Canada Tourist Visa Application for Couples

With the current situation and pandemic, we all know that it will be quite a while before we can all travel again. However, while we are waiting for the situation to stabilize and transition to a "new normal", let me share with you on how I applied for a Canada Tourist Visa for me and my husband right before it all even started.

To give you a little backstory, this is actually not the first time I have applied for a Canada Tourist Visa. Back in 2017, me, my sibling and some of our cousins applied separately for a visa to visit our grandmother and relatives in Canada. Unfortunately for me, my application was rejected but fortunately for them, they all got approved and was able to visit them there.

Earlier this year, I have decided to give it a try one more time and to learn from my previous application. This time around I’ll ensure that I will provide all the necessary documents and information needed based on the specifications given. For this application, I’ll also be including my husband with a hope that we will both be approved and will be able to travel together.

Please see steps below on how I apply for a Canada Tourist Visa online.

Disclaimer: I have included links to the forms below. However, please do confirm and check your requirements for the latest versions and the correct form for your application.

 

Step 1 - Create and register for a GCKey account here

• This will be the account that you will use to securely access and apply for the online visa application to Canada.
• You will be prompted to create security questions and responses of which you should remember and take note of. This will be randomly asked every time you login to your account other than your password.

 

Step 2 - Once logged into your GCKey account, go to the "Start an application" and click on "Apply to come to Canada". Follow the next steps and buttons for Visitor Visa Application until you reach the questionnaire.

• This includes the application for the visitor visas, work and study permits, Express Entry and International Experience Canada.

Step 3 - Fill out the questionnaire that will be presented to confirm eligibility and for the system to determine the requirements you need.

• It is very important to ensure accuracy when filling out the questionnaire, as mentioned this will determine the list of requirements that you will need to submit
• This is also the part where you will identify if you are applying for another family member or in my case my husband.

Step 4 - Gather and organize the requirements

• The list of requirements below may differ depending on your answer to the questionnaire above.
• For us, I have indicated the following:
• I am also applying for my spouse wherein I am the Primary applicant and my husband is the Secondary applicant
• I have relatives who are permanent residents of Canada
• You don't need to create the documents and submit them all on the same day. Once your application is created, the details will be saved every time you log off and you will have 60 days to complete and submit your application online.
• File upload, format and size:
• You can only upload one document per requirement. This would mean that you would need to consolidate all your data first and then save them in a single document or PDF file.

TIP: What I did is I arranged all the scanned copy or pictures per requirement in MS Word, and once everything is sorted, I then re-saved the file as a PDF and that is what I uploaded. Please see other file formats supported below.

• Maximum file size for each file is 4 MB

TIP: If your file exceeds 4 MB and you are using MS Word like me, try to minimize the resolution of your images in the document by compressing them to 96 PPI before re-saving to a PDF file. Please check this link for the step by step instruction on how to do this in MS Word.

• Supported file formats are:
• PDF (Portable Document)
• JPG, TIFF, or PNG (Image)
• DOC or DOCX (Microsoft Word Document)
• Most of the forms in the requirements does not need to be signed as you will digitally sign the application when you submit your requirements at the end.

 

PRIMARY APPLICANT

• Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) Made Outside of Canada (IMM5257) (required)

A: If you get a "Please wait…" message, just click on the Download button or right-click on the page and save it in a local drive of your computer or any location of your preference. Once saved, you will then be able to access and fill out the form using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

 

You won't need to sign this form and you will just need to validate it at the end of the form which will create bar codes that will be included when you save the filled-out copy of the form.

 

There is also a part in the form where it asked if I have previously applied to enter Canada and if I was denied a Visa. I have answered truthfully and provided the Application Number I had back in 2017.

 

• Travel History (required)

A: For this one, I have attached the following in this order and all are organized from the most recent to the oldest per item:

 

Note: The order is just based on how I would like to reflect my Travel History. But there is no specific guidance or requirement in having them sorted in this order.

1. I have created a Travel History list (excel table) of all the international countries I have been to which includes the Entry/Exit Date, Duration of Stay and Purpose. This is not in the list of requirements for Travel History and I have just opted to include it as a summary.
2. A scanned copy of my current and old passport which shows all the entry and exit stamps along with any current and past visas.
3. A scanned or digital copy of e-visas (ex. Dubai, India).

