# Canada Business Visa from India: Requirements Explained

> Business travellers from India use the Canadian visitor visa. What IRCC asks business visitors to prove, which documents to upload, what it costs and how the process runs.

_Published: 2026-11-04 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1078_

## TL;DR

Canada has no separate business visa for Indians: business visitors apply for the visitor visa through the IRCC Portal. You show a stay under 6 months and a main place of business outside Canada, pay CAN$100 plus CAN$85 biometrics, give biometrics at one of ten VFS-run centres and later submit your passport for the visa.

## Key takeaways

- Business visitors use the Canadian visitor visa: CAN$100 per person plus CAN$85 biometrics.
- IRCC asks business visitors to show a stay of less than 6 months and a main place of business outside Canada.
- Applications are made online in the IRCC Portal; biometrics are given at one of ten VFS-run Visa Application Centres in India.
- IRCC's posted processing time for visitor visas from India was 29 days (data last updated October 14, 2026).
- The visa is not electronic: if approved, your passport goes to IRCC so the visa can be placed in it.

**Indians travelling to Canada for business apply for a visitor visa through the IRCC Portal; there is no separate business visa. According to IRCC, a business visitor must show a planned stay of less than 6 months and a main place of business outside Canada, pay CAN$100 plus CAN$85 for biometrics, and give biometrics at a VFS-run centre in India.**

## Article

The requirements below come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and VFS Global India pages, as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Our Canada visa page for Indian travellers covers the other visitor, study and work routes.

### Is a Canadian business visa a separate visa?
No. IRCC's fee schedule lists the business visitor under the visitor visa (temporary resident visa). You pay the same fee and use the same online application as a tourist; the difference lies in what you prove and which documents you upload.

IRCC decides whether to issue a single or multiple entry visa and how long it is valid: generally up to a maximum of 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry, though the border officer may set a different date. The visa is not electronic. If approved, you submit your passport (it can be sent through a Visa Application Centre) and cannot travel until IRCC places the visa in it.

### What must a business visitor prove to IRCC?
IRCC sets two business-specific points. You must show that you plan to stay less than 6 months, and that your main place of business is outside Canada. On top of that, the general visitor rules apply: a valid passport and documents showing the trip is what you say it is.

Your application generates a personalized document checklist in the IRCC Portal. That checklist is what the officer works from, so upload against it item by item. IRCC also notes that the local visa office may require additional documents; applications from India are handled by the visa office in New Delhi.

### Which documents should an Indian business traveller upload?
DocumentIRCC statusWhat it shows for a business tripPassport (digital copy)Required; valid at least 6 months from the date you plan to travelIdentity and travel validityLetter of invitationRecommendedWho your Canadian business contact is and why you are meetingEmployer letterRecommendedA stable job you will return to; for a business trip, also who is sending you and whyBank statementsRecommendedEnough money to support yourself during the stayItineraryRecommendedDates, cities and meetings, consistent with a stay under 6 monthsTravel historyRecommendedPrevious trips abroadFor an Indian salaried employee, the employer letter is usually the anchor of a business file: on company letterhead, signed, stating your role, the purpose and dates of the trip, who pays and that you will return to your job. Keep every date consistent across the invitation, employer letter and itinerary.

### How much does a Canada business visitor visa cost from India?
ChargeAmountPaid toVisitor visa, per personCAN$100.00IRCC, onlineVisitor visa, family of 5 or moreCAN$500.00 maximumIRCC, onlineBiometrics, per personCAN$85.00IRCC, onlineBiometrics, family of 2 or moreCAN$170.00 maximumIRCC, onlinePackage transmission (optional)INR 604VFS, at the centreOne-way courier for passport return (optional)INR 858VFS, at the centrePremium Lounge (optional)INR 4,767VFS, at the centreIRCC fees are in CAD only; no official INR amount is published. The VFS charges shown took effect on 1 May 2026, are paid in INR by cash or UPI and are non-refundable. VFS has announced new service charges from 1 November 2026, with amounts not yet published as of 15 October 2026. There is no separate VFS fee for giving biometrics, and booking the biometrics appointment is free.

