A Canada visitor visa from India, and a Canada visit visa from Pakistan, are assessed against the same rules. There is no separate track for either country: the same officer, the same eligibility list, and the same central question apply to both.
That question is whether the applicant will leave Canada at the end of the visit. Everything in the application — the travel document, the funds, the ties to home — is read by the officer as evidence toward that one point.
This guide explains what the application needs to show, what it costs, and how long the visa and each stay can last.
What does a Canada visitor visa require?
A visitor visa requires a valid travel document, good health, a clean criminal and immigration record, and enough money for the stay. These are the baseline conditions an officer checks before looking at anything else.
Some applicants also need a medical exam, or a letter of invitation from someone living in Canada, depending on their situation. These are additional documents on top of the baseline requirements, not a separate process.
A person can also be found inadmissible to Canada for reasons that include criminal activity, human rights violations, or organized crime. Security, health or financial grounds can also make someone inadmissible. Inadmissibility can apply regardless of how strong the rest of an application otherwise looks.
Why ties to home matter
An officer looks for ties to home because they show whether the applicant has a reason to return. Ties can include a job, a home, financial assets or family remaining in the applicant's home country.
The applicant has to convince the officer of two related things: that these ties exist, and that they will lead the person to leave Canada by the end of the authorized stay. Weak or unclear ties are one of the reasons an application can be refused.
How much money is enough depends on how long the visit will last. It also depends on whether the visitor will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. There is no single figure that applies to every application, because the amount is tied to the specifics of the trip.
Canada tourist visa requirements and the application fee
The Canada visitor visa fee is $100 per person, or $500 for a family of five or more applying together at the same time and place. This is the standard fee that applies across visitor visa applications, including tourist visits.
Applicants who are asked to give biometrics — fingerprints and a photo — pay $85 per person, or $170 for a family of two or more applying together. This is a separate charge on top of the visa fee.
Meeting the eligibility requirements does not by itself guarantee a particular outcome. The officer still has to be satisfied on the whole application, including the ties and funds described above.
How long is a Canada visitor visa valid?
A visitor visa can be valid for up to ten years, capped by whichever expires first: the visa itself, the passport, or the biometrics. A visa officer decides whether to issue a single-entry or multiple-entry visa, and sets its length within that maximum.
The visa's validity period is different from how long a person can stay on any one visit. A multi-year visa allows repeated entries, but each entry is still governed separately by the stay period set at the border.
How long can I stay in Canada on a visitor visa?
Most visitors can stay for up to six months per entry. A border services officer can authorize a shorter or longer stay and mark the leave-by date directly in the passport.
Where there is no stamp or written date, the default stay is six months from the day of entry, or until the passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. The authorized stay is set at the border. It is separate from the visa that allowed the person to travel to Canada.
Can I extend my stay in Canada as a visitor?
A visitor who wants to stay longer than authorized can apply for an extension. IRCC recommends doing so at least thirty days before the authorized stay ends. Applying with time to spare avoids a gap between the authorized stay and a decision on the extension.
An extension is a separate application from the original visitor visa, decided on its own merits. The same kind of information that supported the original visa — ties to home, funds, and purpose of the visit — is relevant again.
For parents and grandparents planning a longer visit, the guide to the super visa explains a different visa for stays longer than a standard visitor visa allows. Where a family is also considering permanent sponsorship, the family sponsorship program is a separate route from any visitor application.
Check the authorized stay date
The passport stamp, or the default period where there is none, shows when the current authorized stay ends.
Apply before that date
IRCC recommends applying for an extension at least thirty days before the authorized stay ends, while still in Canada and still within status.
Continue to meet the requirements
An extension application is assessed on its own merits, including the applicant's ties, funds and purpose, in the same way the original visa was.
The short version
- The same eligibility rules apply to a Canada visitor visa from India and a Canada visit visa from Pakistan.
- An officer weighs ties to home, funds for the trip and a clean record. The amount of money needed depends on the length and type of stay.
- The visa fee is $100 per person, plus $85 per person for biometrics, with family caps for both.
- A visitor visa can last up to ten years, but the stay authorized at the border, usually up to six months, is separate from that.
- An extension request is best made at least thirty days before the authorized stay ends.
Every figure on this page is cited to the government source it was read from, and was checked on September 19, 2026. Rules change, and a source is the authority where this page and the source disagree. This guide is general information about how the process works, not immigration advice about your own situation, and reading it creates no consultant-client relationship.