How to Apply for Canada Transit Visa for Immigrants – Migrate to Canada

There are easy ways on how to apply for Canada transit visa for immigrants and we will guide you through the process. But before then, you need to know that a Canada transit visa is also known as an airport visa. 

The Canada transit visa is a travel document that grants foreign nationals the right to travel through Canada and its borders. This document is attached to a traveler’s passport.

Also, the Canada transit visa for immigrants validates that the bearer is from a visa-required country and he or she is eligible to travel or move through the shores of Canada. 

It is necessary to know that the Canada transit visa is not the same as the Canada visitor visa. We will elaborate on this below.  Before we discuss how to apply for Canada transit visa for immigrants.

The Difference Between Canada Transit Visa and Visitor Visa

The Canadian visitor visa is a temporary resident visa that applies to people who want to visit Canada. 

It is different from the transit visa on the ground that it is an official travel document that permits persons from visa-required countries to enter and stay in Canada for up to 6 months.

Whereas, the Canada transit visa is just the document required by a traveler to travel or move through Canada (perhaps to another country). Unlike visitor visa, you need a Canadian transit visa if:

• You must transit through Canada to or from the United States by plane or you will be in Canada airport within 24 hours or 48 hours at most.
• Your international flight stops at the Canadian airport for a stopover.
• You need to connect an international flight to get to your destination or you don’t have a visitor visa
• You are a foreign national from a visa-required country

How to Apply for Canada Transit Visa for Immigrants

The application for the Canada transit visa for immigrants is always done online. But are you having challenges with the application process? 

If you are traveling with an identity or travel document that was issued to a refugee, a stateless person or a non-citizen, you may apply on paper. To apply online:

• This is an important step to apply for Canada transit visa as an immigrant. You must visit and sign in to your Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Portal account, or create one if you don’t already have one.
• You must complete the online visa application form given. This will be for a standard visitor visa. This is an important step to apply for Canada transit visa as an immigrant.
• Also, you must ensure that you select the ‘Transit’ option underneath the ‘Visa Requested’ field.
• You will need to supply the necessary supporting documents for your application.

If you are applying on Paper, please take note:

• You will have to download the relevant application form from the Canadian government website. This is also an important step to apply for Canada transit visa as an immigrant.
• You will have to fill out the necessary forms (which are identical to that of applying for a visitor visa) and supply the required documents needed for your application.
• Also, you will need to send the application to your local visa application center.

Documents Needed to Apply for the Transit Visa

In order to be eligible for a transit visa, you will need to supply the following documents with your application:

• A clear color copy of an identity document, such as a valid passport.
• Family information form.
• Use of a representative form, if applicable. This is only if a family member is applying on behalf of the applicant or third parties.
• Minor children documents, if applicable. However, the documents needed depend if the child under 18 years of age will travel with only one parent, with a relative or friend, or alone.

Optional but important document to further push your eligibility for a transit visa:

• Your previous travel history.
• Your travel itinerary.

Canada Transit Visa for Immigrants Eligibility Criteria

There are requirements you must meet if you are to apply for the Canada transit visa for immigrants. Below are some of the basic ones:

• You must be a U.S. citizen and a legal U.S. permanent resident.
• If you have dual citizenship with Canada then you can transit through Canada.
• Also, you can transit through Canada if you are a TWOV foreign national – citizens of countries in the Transit Without Visa Program (China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan) and China Transit Program.
• Also, you can transit through Canada if you work with the Canadian Airport authority – Calgary International Airport (Alberta), Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1 (Ontario), Vancouver International Airport (British Columbia), Winnipeg International Airport (Manitoba)
• Also, you can transit through Canada if you work with Air Carriers – Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Jazz Air, Philippines Airlines, WestJet, and Xiamen Airlines.

Who is Not Eligible for the Canada Transit Visa for Immigrants?

• Citizens from visa- required States who visit Canada by car, bus, train, or cruise ship.
• Persons considered inadmissible under Canada Immigration Law.

NOTE: It is necessary to state at this point that transit through Canada with a passport may require an additional travel document.

You need to know that not everyone requires a visa to transit through Canada. As a traveler, you can enter Canada with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a valid passport. 

What is an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTV)? This is an official document that allows travelers from visa-exempt countries to enter or transit through Canada. 

It is important to know that an eTA is only applicable to persons visiting Canada by air. So, if you have an eTA, you do not necessarily need a visitor visa (this is because they both serve the same purpose).

However, it is important that before applying for an airport visa, check the one that applies to you.

What to Do Before You Apply for the Canadian Transit Visa

Before you apply for the Canada transit visa, ensure you understand and meet all Canadian flight requirements as listed below:

• As a traveler you must be fully vaccinated and must meet the arrival test and quarantine requirements.
• You must submit your information to ArriveCAN 72 hours before arrival at the Canadian airport.
• Also, as a fully vaccinated traveler, you must submit proof of vaccination to ArriveCAN to be exempt from pre-entry testing and quarantine requirements.

Also, when at the airport in Canada, unlike visitor visa or eTA, which permits travelers to stay in Canada for up to 6 months, you should know that airport transit only allows travelers in Canada for not more than 48 hours.

As such, as a traveler, you must stay within the secure transit area, the sterile zone pending your next flight.

It is important you know that you only obtain your belongings and check in for your flight at your scheduled gate.

If your flight is canceled or delayed, ensure you see the Canada Border Services Agency to reconnect to handle this. But, if your stay at Canada airport is more than 48 hours, know that you are no longer on transit status. At this point, you will have to provide a visitor visa.