Which Canada Visa Should Indians Apply For?

Everything below is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Global Affairs Canada and VFS Global India. Start with the real purpose of your trip, because IRCC fees, documents and timelines all follow from it. Our Canada visa guide for Indian passport holders has the detailed checklist for each route.

Which Canada visa matches your reason for travel?

India is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries. There is no visa on arrival and no eTA option for Indian citizens, so even a transit through a Canadian airport needs a visitor visa. The table maps common purposes to the right application, using the IRCC fee list and IRCC's processing data for India.

Biometrics cost CAN$85 per person, or CAN$170 for a family of 2 or more applying together. The visitor visa fee is capped at CAN$500 for a family of 5 or more who apply at the same time and place. IRCC's data for India was last updated on 14 October 2026, and IRCC told a parliamentary committee in April 2026 that posted times are backward-looking.

Is a visitor visa enough for a holiday or a business trip?

Yes. Single and multiple entry visitor visas cost the same CAN$100, and IRCC decides which one to issue. A visitor visa is generally valid for up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry, although the border officer may set a different date.

Business visitors use the same visitor visa. You must show that you plan to stay less than 6 months and that your main place of business is outside Canada. If you will actually work for a Canadian employer, a visitor visa is the wrong document.

IRCC's recommended documents for visitors include:

• a passport valid at least 6 months from the date you plan to travel;
• bank statements showing enough money to support yourself during the stay;
• an employer letter confirming a stable job you will return to;
• your travel history and an itinerary;
• a letter of invitation, if someone in Canada is hosting you.

There is one exception to the visa rule: Indians who are US lawful permanent residents can fly to Canada with a valid passport and a valid US green card.

Should your parents apply for a super visa instead?

If your parents or grandparents want long stays with you in Canada, the super visa usually fits better than an ordinary visitor visa. It allows multiple entries and stays of up to 5 years at a time, and can be valid for up to 10 years. The fee is the same CAN$100, plus CAN$85 biometrics.

The host must be their child or grandchild, aged 18 or over, living in Canada and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. The host signs a letter of invitation with proof of meeting the minimum necessary income. Your parents also need an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician and private health insurance from a Canadian or OSFI-authorised insurer, valid for at least 1 year from entry, with at least CAN$100,000 emergency coverage. IRCC's posted time for super visas from India is 77 days, far longer than the 29 days for a visitor visa.

What do you need for a Canadian study permit?

You need a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) and, in most cases, a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). Quebec asks for a CAQ instead. Since 1 January 2026, master's and doctoral degree programmes at public DLIs no longer need a PAL/TAL. Since 22 January 2025, changing schools means getting a new PAL/TAL before applying.

For applications on or after 1 September 2026, the living-cost minimum outside Quebec is CAN$23,448 for one person, on top of first-year tuition and return transport. A guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) from a Canadian financial institution is one accepted proof; others include an education loan, a scholarship, paid tuition or housing receipts and 6 months of bank statements showing the source of funds. The study permit fee is CAN$150 and the posted time from India is 7 weeks.

For context, IRCC's committee notes give a 59% refusal rate for new study permit applications from all nationalities in 2025 (52% in 2024). IRCC does not publish an India-only figure on that page, and the number describes past global outcomes, not your own odds.

Can you go to Canada to work without a job offer?

Usually not. Most Indians who work in Canada hold an employer-specific (closed) work permit tied to one employer. It needs a job offer from an employer that is not on IRCC's list of non-compliant employers and, for most jobs, a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): the employer gives you the LMIA letter and Annex A unless the job is LMIA-exempt. You also need enough money to support yourself and your family and to return home. The fee is CAN$155 and IRCC's posted time from India is 11 weeks.

Open work permits, which need no job offer, are only for applicants who qualify under specific programmes. IRCC lists a separate CAN$100 open work permit holder fee.

If your real goal is to settle, look at Express Entry. It covers three programmes: the Canadian Experience Class (1 year of skilled Canadian work in the last 3 years), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (1 year of continuous skilled work within the last 10 years, CLB 7 and secondary education) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (2 years in an eligible trade within the last 5 years, plus a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification).

How do you apply once you have picked the right visa?

1. Apply online in the IRCC Portal, which gives you a personalised document checklist. Paper applications are only for people who cannot apply online, for example for disability reasons.
2. Pay the IRCC fee and the CAN$85 biometrics fee online.
3. Wait for the Biometric Instruction Letter. Since 24 February 2026, VFS India asks you to upload it when booking.
4. Book a free biometrics appointment at one of ten Visa Application Centres: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi or Pune.
5. If approved, submit your passport so IRCC can place the visa in it. Applications from India are handled by the visa office in New Delhi.

Optional VFS charges, effective 1 May 2026 and paid in INR, include INR 604 for package transmission and INR 1,716 for two-way courier. VFS has announced new charges from 1 November 2026 but had not published the amounts when this guide was checked.

Which mistakes push Indians onto the wrong route?

• Applying as a visitor when the trip involves working for a Canadian employer.
• Sending parents on an ordinary visitor visa for long family stays when the super visa allows up to 5 years per stay.
• Filing a study permit with an expired PAL/TAL, or without a new one after changing schools.
• Assuming an open work permit is available to anyone; it is only for applicants in specific programmes.
• Buying non-refundable flights before IRCC decides. A verifiable flight reservation and an itinerary serve the file instead.

Once you know which Canada visa fits, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram can prepare the flight reservation, hotel booking, travel itinerary and cover letter for a visitor or super visa file. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter together. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact our team.

Frequently asked questions

Do Indians need a Canada visa just to change flights in Canada?

Yes. IRCC lists India as visa-required with no eTA option for Indian citizens, so you need a visitor visa even for transit. Indians who are US lawful permanent residents can travel with their passport and a valid green card instead.

Can I apply for a Canada visitor visa on paper from India?

Only in limited cases. IRCC requires online applications through the IRCC Portal and allows paper only if you cannot apply online, for example for disability reasons, or if you travel on a refugee, stateless or non-citizen travel document. VFS charges INR 529 for assisted service on a paper application.

Is travel insurance required for a Canada visitor visa?

IRCC's visitor visa pages do not list travel insurance as a requirement for a regular visitor visa. It is required for the super visa: private health insurance from a Canadian or OSFI-authorised insurer, valid at least 1 year from entry, with at least CAN$100,000 emergency coverage.

Where is my Canada visa application from India decided?

IRCC says applications from India are handled by its visa office in New Delhi. You apply online, and VFS Global runs the ten Visa Application Centres only for biometrics, passport submission and collection.