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Ulugbek

Member
Nov 22, 2022
10
2
Dear Friends,

I am planning to attend a trade fair in Canada in August 2023. I am new to this forum and have no experience with Canadian visitor visas. Please help me to find out answers for below questions:

1. How early can I apply for a Canadian visitor visa prior planned travel date? Can I apply let's say 5 months prior intended travel date?

2. Do I need to submit my original passport when applying for a visa (when giving biometrics)? My plan is to apply in the third country where the backlog is less so after attending the visa center I would like to come back to my home country and wait for the decision.

Many thanks for all your clarifications
Uli
 
The wait times have been very inconsistent throughout - so you can apply 5 months in advance but you may get your visa in just 1 month or you might still be waiting 6 months later. Sorry but its reality right now and you'll see it all over the forums.
 
The wait times have been very inconsistent throughout - so you can apply 5 months in advance but you may get your visa in just 1 month or you might still be waiting 6 months later. Sorry but its reality right now and you'll see it all over the forums.
Thanks for your answer. Can I still keep my passport with me or should I submit it when I do the biometrics?
 
Thanks for your answer. Can I still keep my passport with me or should I submit it when I do the biometrics?
When all the processing has been completed, they will specifically ask you to submit the passport - that is the final stage.
 
Dear Friends,

I am planning to attend a trade fair in Canada in August 2023. I am new to this forum and have no experience with Canadian visitor visas. Please help me to find out answers for below questions:

1. How early can I apply for a Canadian visitor visa prior planned travel date? Can I apply let's say 5 months prior intended travel date?

2. Do I need to submit my original passport when applying for a visa (when giving biometrics)? My plan is to apply in the third country where the backlog is less so after attending the visa center I would like to come back to my home country and wait for the decision.

Many thanks for all your clarifications
Uli

The application is submitted online
biometrics and pictures will be given after application submission at your nearest VAC office
u can apply from your home country or any other country where u have a residency / work / or any other status
I don't think u can apply from a country where u r a visitor only
also I believe the applications are processed based on the citizenship status of the applicants I.e. whatever is your nationality your case will be sent to their visa office not any third country where u apply from
passport will only be submitted for visa stamping once your visa gets approved
the visa stamping usually takes a week to 10 days depending on where u r submitting it
apply with a decent time margin let's say 6 months or so is ideal
people do get approved in couple of weeks also and may take a year in some cases
it all depends on ur profile and complexity of the application honestly
hope u get your visa soon