• Passport (required) 

A: A scanned copy of my current passport from the bio page, and all other pages that has a stamp and visa.

 

TIP: Make sure that your passport is not expiring within a year (at least) to maximize your visa if approved. They only approve/issue visa valid until your passport expiration date.

 

• Invitation Letter (required)

A: Based on the questionnaire I have answered, I have indicated that I have relatives who are residents of Canada. Thus, an Invitation Letter written by our host/relative was included in my set of requirements.

 

What I did is I copied a previous Invitation Letter from my Aunt to my brother back in 2017, and I have incorporated our own details. Basically, it contains the following information:

1. Our host's (relatives) name and their complete address
2. My name and husband's name, and our complete address
3. Our relationship to our host/relatives
4. Purpose of our visit
5. A line stating that our host/relative is willing to accommodate all of our needs while staying in Canada
6. Copy of their passports

I have then sent a digital copy to my Aunt for their signing and she went to their City Hall to have it signed in their Commissioner of Oath presenting a copy of their passport as a proof of residency.

 

• Use of a Family Member Representative for Online Applications (IMM5713) (required)

A: This form is required for family members who are applying together. As I am applying for me and my husband wherein, I am the primary applicant and stands as the family representative, we need to have this form filled out and signed together showing that my husband is granting permission for me to be able to apply and represent him in the application.

I had the filled-out form printed and freshly signed by us before I scan a digital copy for upload.

• Proof of Means of Financial Support (required)

A: As me and my husband are applying together, I have included both of our financial information for this section in the following order:

 

Note: The order is just based on how I would like to reflect our financial information but there is no specific guidance or requirement in having them sorted in this order.

1. A scanned copy of our passbooks (Individual and Joint) which shows our names and the transaction history for the past 6 months or so.
2. Bank Statements for other bank accounts without passbook to show the past four months' transaction. This includes the cover letter from the bank for each bank statement.
3. Latest Income Tax Statement (BIR 2316)
4. Income Certification Letter from our company
5. Pay slips for the past three to four months
6. Stock Statements/Certificate under our names
7. Land Titles in our names

• Marriage License/Certificate (required)

A: I have attached a recently issued copy of our Marriage License from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) of which I requested thru an SM Business Center near our place.

•  Digital Photo (required) 

A: We went to Fujifilm Store and had our pictures taken for a Canada Tourist Visa specification, of which I have scanned into a digital copy. It was then edited by my husband based on the below specifications based on the requirements.

 

Image size: at least 420 x 540 pixels.

File size: approximately 240 kB, no more than 4 MB.

Image must be in colour (24 bits per pixel) in RGB colour space, the common output for most digital cameras.

 

• Purpose of Travel - Other (required)

A: We do not have any tickets booked yet when we filled out and submitted our application as we are still checking for flights and unsure yet of our travel dates and if we will be granted the visa or not. However, we do have a tentative date or timeline that we are eyeing for. Another thing, is that we will be staying with our relatives as well. Thus, we don't have any hotel reservations.

 

So, for the purpose of travel, I have instead created a letter of why we would like to travel to Canada and included a sample itinerary of what we will do (similar to a schedule of stay for Japan Tourist Visa Application) there and for how long we intended to stay based on the tentative date that we have. In the sample itinerary, I have indicated that we are intending to stay there for less than a month or around 3 to 4 weeks.

•  Family Information (IMM5645) (required) 

A: This is a form to indicate your family information and background. You just need to fill out basically the information needed, and again no need to sign the form.

 

SECONDARY APPLICANT

A: Most of the forms and requirements listed here are similar to those in the Primary Applicant list and will just have to be filled out based on the information of the Secondary applicant. I have just indicated what was requested for a Secondary applicant as a reference.

• Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) Made Outside of Canada (IMM5257) (required)
• Family Information (IMM5645) (required)
• Passport (required)
• Digital Photo (required)

 

Step 5 - Upload your requirements online

 

Note: For Steps 6 and 7, I'm afraid that I don’t remember quite clearly which of the two comes first. But basically, they are the last few steps for the online process. 😊

 

Step 6 - Submit your application

 

Step 7 - Pay for the fees online

 

FEES

Family Biometric Fee (per family) - $170 CAD

• This is the maximum fee for a family of 5 or more people applying at the same time and place
• Biometric collected is valid for 10 years

Visitor Fee (per person) - $100 CAD

• This will have to be paid per applicant
• Since we have two applicants (me and my husband), then we will have to pay $200

Total: $370 CAD (roughly around P14, 000 to P15, 000 at the time and may vary depending on the exchange rate at the date of payment)

Step 8 - Wait for the updates and further instructions by checking your messages in GIC and in your email from time to time

Step 9 - Schedule a Biometrics Enrollment with Philippines Visa Application Centres (VACs) after receiving an instruction letter via GIC message and email

Visa Application Centres Worldwide

A: There are two VAC Offices in the Philippines. One in Manila and one in Cebu. You may schedule an appointment via the helpline number listed below and go to their office address for the scheduled Biometrics enrollment.

 

On your scheduled appointment, don't forget to bring your documents and be there a bit earlier than your scheduled time. The enrollment process is quick as long as you don't have a problem with the scanning of your fingerprints like me.

Helpline number:(+632) 8528-2505

Helpline email: info.canman@vfshelpline.com

Manila Address:

Canada Visa Application Centre

VFS Services Phils. Pvt. Inc.

29th Floor The World Center Bldg

330 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City

Philippines

 

Hours of Operation: Manila

Application / Biometric Submission: 07:00 – 16:00

Passport Submission –: 07:00 – 16:00

Passport Collection: 07:00 – 16:00

 

Cebu Address:

Canada Visa Application Centre

VFS Services Phils. Pvt. Inc.

9F Keppel Center Unit 905 Samar Loop cor Cardinal Rosales Ave,

Cebu Business Park

Cebu City 6000

Philippines

 

Hours of Operation: Cebu

Application / Biometric Submission: –7:00 – 15:00

Passport Submission: 7:00 – 15:00

Passport Collection: 7:00 – 15:00

Step 10 - Wait for updates via GIC message and email if you will be required to provide your original passport or if your application is denied.

• If you receive an instruction to provide your original passport, you will then need to go back to the Philippines Visa Application Centres (VACs) to submit your passport for processing.
• The Philippines VAC Office will provide you instructions on how to track your passport and when you can retrieve it.

TIMELINE

A: There is no specific timeline given for the application and it may differ per applicant. However, below is the timeline of our application for your reference:

 

January 27, 2020 - I submitted our applications online

January 28, 2020 - We received a letter with the instructions for Biometrics Collection

January 31, 2020 - We had our biometrics enrolled/collected based on the appointment we made

February 11, 2020 - We received a letter requesting for a copy of our original passport

February 12, 2020 - We went to submit our original passport

February 13, 2020 - Checked online and saw that our passports are ready for pickup

February 14, 2020 - We got our passport with the visas

Total: 2 weeks and 4 days

 

TIPS/REMINDERS:

• Again, make sure that your passport is not expiring in the next six months or the next year. This is to ensure that you will be able to maximize your visa if approved as they only grant visa valid until your passport expiration date.

ex.
Application Date: January 2020
Passport Expiration Date: June 2021
 

If they approved your tourist visa application, the expiration of the visa will be the same as your passport expiration date of June 2021. This would mean that you would have to travel within the year as you will no longer be allowed to travel by the local immigration if the travel date is within six months prior to your passport expiration date.

• Read all the guidelines and instructions, and ensure that you follow all the specifications in the requirements
• Ensure that you are using the correct form based on the requirements given to you

 

Overall, I find the online application process very organized, systematic and clear. I'm happy that I am able to do it in the comforts of our home and have enough time to complete the requirements needed. Based on the timeline shared above, thankfully we are both approved for a Canada Tourist Visa.😊 Another great thing is that my passport is already the new one with a 10-year validity, and the visa approved is also valid until my passport expiration date in 2028. woohoo!

But most importantly, I am so happy because we will now be able to travel to Canada to visit our relatives and have fun travelling as a couple ... after the pandemic, and it is already safe to travel of course. Good thing we were not able to book our flights yet.

Stay home and stay safe! And good luck on your application!