Nothing checked off yet

First visit? Here's how the map works.

Steps run in order. A dashed step is blocked: something before it has to be finished first.

Check a step off when it's done. Whatever it was blocking unlocks by itself.

Some steps are IRCC's to make, not yours. Those show as waiting and can't be checked off.

Start with step 1: Find out what you actually need

Visitors and eTATravelStep 3 of 5

BlockedIRCC decides · RequiredYou are here

3. Decision

An eTA is usually approved within minutes, by email.

Waiting on: Apply for the eTA or the visitor visa

Open this step

The rest of the pathway, folded up

This view fits the whole pathway on one screen: the step you're on is enlarged, its neighbours are shown small, and everything further out is folded into a summary bar you can open. The idea is borrowed from degree-of-interest trees (Card and Nation, 2002).

Times and fees on this page are rough and change without notice. Check canada.ca before you pay for anything or make a plan around a date.

Step 3 of 5 · RequiredClose

Decision

BlockedRequired

The authority on this stepVisitor visa: about the documentcanada.ca · Government of Canada

IRCC is the only authority here. Our summary is here to help you find your way. If anything below differs from the official page, the official page is right. Requirements, fees and processing times change without notice.

Our plain-language summaryLast reviewed 29 July 2026

An eTA is usually approved within minutes, by email. Some applications get held for review and take longer. A visitor visa goes into your passport, and the officer sets whether it is single or multiple entry and how long it is valid.

Why it's required: Approval is not permission to enter. It lets you board a plane or arrive at the border; the decision about entry itself is made later, by a border services officer.

eTA resultUsually minutesSome are held for review. Don't book on the assumption of instant approval.

Visa validityUp to 10 yearsOr until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever is first.

If refusedReasons givenReapplying without fixing the reason usually ends the same way.

Before this step

BlockedApply for the eTA or the visitor visa

Finishing this unlocks: Arrive: the border officer decides