Canada Business Visitor Visa for Indians: Conditions and How to Apply

This guide is built on IRCC's visitor visa page and fee list, with fees as published on those official sources, checked on 10 October 2026. One limit is worth stating upfront: the IRCC visitor visa page we checked defines business visitors through those two conditions and does not itself list every permitted activity. If your plans sit close to the line, read IRCC's business visitor guidance before applying. For other Canadian visa routes, see our Canada visa guide for Indian passport holders.

Business visitor is a visitor visa, not a separate permit

IRCC's fee schedule places business visitors under the visitor visa. There is no separate business visa fee, and the visa itself can be single or multiple entry at the same price, with IRCC deciding which to issue. The table shows where that sits against the permit categories.

If what you are planning is a job in Canada rather than a visit, the work permit is the category IRCC prices for it, and it is a different application from the one described here.

The two conditions IRCC sets for business visitors

A stay of less than 6 months

Your itinerary should show a planned stay shorter than 6 months, with clear dates. IRCC recommends including an itinerary with a visitor visa application, so build one that covers your meetings or event dates and your return. A verifiable travel itinerary or flight reservation can show this without committing to non-refundable fares; embassies generally advise against buying non-refundable tickets before the decision, and requirements vary, so check the official checklist.

Your main place of business is outside Canada

This is where your Indian employment or business does the work. IRCC recommends an employer letter confirming a stable job you will return to, and bank statements showing you can support yourself during the stay. For an employee, a letter on company letterhead can state your role, how long you have worked there, the purpose and dates of the Canada trip, and that you will return to your post. If you run your own business in India, documents that show the business is based and operating here serve the same purpose.

Which activities fit, and where to check

Trips that companies usually plan as business visits, such as meetings with a Canadian client, a conference or an industry event, should be tested against the two conditions above and against IRCC's own business visitor guidance. Our verified dataset does not include IRCC's detailed activity list, so we will not paraphrase it here; read the current version on IRCC's site before you finalise the purpose in your letters.

A practical way to frame your file: describe the activity precisely in both the invitation and your employer letter, give dates, and state who is paying for the trip. Vague wording such as ‘business purposes’ gives the visa office less to assess, while a specific purpose lets it compare your trip with the business visitor conditions.

Building the business file from India

IRCC asks for a digital copy of a passport valid at least 6 months from the date you plan to travel. Its recommended documents are travel history, an itinerary, bank statements, an employer letter and a letter of invitation. For a business trip, the invitation usually comes from the Canadian company or event organiser and should match the purpose and dates in your employer letter.

The IRCC Portal generates a personalised document checklist once you start, and you should also check whether the visa office in New Delhi, which handles applications from India, asks for additional documents. Upload your travel history, including earlier visas, because it is one of the items IRCC recommends.

From online application to biometrics

Applications are made online through the IRCC Portal; paper is allowed only if you cannot apply online, for example for disability reasons. After you submit, wait for the biometrics instruction letter, then book a slot at one of the ten visa application centres IRCC lists in India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. Booking and giving biometrics there costs nothing beyond the CAN$85 biometrics fee; VFS charges in INR only for optional services and has announced new service charges from 1 November 2026, so confirm them on the India VAC website.

IRCC's processing-times tool showed 29 days for visitor visa applications from India (updated 14 October 2026), and applications that need more information take longer, so apply well ahead of the meeting or event date.

Checks before a Canada business trip

• Group travel. Colleagues travelling together each pay CAN$100 and CAN$85. The CAN$500 and CAN$170 caps are for family members applying at the same time.
• Trip length. Keep the planned stay below 6 months and make the dates consistent across every document.
• Purpose drift. If the Canadian side starts describing your role as a job, stop and check whether you need a work permit instead.
• Passport validity. At least 6 months from your planned travel date.

For the supporting travel documents, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters. A flight reservation is INR 1,000 and the full package with hotel, itinerary and cover letter is INR 3,000. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Canada business visitor fee different from the tourist visa fee?

No. Both are the visitor visa at CAN$100 per person, and the fee is the same for single and multiple entry because IRCC decides which one to issue. Biometrics add CAN$85 per person.

Can several colleagues use the family fee cap?

No. The CAN$500 visitor visa cap applies to a family of 5 or more applying at the same time and place, and the CAN$170 biometrics cap to a family of 2 or more applying together. Colleagues pay individually.

Which visa office decides business visitor applications from India?

Applications from India are handled by the visa office in New Delhi. Check your personalised checklist and the visa office's instructions for any documents it asks for beyond IRCC's general list.

Is an invitation letter mandatory for a Canada business visit?

IRCC lists a letter of invitation among its recommended documents rather than the required ones on the visitor visa page we checked. For a business trip it is still the clearest way to show the purpose and dates, so ask your Canadian host for one and follow your personalised checklist if it asks for it.