Apply for a new temporary resident visa from within Canada
IRCC has resumed using Canada Post mail services
Effective July 11, 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has resumed normal processing and shipping procedures using Canada Post mail services.
If you submitted your passport application at a Passport Office between June 24, 2016 and July 9, 2016, you will need to pick it up or collect it at that same location. All other submitted applications, including those submitted to a Service Canada Receiving Agent, will be mailed to the address listed on your application.
If you are submitting a new application, include your date of travel and email address if possible.
We are monitoring the Canada Post situation and will provide new instructions as needed.
If you are a temporary resident in Canada with valid status (that is, you have a valid study permit or work permit), you can apply for a new temporary resident visa to return to Canada before you leave.
You can apply in Canada if:
- you are a legally admitted
- student or
- foreign worker
- your current temporary resident status is still valid, and your existing visa counterfoil is expired or was valid for only one entry, and
- you need a new temporary resident visa to return to Canada in the near future.
If this does not apply to you, see our general instructions on how to apply.
If this does apply to you, follow these steps.
1. Decide how you will apply
You can apply online or on paper.
Apply online
You must have:
- access to a scanner or camera to make electronic copies of your documents to upload, and
- a valid credit card to pay with.
Determine your eligibility and apply online.
Note: If you provide an email address on your application, please check your email account often for automated emails from CIC regarding your case. Some spam filters block these emails. Make sure that emails from CIC are not blocked. If you are not sure whether emails from CIC are being sent, please check your myCIC account often.
Apply on paper
Please follow steps 2 to 4 below.
2. Get the application package
The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download the application package.
Read the instructions on this page carefully before you fill out the form.
Please note the following.
- If you plan to visit Canada several times in the near future (for example, on business or to visit family), think about applying for a multiple-entry visa.
- You must fill out and sign your own form, even if you are travelling as part of a family. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must sign your form.
- We will not refund your application fee.
- Even if you send a complete application and all the needed supporting documents, you may not get a visa.
Be sure to send us all documents we asked for. Missing information or documents can delay your application.
3. Pay your application fees
- The Case Processing Centre-Ottawa (CPC-O) only accepts payment online or through a financial institution in Canada.
- You must get the right receipt and provide it when you apply.
- The CPC-O will not take any other forms of payment, including money orders, certified cheques or bank drafts.
Note: Financial institutions and credit card companies may need up to five days to validate your payment. We cannot process an application before the payment is validated. You may want to pay your application fee a few days before you send the complete application to speed up the process.
4. Submit your application
When you have filled out the application forms, make sure you:
- sign and date them, and
- include all documents and proof you paid the application fee in the envelope.
Mailing instructions
Canada Post services may be interrupted
Until Canada Post can guarantee their standard mail delivery services, we recommend that you only submit your application by an alternative courier. Include a pre-paid return courier envelope, so we can return your passport to you. Courier your application and return envelope to this address:
CPC – Ottawa
Temporary Resident Visa Section
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON, K1A 1L1
- Buy two prepaid 24 x 32 cm Xpresspost–National envelopes at any Canada Post retail outlet.
- Put one envelope in the other envelope. We will use the second envelope to return your passport and other documents to you.
- Add the documents you are sending that support your application.
- Put your full mailing address in the “Deliver To” field and the Case Processing Centre-Ottawa post office box address in the “Return Address” field.
- Note the tracking number for each envelope.
- If you do not send a second prepaid Xpresspost envelope, we will return your passport by regular mail. Our office is not responsible for items lost in the mail.
- We will only return your passport through regular mail or a prepaid Xpresspost envelope. (If you include a prepaid envelope from a private courier company, we will not use it.)
- You cannot apply through the CPC-O office if you do not live in Canada.
Send your package to:
Processing
To make sure your application is not delayed:
- pay your fee a few days before you mail your application (financial institutions and credit card companies may need up to five business days to validate your payment),
- apply at least two months before you plan to leave Canada and
- fill out the new 2D barcode form online (if you fill out the application by hand, it will take longer to process).
We process applications in the order we get them.
We have not yet set processing times for in-Canada applications. We will post updates on this website when they are available.
One or more of the following could delay the processing of your application:
- your application is not complete,
- you need a medical exam,
- you need a background or security check,
- you have a criminal record,
- you need an interview,
- we need to verify your documents or
- other things complicate your case.
Using a representative
You do not need a representative to apply to visit or immigrate to Canada. However, you can choose to use one.
For more information on representatives, see Choosing a representative.