How to invite a friend to Canada

Last updated on August 29, 2022

While Canada doesn’t have an invitation visa, you can invite a friend or your family member to come and visit you in Canada. Your friend or your family member will be applying for a regular tourist visa, but you will be providing an invitation letter in support of that visa application.

How to submit the application

Have your friend first apply for a tourist visa

Follow the steps in How to apply for a tourist visa to Canada.

Prepare your invitation letter

Immigration Canada provides an example of how your invitation letter should look like.

The letter is very basic and lists only the information you must include in the letter. A letter like that is not very personal. You might want to add more details about why you are inviting this person to visit you in Canada.

Supporting documentation

  • Optionally, include supporting financial statements to show that you have the funds to support your friend while they are in Canada. A recent bank statement and/or pay stab is usually enough.
  • Additionally, if possible, include any proof of connection you have to your friend.

Can I do it myself?

Yes. This application is very similar to the Tourist Visa application. You can put it together yourself by following the Immigration Canada instructions.

However, you might want to consider legal help in the following situations (this is not the complete list):

  • You, the inviting person, have not been well established in Canada
  • Your finances are not very strong
  • Your friend is not well established in his country, have no strong ties
  • Your friend’s immigration status in their country is problematic
  • Your friend has been previously refused a visa to Canada
  • Your friend is currently unemployed or have been unemployed for a long time
  • Your friend hasn’t travelled a lot in the past before this trip to Canada
  • Your friend is coming from a country with a weak economy, problematic security situation, or in an international conflict

(The above should not be treated as legal advice)

Still unsure? We can help you make sense of your situation and suggest what you might need to do next.

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