### How do you apply from India, step by step?
- Create your visitor visa application in the IRCC Portal and describe the business purpose of the trip.
- Upload the documents on your personalized checklist and pay the visa and biometrics fees online.
- Wait for the Biometric Instruction Letter from IRCC.
- Book a free biometrics appointment on the VFS Appointment Management System; since 24 February 2026 you must upload the Biometric Instruction Letter to book.
- Give fingerprints and a photo at one of the ten centres: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi or Pune.
- Wait for the decision. IRCC's posted time for visitor visas from India was 29 days (last updated October 14, 2026); IRCC told a parliamentary committee in April 2026 that posted times are backward-looking.
- If approved, submit your passport at a centre by prior appointment, then collect the decision envelope or have it couriered.

### When does a business trip need a work permit instead?
The business visitor route assumes your main place of business stays outside Canada. If a Canadian employer is hiring you, IRCC's route is the employer-specific work permit. It needs a job offer from an employer not on IRCC's non-compliant list and, for most jobs, a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) with the LMIA letter and Annex A. The work permit fee is CAN$155.00, and IRCC's posted processing time for work permits applied for outside Canada from India was 11 weeks.

IRCC does not publish an India-only visitor visa refusal rate. Its global visitor visa refusal rate for all nationalities was 51% in 2025 (IRCC committee note, April 2026). That is a reason to send a clear, consistent business file, not a forecast for any applicant.

For itineraries, hotel bookings, flight reservations and cover letters, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram offers packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact our visa desk.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Do Indians with a US green card need a Canadian visa for a business trip?
No. Indians who are US lawful permanent residents can fly to Canada with their valid passport and valid US green card. They have been exempt from the eTA since April 26, 2022.

#### Is travel insurance mandatory for a Canada business visitor visa?
IRCC's visitor visa pages do not list travel insurance as a requirement for a regular visitor visa. Mandatory insurance applies to the super visa for parents and grandparents.

#### Can I give biometrics in one city and submit my passport in another?
Yes. You then need the optional VFS package transmission service, which costs INR 604 per package under the charges effective 1 May 2026.

#### Does a Canadian visa need to be applied for even for a short transit?
Yes. India is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries, so Indian citizens need a valid visitor visa even to transit through Canada, unless they are US lawful permanent residents.

## Steps

1. **Start the online application** — Create a visitor visa application in the IRCC Portal and describe the business purpose of your trip.
2. **Upload documents and pay** — Upload your passport and the documents on your personalized checklist, then pay CAN$100 visa fee and CAN$85 biometrics fee online.
3. **Book biometrics with VFS** — After receiving the Biometric Instruction Letter, book a free appointment on the VFS Appointment Management System and upload the letter.
4. **Give biometrics at a VAC** — Visit one of the ten Visa Application Centres in India to give fingerprints and a digital photo.
5. **Wait for the IRCC decision** — IRCC's posted processing time for visitor visas from India was 29 days, last updated October 14, 2026.
6. **Submit your passport if approved** — Book a passport submission appointment, hand in your passport and collect it or have it couriered once the visa is placed.

## FAQ

### Do Indians with a US green card need a Canadian visa for a business trip?

No. Indians who are US lawful permanent residents can fly to Canada with their valid passport and valid US green card. They have been exempt from the eTA since April 26, 2022.

### Is travel insurance mandatory for a Canada business visitor visa?

IRCC's visitor visa pages do not list travel insurance as a requirement for a regular visitor visa. Mandatory insurance applies to the super visa for parents and grandparents.

### Can I give biometrics in one city and submit my passport in another?

Yes. You then need the optional VFS package transmission service, which costs INR 604 per package under the charges effective 1 May 2026.

### Does a Canadian visa need to be applied for even for a short transit?

Yes. India is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries, so Indian citizens need a valid visitor visa even to transit through Canada, unless they are US lawful permanent residents.

## Sources

1. [IRCC - Apply for a visitor visa](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/apply-visitor-visa.html) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
2. [IRCC - Fee list](https://ircc.canada.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
3. [VFS Global - Canada VAC service charges India (effective 1 May 2026)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/can/service-charges) — VFS Global