Canada Visitor Visa from India 2026: Fees, Time, Documents

Published 2026-10-25 · 8 min read · By the Travlys visa team

Indians still need a full visitor visa (TRV) for Canada in 2026. Here is what it costs, how long IRCC is taking, which documents matter and what to do after a refusal.

Indian passport holders need a visitor visa, also called a temporary resident visa (TRV), to visit Canada in 2026. The government fee is CAD 185 per person (CAD 100 visa plus CAD 85 biometrics), you apply online and give fingerprints at a VFS Global centre in India, and IRCC showed a processing time of 29 days for India on 21 October 2026. The eTA shortcut does not apply to Indians, even if you hold a US visa.

At a glance: Visa type: Visitor visa (TRV), applied online with IRCC. Government fee: CAD 100 visa + CAD 85 biometrics. Family cap: CAD 500 visa fees, CAD 170 biometrics. Processing time (India): 29 days per IRCC's tool, updated 21 October 2026, excluding biometrics. Biometrics: At a VAC within 30 days of your instruction letter; valid 10 years. eTA for Indians: Not available. Usual stay: Up to 6 months per entry, decided at the border. Super Visa processing (India): 83 days on the same date.

How long a Canada visitor visa takes from India right now

IRCC publishes country-wise times on its Check processing times tool. For visitor visas applied from India, it showed 29 days on its 21 October 2026 update. IRCC says the tool is updated weekly, and the number swings. Early in 2026 it was above 80 days. So treat any figure you read in a blog, including this one, as a snapshot.

Three things add time that the tool does not count. First, the wait for your biometrics appointment. Second, any request for more documents or a medical exam. Third, passport submission after approval, when you send your passport to the VAC for the visa counterfoil and wait for it to come back. Plan for at least six to eight weeks from application to passport in hand, and more in the busy April to July season.

Fees and what you actually pay

• Visa fee: CAD 100 per person, single or multiple entry.
• Biometrics: CAD 85 per person, or CAD 170 maximum for a family applying together.
• Family visa cap: CAD 500 for five or more family members applying at the same time and place.
• Super Visa: CAD 100 plus biometrics, with the medical exam and insurance as separate costs.
• VAC charges: VFS Global may charge for optional services such as courier or passport return. Appointments themselves are free, so never pay anyone for a slot.

Government fees are paid online by card in Canadian dollars, so the rupee amount depends on your card's exchange rate on the day. Fees are not refunded if you are refused.

Biometrics at a VAC in India

After you pay, IRCC sends a biometric instruction letter. You have 30 days from the date on that letter to give fingerprints and a photo. IRCC lists 10 collection sites in India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. All are run by VFS Global.

Biometrics for temporary residence stay valid for 10 years. If you gave them for a Canadian visa or study permit in the last decade, you may not need to give them again. Children under 14 and applicants over 79 are exempt. One catch: IRCC cannot issue a visa that runs past your biometrics expiry, so old biometrics can mean a shorter visa.

Documents that decide your case

Officers refuse most visitor visas on one ground: they are not satisfied you will leave Canada at the end of your stay. Every document should answer that question.

Ties to India

• Employer letter with designation, salary, joining date and approved leave dates.
• For business owners: GST registration, company documents and business bank statements.
• Property papers, family dependants in India, ongoing studies or a return ticket plan.
• Past travel: old visas and stamps for the US, UK, Schengen, Australia or similar help a lot.

Funds

IRCC sets no fixed bank balance for visitors. Show that the trip is affordable for your income. Six months of bank statements, the last two or three years of ITR acknowledgements and salary slips work better than one large balance. A sudden big deposit just before applying is a common red flag, so explain any unusual credit.

Purpose and invitation letters

Write a short, specific travel plan: dates, cities, where you will stay and who pays. If you are visiting family, attach an invitation letter from your host with their full name, address, phone, status in Canada (citizen, PR or permit holder with a copy of the document), your relationship, the purpose and length of your visit, and who covers costs. Add the host's job letter or tax notice if they are funding you. A letter alone does not get a visa approved. It only supports your own ties and funds.

What changed in 2024 to 2026

• Multiple entry is not the default (from 6 November 2024): Officers now choose single or multiple entry and the validity period case by case. A 10-year visa is no longer the standard.
• Visa cancellation powers (in force 31 January 2025, announced 12 February 2025): Officers can cancel a TRV or eTA if, for example, your circumstances change, you gave false information, or they are not satisfied you will leave Canada at the end of your stay.
• Bill C-12 (Royal Assent 26 March 2026): Lets the federal Cabinet cancel, suspend or pause groups of immigration documents and applications in the public interest.
• Officer decision notes (from 29 July 2025): Most visitor visa and Super Visa refusals now come with the officer's notes explaining why.
• Super Visa income (from 31 March 2026): Hosts can use either of the two previous tax years, or combine their income with the visiting parent's income if they meet a minimum share themselves.
• Digital visa pilot (from 27 November 2025): Limited to a small group of approved Moroccan applicants. It does not cover India, so you still get a counterfoil in your passport.
• eTA expansion (26 May 2026): Added Indonesia and Malaysia only. India is not included.

Common refusal reasons and how to respond

Typical reasons on Indian refusal letters are weak family or economic ties, limited travel history, funds that do not match the trip, and an unclear purpose of visit. Here is how to respond.

• Read the decision notes. They come with most refusal letters since July 2025 and tell you what the officer actually doubted.
• Get your GCMS notes if you need more detail. You can request your full file free under the Privacy Act through IRCC's ATIP online portal, from anywhere in the world. Expect it to take weeks.
• Reapply only with something new. IRCC says the same documents will likely get the same result. Fix each point in the notes with fresh evidence and a short cover letter.
• There is no appeal for a visitor visa. If the decision was unfair or unreasonable, the route is judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada, which has strict deadlines and needs a Canadian lawyer.
• Declare the refusal. Every later application to Canada, and to many other countries, asks about past refusals. Hiding one is worse than the refusal itself.

Super Visa for parents and grandparents

If your child or grandchild is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, the Super Visa lets you stay up to five years per entry, with multiple entries over up to 10 years. It costs CAD 100 plus biometrics. You need private medical insurance from a Canadian insurer (or an IRCC-approved foreign one) valid for at least one year from entry, with at least CAD 100,000 emergency coverage. You also need an immigration medical exam, and a signed invitation letter from a host who meets the minimum necessary income for their family size. IRCC's tool showed 83 days for Super Visas from India on 21 October 2026. You cannot include dependants on a Super Visa application.

Who should pick which: if your parents plan a trip of a few months, a regular visitor visa is cheaper and faster. If they will spend long stretches with you every year, the Super Visa saves repeated applications and border questions about long stays.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking non-refundable flights before the visa is approved.
• Uploading bank statements without explaining large or recent deposits.
• Leaving the purpose-of-travel section vague or copying a template letter.
• Missing the 30-day biometrics deadline.
• Giving a different job title or salary than an earlier Canadian or US application.

How Travlys helps

Travlys is an Ahmedabad-based visa consultancy. We file Canada visitor visas from ₹14,950 (service fee; government fees extra). We check your ties, funds and travel history, prepare the travel plan and invitation-letter checklist, and help you rebuild a file after a refusal using the officer's notes. We have filed 5,000+ visas with a 98% approval rate. WhatsApp us on +91 82009 18967.

Last checked: Rules, fees and processing times in this guide were checked on 25 October 2026 against the IRCC and Parliament of Canada sources listed below. Processing times change weekly, so confirm on IRCC's tool before you apply.