Sometimes a person applying for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to visit Canada is asked to provide a letter of invitation from someone in Canada. The following information will help you prepare such a letter to send to a relative or friend abroad.

Please note, you CANNOT apply for a family member or friend who is outside Canada. The incoming visitor must initially apply to an immigration office in the country in which they are present and have been lawfully admitted; or the visitor's country of nationality or, if the visitor is stateless, their country of habitual residence other than a country in which they are residing without having been lawfully admitted [Immigration Refugee Protection Regulation, Section 11(2)(a)(b)].

A letter of invitation does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. Visa officers assess the applicant to determine whether they meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The following information is only a guide. You must write the letter of invitation yourself. Some visa offices may require that your letter be notarized by a Notary Public. Check with the visa office that is processing the application to find out if you need to do this. By writing a letter of invitation, you are not legally responsible for the visitor once they get to Canada, but you should provide the letter in good faith. You must give truthful information and intend to keep the promises you made in the letter.

Send your letter (notarized if necessary) to the person you are inviting to Canada. They must then submit this letter to the Canadian Embassy or Consulate outside of Canada when they apply for their Temporary Resident Visa.  The letter of invitation is only one of the required supporting documents.

Your letter must include the following information about the person being invited:

• Complete name
• Date of birth
• The person’s address and telephone number
• Your relationship to the person being invited
• The purpose of the trip
• How long the person you are inviting intends to stay in Canada
• Details on accommodation and living expenses
• The date the person you are inviting intends to leave Canada
  
  

Your letter must also include the following information about yourself:

• Complete name
• Date of birth
• Address and telephone number in Canada
• Occupation (this would be “student” in your case)
• A photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada (Study Permit)
• Photocopies of pages of your passport
• Letter from the registrar’s office saying that you are a registered student of Acadia University
• Photocopy of your Student ID Card and SIN card (if applicable)
  
  

For more information, visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website on visiting Canada.

Authentication of documents

Foreign Governments and organizations sometimes require documents be authenticated before they will accept them. For information about how to have Canadian documents authenticated so that they will be accepted for use abroad, please visit the link below:

https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/about-a_propos/services/authentication-authentification/step-etape-1.aspx?lang=eng