Canadian tourist visa - application steps for brazilians

canada-tourist-visa-steps.markdown

Canadian tourist visa - application steps for brazilians

1. Determine your eligibility and apply online: http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp Note: This is just a questionnaire with basic questions to determinate eligibility. Later on you will fill in information that will then be used as part of the visa process.

2. You will then proceed to another form that will generate a personal checklist at the end. Make sure to always inform the purpose is for "tourism". It will also ask you if you have a valid US visa. You will also need either a scanner or a camera available to take copy of some documents.

3. Personal checklist: in the personal checklist screen make sure to write down (you should print that page actually) the reference code as you will need it later to have access to this application. The reference code expires 1 month after you start this process. Make sure to execute all the items requested here, as you will need to upload them in the next screen:

• [FORM] Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) (IMM5257) - it's a PDF file and you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it - it will not work with other PDF readers.
• A copy of all your passport pages - need to include any pages with stamps, visas or markings AND the page with your birth date, country of origin, etc. So basically, just a copy of all your passaport leaving out blank pages and you are fine. You can save it as a single PDF document.
• You will need to take a mug shot. Follow all the instructions in there. It can be taken with your cellphone - just watch out the file size, dimensions and the color specs.
• [FORM] Family Information Form (IMM5707) - another PDF file that requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be opened - it will not work with other PDF readers.
• Travel history - if you took a copy of your entire passport in the previous step that same PDF can also be used here. They basically just want to know entry/exit stamps, your previous passports and expired/valid visas. I didn't scan my old passport (expired 6 years ago) and it was fine.

Note: You don't need to sign any of the forms. Just ignore it.

Here they also inform the fee for the visitor/tourist visa application (100.00 CAD at the time of writing this doc). Later on you will need to pay more fees to the CVAC (Canadian Visa Application Center). The company that does this job in Brazil is called VFS Global.

As part of the checklist you will also need to create a MyCIC account - this is very important, as with this account you will be able to manage any canadian visa processes you go through from now on. After logging in with it just provide your reference code to have access to your application.

4. Completing the application: Once you have entered your personal reference code you will be guided through the following steps to complete your application:

• Upload your documents
• Review your application
• Pay with a credit card
• Submit it

You will be able to monitor the application status via email. Wait for their answer.

5. Request to send your passport: If everything goes well, at some point (it took me 3 business days) they will ask you to send your passport to the visa application center. They do it through a letter (PDF file). Save it, you will need to send it to the CVAC later. They have offices in three cities here in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília. Choose the one that is best for you and follow all the steps described in their application process page to send your passaport. Alternatively, if you live in one of those cities, you can go to their office.

6. Sending your passport through mail to the CVAC:

7. Identify in the application process section their bank account information. It varies according to the desired office. They only work with the Santander bank.

8. Take a look at the fees you will need to pay. I had to pay the following ones: - Service Charge for Application handling Per Applicant: $ 32.04 - Secure transmission of passport to the Consulate of Canada upon request by visa office (for e-application) — Price per Passport: $ 25.63 - Courier "per Passport" Zone D: $ 32.42

The first one is a core service charge, second one is due to their passport request (**note:** it won't pay the cost of sending it to them - not sure why this is needed then but it's written as part of their docs that it's required) and third one is for them to send it back to your address once everything is done - note that for my case it was `Zone D`. **This will change depending on where you live and to which office you decided to send your passport.** They provide all that information in their website.

3. Go to a Santander agency and pay the total amount of those fees. It can all be part of the same payment. Don't do a wire transfer - they don't accept it. You must go with the money and pay it directly in the agency.
4. Put the paperwork together: - Receipt of the total amount paid in fees: I decided to attach a paper describing which ones I paid for - Request letter: that one you received in the previous step - Passport - Contact information: this is very important. You must attach a paper with your contact info - email, telephone and full mailing address - Receipt of the canadian visa fee (100 CAD): I guess this is optional, but I sent it anyway
5. Go to a Correios agency and send it to their office. I decided to send it using SEDEX 10 in order for them to get it the next day. It cost me ~28 CAD.
6. Wait for them to send it back to you.