# Canada Visitor Visa Refusal Rate 2025: Global IRCC Data for Indians

> IRCC's global visitor visa refusal rate was 51% in 2025. What that number covers, why there is no India-only figure, and what Indian applicants can actually control.

_Published: 2026-10-24 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1106_

## TL;DR

IRCC told a parliamentary committee that its global visitor visa (TRV) refusal rate was 51% in 2025, after 54% in 2024 and 39% in 2023. The figure covers all nationalities, and IRCC publishes no India-only rate on that page. Indian applicants should use it as background and focus on the documents IRCC recommends.

## Key takeaways

- IRCC's global visitor visa refusal rate: 51% in 2025, 54% in 2024 and 39% in 2023 (all nationalities).
- For 2026 up to 28 February, IRCC reported a 54% approval rate for visitor visas, again for all nationalities.
- No India-only visitor visa refusal rate appears in the IRCC committee notes.
- A new application costs CAN$100 per person plus CAN$85 biometrics; IRCC's posted time for India is 29 days.
- IRCC recommends travel history, an itinerary, bank statements, an employer letter and any invitation letter.

**Canada's global visitor visa (TRV) refusal rate was 51% in 2025, down from 54% in 2024 but well above 39% in 2023, according to an IRCC note to a parliamentary committee in April 2026. The figure covers all nationalities; IRCC does not publish an India-only visitor visa refusal rate there, so it is context, not your personal odds.**

## Article

The number gets quoted in many places without its fine print. This page sets out exactly what Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) measured, what it did not measure, and how an Indian tourist or family visitor can use it. Every figure here is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the full application process, see our Canada visa guide for Indians.

### What exactly does the 51% measure?
The figure is the share of temporary resident visa applications (visitor visas) that IRCC refused in 2025, across every nationality that needs a visa for Canada. IRCC reported it in a note on the management of expired and cancelled visas, prepared for the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) and dated 30 April 2026 (IRCC committee note).

Three things follow from that:

- It is a global rate. Applicants from India are inside it, but so is every other visa-required country.
- It is a backward-looking count of decisions already made in 2025.
- It is not a probability. Each file is decided on its own evidence.

### How has the refusal rate moved since 2023?
PeriodMeasure (all nationalities)Figure2023Visitor visa refusal rate39%2024Visitor visa refusal rate54%2025Visitor visa refusal rate51%2026 to 28 FebruaryVisitor visa approval rate54%The 2026 row is an approval rate from the same IRCC note, covering a different and much shorter period. Do not add it to or subtract it from the refusal rates. In the same note, IRCC reported an approval rate of 82% for work permits and 38% for study permits over that early-2026 period.

### Is there a refusal rate for Indian applicants specifically?
Not in the official material we hold. The IRCC committee notes give all-nationality rates only, and no official India-specific visitor visa approval or refusal rate for 2025 or 2026 was found. Be careful with any India-only percentage you see quoted online: ask which IRCC document it comes from and what period it covers.

What is India-specific is the processing route. Applications from India are handled by the visa office in New Delhi, and you give biometrics at one of ten VFS Global-run Visa Application Centres: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

### What can you control in a visitor visa file?
You apply online through the IRCC Portal, which generates a personalised document checklist. Beyond the passport, IRCC recommends these documents for a visitor visa (IRCC apply for a visitor visa):

- Passport valid for at least 6 months from your planned travel date (digital copy)
- Travel history, such as previous visas and stamps
- Itinerary for the trip
- Bank statements showing you can support yourself during the stay
- Employer letter confirming a stable job you will return to
- Letter of invitation if someone in Canada is hosting you
For an Indian salaried applicant, the employer letter and bank statements carry most of the weight, because together they show both money and a reason to come back. Check also whether the New Delhi visa office asks for anything extra on your checklist.

#### Visiting children or grandchildren for longer?
Indian parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents can consider the super visa instead. It allows stays of up to 5 years at a time and can be valid for up to 10 years. It costs the same CAN$100 plus CAN$85 biometrics, but the file is heavier: a signed invitation letter from the host with proof of the minimum necessary income, an immigration medical exam, and private health insurance valid for at least 1 year with at least CAN$100,000 emergency coverage. IRCC's posted processing time for super visas from India was 77 days.

### What does a new application cost, and how long is the wait?
ItemIRCC feeVisitor visa, per person (single or multiple entry)CAN$100.00Visitor visa, family of 5 or more (maximum)CAN$500.00Biometrics, per personCAN$85.00Biometrics, family of 2 or more (maximum)CAN$170.00IRCC publishes fees in CAD only, and there is no official rupee amount. Optional VFS India services, such as one-way passport courier at INR 858, are paid at the centre. VFS has announced new service charges from 1 November 2026 but had not published the amounts as of 15 October 2026.

IRCC's processing time for visitor visas from India was 29 days in data last updated on 14 October 2026. IRCC told the parliamentary committee in April 2026 that posted times are backward-looking and do not reflect actual processing times, and applications that need more information take longer.

### How should the numbers change your plans?
A high global refusal rate is a reason to apply early and to make each claim in the file easy to verify. It is not a reason to buy non-refundable flights before a decision: IRCC recommends an itinerary, and a verifiable flight reservation can support it until the visa is issued. If you were refused before, address the specific concerns in the refusal letter rather than resubmitting the same documents.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us through our contact page.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Does a 51% refusal rate mean half of Indian applicants are refused?
No. The 51% figure for 2025 covers visitor visa applications from all nationalities combined. IRCC's committee note gives no India-only rate, so it cannot be read as the share of Indian applicants refused.

#### Can Indians with a US green card travel to Canada without a visitor visa?
Yes. Indian citizens 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 26 April 2022.

#### How long can I stay in Canada on a visitor visa?
Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry, though the border officer may set a different date. IRCC decides how long the visa itself is valid: generally up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first.

#### Is travel insurance mandatory for a Canada visitor visa?
IRCC's visitor visa pages do not list travel insurance as a requirement for a regular visitor visa. The super visa for parents and grandparents is different: it needs private health insurance from a Canadian or OSFI-authorized insurer with at least CAN$100,000 emergency coverage, valid for at least 1 year.

## FAQ

### Does a 51% refusal rate mean half of Indian applicants are refused?

No. The 51% figure for 2025 covers visitor visa applications from all nationalities combined. IRCC's committee note gives no India-only rate, so it cannot be read as the share of Indian applicants refused.

### Can Indians with a US green card travel to Canada without a visitor visa?

Yes. Indian citizens 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 26 April 2022.

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

Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry, though the border officer may set a different date. IRCC decides how long the visa itself is valid: generally up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first.

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

IRCC's visitor visa pages do not list travel insurance as a requirement for a regular visitor visa. The super visa for parents and grandparents is different: it needs private health insurance from a Canadian or OSFI-authorized insurer with at least CAN$100,000 emergency coverage, valid for at least 1 year.

## Sources

1. [IRCC - SECU committee note: Management of Expired and Cancelled Visas (April 30, 2026)](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/transparency/committees/secu-apr-30-2026/management-expired-cancelled-visas.html) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
2. [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
3. [IRCC - Fee list](https://ircc.canada.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada