Canada Visitor Visa from India: Document Checklist for 2026

If you hold an Indian passport, you need a visitor visa (officially a temporary resident visa) to visit Canada. India is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries, so the electronic travel authorization (eTA) is not an option.

This checklist is based on IRCC's own pages, including the additional document checklist from the visa office in New Delhi (IMM 5881, May 2026 edition), which applies to applicants from India. Everything was checked on 22 October 2026. Rules and fees can change, so check the linked IRCC pages before you submit.

Documents don't earn a visa on their own. The decision is made by an IRCC officer, and nobody can promise the outcome.

What the visa officer needs to see

IRCC's eligibility page says you must convince an immigration officer that:

• you have ties to India, "such as a job, home, financial assets or family", that will take you back
• you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
• you have enough money for your stay (IRCC says the amount "depends on how long you will stay")

You must also have a valid passport, be in good health, and have no criminal or immigration-related convictions. Every document below exists to prove one of these points.

How you apply from India

IRCC's rule: you must apply online. Paper is allowed only in limited cases, such as a disability.

• In the IRCC Portal (a first-time user needs an invite code), your answers produce a personalised document checklist. Upload something into every slot. Your visa office may ask for more.
• Files can be up to 5 MB each in the Portal, as PDF, JPG, PNG, DOC, DOCX or TIFF.
• The New Delhi office asks for copies, and can ask to see the original of any document.
• Your spouse and children travelling with you each submit their own application, whatever their age.

The document checklist for Indian applicants

Everyone

• Passport. A scan of the information page. IRCC says it "should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you plan to travel", and a visa cannot last longer than the passport it sits in. It needs one blank page other than the last page.
• Previous passports, including cancelled or expired ones, as proof of travel.
• Family Information Form (IMM 5707). The New Delhi checklist names this form and says it must be "fully completed, dated and signed". Each applicant aged 18 or over completes one. If your portal checklist names a different form, follow the portal.
• Schedule 1 (IMM 5257 SCH1), only if you answered "yes" to any background question in the application.
• Marriage certificate, if you are married, whether or not your spouse is travelling with you.

Proof of funds

For visitors and tourists, the New Delhi checklist asks for:

• Income tax returns for the past two years
• Bank statements or a bank passbook covering the past six months
• Other evidence that fits your situation, such as an employment letter, pay slips, pension proof, business registration or investment records

IRCC's visitor visa pages set no fixed minimum balance. The officer looks at whether your money fits your trip and your life.

If you are employed

A signed original letter on company letterhead from your employer granting you leave. The New Delhi checklist says it must include:

• your name and position
• your current salary
• the date you were hired
• your employer's name, address and phone number

If you are retired

A retirement certificate showing your pension amount, along with the tax returns and bank statements above.

If you are a student

If you will travel outside your school holidays, an original letter from your school confirming that you are enrolled, in good standing, and that "the school has approved your absence".

If someone else is paying for your trip

The person paying must give you:

• a signed letter
• a photocopy of their passport or other photo ID
• a bank certificate showing they have enough funds
• an explanation of how they are related to you

These documents "must be dated within three months of the date on which the application is submitted."

If you are visiting family or friends in Canada

Your host (the "inviter") provides:

• A letter of invitation stating the purpose and length of your visit
• A list of the people in their household
• A copy of their status in Canada, such as a citizenship document, PR card, or work or study permit
• Proof of their income and finances, such as Notices of Assessment, an employment letter, pay stubs and bank statements
• If the host is a student: a letter of acceptance or good standing from their school
• Proof of your relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate

IRCC's invitation-letter page lists what the letter should cover: your details, the purpose and length of the visit, where you will stay, who pays, and the host's own details and status. It also says "a letter of invitation doesn't guarantee that we'll issue a visa."

If you are a tourist

A detailed itinerary "including proof of air ticket and hotel booking", as the New Delhi checklist puts it. Avoid paying for anything you cannot cancel until you have a decision.

If you are travelling on business

• An invitation letter from the Canadian company: who is inviting you, why, for how long, and who pays
• A letter from your employer confirming your job, title and the purpose of the trip
• For a trade show or conference, the organiser's letter confirming your registration
• Bank documents covering several months, with tax returns and pay stubs

If a child under 18 is travelling

• Travelling alone, or with an adult who is not a parent or guardian: a letter of authorisation signed by both parents or legal guardians, naming the adult responsible for the child in Canada.
• Travelling with one parent: a letter of authorisation from the parent who is not travelling, plus a copy of that parent's passport or government ID page showing their name, photo and signature.

Keep these letters ready to show at the Canadian border too.

Documents not in English or French

The New Delhi checklist says you "must include a certified translation." IRCC's visitor visa guide adds that you and your family cannot do the translation. This matters for Gujarati, Hindi and other regional-language records.

Fees, biometrics and timing

IRCC charges its fees in Canadian dollars, paid online. These are the figures on IRCC's fee list as checked on 22 October 2026. They can change.

So one adult pays CAD 185, and a couple applying together pays CAD 370 (CAD 200 plus CAD 170).

• IRCC accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay credit or prepaid cards, and Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. The card need not be in your name.
• Fees are generally not refunded if you are refused. IRCC's Help Centre says: "Your application fees can't be refunded once we start processing it."
• Children under 14 and applicants over 79 do not give biometrics.
• India has 10 visa application centres for biometrics: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. IRCC's advice: "Don't pay anyone for an appointment."

Processing time. IRCC's processing-time tool showed 29 days for visitor visa applicants from India in its figures published on 14 October 2026, including the time to give biometrics. The figure changes often, usually weekly, and is not a promise. Check today's number on IRCC's processing-time tool before you plan.

Mistakes that weaken a file

• Hiding a past refusal from any country. The New Delhi checklist warns that false statements or fraudulent documents can lead to "immediate refusal and possible ban from Canada for 5 years." Always disclose, and explain.
• Fewer than six months of bank statements, or a big unexplained deposit just before applying.
• Sponsor or host papers older than three months.
• An employer letter missing salary, hire date or leave details.
• Dates that don't match across your form, letters and itinerary.

Get the full checklist, letter templates and worked example

This article covers what IRCC asks for. The Canada Visitor Visa Guide, India edition takes you further, with:

• separate checklists for employed, self-employed, farmers, retired applicants, homemakers and students
• ready-to-fill templates for the purpose-of-travel letter, invitation letter, employer leave letter and sponsor letter
• a trip-cost worksheet and a worked family fee example
• a step-by-step walk through the IRCC Portal, from invite code to the visa in your passport