pay VFS to book a biometrics appointment?

No. VFS says booking is free; the CAD 85 biometrics fee goes to IRCC with the application.

How long do I have to submit my passport after approval?

The deadline in your passport request letter applies. VFS India cites 30 days, including courier pick-up time.

Is the visa fee refunded after a refusal?

In most cases, no. IRCC says application fees cannot be refunded once processing has started.

Do I need new biometrics to reapply?

Usually not. Biometrics given for a visitor visa stay valid for 10 years, even if the application was refused.