Invitation Letter for a Visitor Visa to Canada: What to Include

An invitation letter for a Canadian visitor visa is a letter you write from Canada to support a relative’s or friend’s application. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says it sometimes asks visitor visa applicants for one, and that it should describe both the person invited and you, the host. IRCC is clear that a letter of invitation does not mean a visa will be issued. For a parent or grandparent applying for a super visa, the letter carries extra requirements, including a promise of financial support.

When IRCC asks for a letter of invitation

IRCC’s page says that sometimes, when someone applies for a visa to visit Canada, it asks for a letter of invitation from someone in Canada. You send your letter to the person you are inviting, and they include it when they apply for a visitor visa, which IRCC also calls a temporary resident visa.

The officer’s attention stays on the visitor. IRCC states that visa officers assess the applicant to decide whether they meet the terms of Canada’s immigration law.

What to include about the person you are inviting

IRCC lists the information you should include about your guest:

• complete name
• date of birth
• address and telephone number
• your relationship to the person
• the purpose of the trip
• how long the person plans to stay in Canada
• where the person will stay, and how they will pay for things
• when the person plans to leave Canada

The trip details should match the rest of the application. If the letter says your mother is coming for a six-week family visit and staying in your home, the application should tell the same story.

What to include about yourself

IRCC also asks for your complete name, date of birth, address and telephone number in Canada, job title, whether you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, and details of your family, such as the names and dates of birth of your spouse and dependants. You attach a photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada. IRCC gives these examples:

IRCC’s list is a guide, not a form. In its words, you must write the letter of invitation yourself.

What the letter does and does not do

Two points on IRCC’s page settle most of the worry families bring to us.

First, the letter does not decide the outcome. IRCC states that a letter of invitation does not mean it will issue a visa.

Second, writing the letter does not make you legally responsible for the visitor once they enter Canada. IRCC still expects the letter to be written in good faith: you must tell the truth and plan to keep the promises you make in it.

Letters for a super visa: the extra requirements

The super visa is for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians. IRCC says the host must be the applicant’s biological or adopted child or grandchild, be at least 18 and live in Canada, meet or exceed the minimum necessary income, and write and sign a letter of invitation.

For a super visa, IRCC says the letter must include:

1. a promise of financial support for the duration of the visit
2. proof that the host meets or exceeds the minimum necessary income
3. the list and number of people included in the family size calculation, with the name and date of birth of each person

The host’s spouse or common-law partner can co-sign if they are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. IRCC says other family members, such as siblings, cannot co-sign.

Family size is where letters most often need a second look. IRCC’s count includes the super visa applicants, the host, the host’s spouse or partner, dependent children, previously approved super visa holders named in a letter that still applies, and people the host or co-signer sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect. IRCC publishes the minimum income table on its proof of financial support page. We do not repeat the figures here because they are updated; check the table on the day you write the letter.

The letter is one part of the file. IRCC also requires the applicant to show private health insurance valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, with minimum emergency coverage of $100,000, and to take an immigration medical exam. IRCC says applicants who applied on or after June 22, 2023 are eligible to stay for 5 years at a time. Our super visa page covers the full application.

A preparation checklist for Edmonton families

This is a working list we suggest, not an IRCC checklist:

1. Agree on the trip with your relative first: dates, purpose, where they will stay and who pays for what.
2. Gather your status document, and your spouse’s details and those of your dependants.
3. For a super visa, count family size using IRCC’s categories and gather your income proof before you write.
4. Write the letter in your own words, covering every item IRCC lists for both the visitor and you.
5. Read it against the visitor’s application so the dates, address and purpose match.
6. Sign and date it, keep a copy, and send it to your relative to include with their application.

When plans change after your relative arrives

IRCC states that before a super visa holder’s status expires, they need to either leave Canada or apply to extend their stay, and that keeping valid visitor status is their responsibility. Our page on visitor record extensions explains that step. If your family is weighing permanent residence instead, IRCC says that a parent with a sponsorship application already submitted can apply for a super visa while waiting for a decision. See our parent and grandparent sponsorship page.

Book a consultation

Imprint Immigration Services is an Edmonton practice at 300-9006 132 Avenue NW, and families in Calgary and elsewhere in Alberta meet with us by video. If you would like a second reading of an invitation letter or a super visa file, a 30-minute consultation with Shirani Jenita Daniel, RCIC-IRB, licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), is $50 + GST, by video or in person. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Immigration advice provided by Shirani Jenita Daniel, RCIC-IRB, CICC Licence R705794. This article is general information about government processes, not advice on your situation.