A temporary resident visa (TRV) is an official counterfoil document issued by a visa office that is placed in a person’s passport to show that they have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident.
Holding a TRV does not guarantee entry to Canada. The admission of foreign nationals into Canada as temporary residents is a privilege, not a right.
An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air. An eTA is electronically linked to a traveller’s passport. It is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new eTA.
With a valid eTA, you can travel to Canada as often as you want for short stays (normally for up to six months at a time). You do not need an eTA for travel within Canada.
A super visa lets you visit your children or grandchildren for up to 5 years at a time. It’s a multi-entry visa that provides multiple entries for a period up to 10 years.
If you want to stay for 6 months or less, apply for a visitor visa.
Who We Help
Most people who come to us about a visit to Canada fall into a few common situations. Families in Kelowna and the Okanagan want to bring parents or grandparents for a visit and are weighing a visitor visa against the Super Visa. Prospective visitors need help with a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) application. Visitors already in Canada want to extend their stay before their status runs out. And some applicants come to us after a previous visitor visa was refused and want a stronger application the second time. If any of that sounds familiar, an initial assessment can tell you where you stand.
How We Help With Your Visitor Application
As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), Luning Chen can take on the parts of a visitor application that are easiest to get wrong. That starts with an honest eligibility assessment and helping you choose the right stream — a standard TRV, an eTA, or a Super Visa — based on your travel history, citizenship, and purpose of visit. From there we help you gather and organize supporting documents, including proof of funds and ties to your home country, and draft a clear letter of invitation when a Canadian host is involved. If you were refused before, we review the prior refusal letter to understand what IRCC flagged and address it directly in the new application rather than resubmitting the same package. Throughout the process we communicate with IRCC on your behalf and respond to any requests for additional information, so you’re not navigating the file alone.
Extending Your Stay in Canada (Visitor Records)
If you’re already in Canada as a visitor and want more time, you need a visitor record — the document that lets you extend your stay as a visitor, or in some cases continue as a worker or student without a new permit. A visitor record is not a visa (Source: canada.ca, retrieved 2026-09-17).
The most important rule is timing: apply before your current status expires. IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before that date (Source: canada.ca, retrieved 2026-09-17). If you apply before your status runs out, you can generally continue under your existing conditions while IRCC processes your application — this is often called maintained status.
If your status lapses before you apply, options narrow quickly. In many cases you can still apply to restore your status, but only within 90 days of expiry, and there is no guarantee it will be approved (Source: canada.ca, retrieved 2026-09-17). After that 90-day window, restoration is no longer available. Because the timing rules are strict and the consequences of missing them are serious, it’s worth getting advice well before your current status is close to running out.
Why Visitor Visa Applications Get Refused
Visitor visa refusals are common, and the reasons IRCC gives tend to repeat. The most frequent ones we see are: insufficient ties to your home country (job, property, family) that would motivate a genuine return; an unclear or poorly explained purpose of visit; insufficient or poorly documented proof of funds to cover the trip; incomplete or inconsistent documentation; and a prior immigration history — a past refusal, overstay, or visa violation — that wasn’t properly addressed in the new application. Understanding which of these applies to your situation matters more than simply reapplying with the same documents.
To be clear: no consultant, including an RCIC, can guarantee a visa will be approved — the decision is entirely IRCC’s. What a careful application can do is make sure your case is presented clearly, completely, and in a way that responds to the actual eligibility criteria.
Thinking About the Super Visa?
The Super Visa has its own income and insurance requirements that are different from a standard visitor visa, and getting them right matters. We’ve written a full breakdown of the current minimum income table and insurance rules in our Super Visa income requirements guide. If your family is also weighing a visit against sponsoring parents or grandparents for permanent residence, our Parents and Grandparents Program guide compares the two paths.
Book a Consultation
Whether you’re applying for the first time, extending your stay, or recovering from a previous refusal, Luning Chen, RCIC, and our Kelowna office can review your situation and explain your options honestly — including when a visit isn’t the right fit. There are no guarantees, just a clear, honest read on where you stand.
What is a temporary resident visa (TRV)?
A temporary resident visa (TRV) is an official counterfoil document issued by a visa office that is placed in a person’s passport to show that they have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident.
Holding a TRV does not guarantee entry to Canada. The admission of foreign nationals into Canada as temporary residents is a privilege, not a right.
Find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada
What is an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)?
An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air. An eTA is electronically linked to a traveller’s passport. It is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new eTA.
With a valid eTA, you can travel to Canada as often as you want for short stays (normally for up to six months at a time). You do not need an eTA for travel within Canada.
Find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada
What is a super visa?
A super visa lets you visit your children or grandchildren for up to 5 years at a time. It’s a multi-entry visa that provides multiple entries for a period up to 10 years.
If you want to stay for 6 months or less, apply for a visitor visa.
Who We Help
Most people who come to us about a visit to Canada fall into a few common situations. Families in Kelowna and the Okanagan want to bring parents or grandparents for a visit and are weighing a visitor visa against the Super Visa. Prospective visitors need help with a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) application. Visitors already in Canada want to extend their stay before their status runs out. And some applicants come to us after a previous visitor visa was refused and want a stronger application the second time. If any of that sounds familiar, an initial assessment can tell you where you stand.
How We Help With Your Visitor Application
As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), Luning Chen can take on the parts of a visitor application that are easiest to get wrong. That starts with an honest eligibility assessment and helping you choose the right stream — a standard TRV, an eTA, or a Super Visa — based on your travel history, citizenship, and purpose of visit. From there we help you gather and organize supporting documents, including proof of funds and ties to your home country, and draft a clear letter of invitation when a Canadian host is involved. If you were refused before, we review the prior refusal letter to understand what IRCC flagged and address it directly in the new application rather than resubmitting the same package. Throughout the process we communicate with IRCC on your behalf and respond to any requests for additional information, so you’re not navigating the file alone.
Extending Your Stay in Canada (Visitor Records)
If you’re already in Canada as a visitor and want more time, you need a visitor record — the document that lets you extend your stay as a visitor, or in some cases continue as a worker or student without a new permit. A visitor record is not a visa (Source: canada.ca, retrieved 2026-09-17).
The most important rule is timing: apply before your current status expires. IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before that date (Source: canada.ca, retrieved 2026-09-17). If you apply before your status runs out, you can generally continue under your existing conditions while IRCC processes your application — this is often called maintained status.
If your status lapses before you apply, options narrow quickly. In many cases you can still apply to restore your status, but only within 90 days of expiry, and there is no guarantee it will be approved (Source: canada.ca, retrieved 2026-09-17). After that 90-day window, restoration is no longer available. Because the timing rules are strict and the consequences of missing them are serious, it’s worth getting advice well before your current status is close to running out.
Why Visitor Visa Applications Get Refused
Visitor visa refusals are common, and the reasons IRCC gives tend to repeat. The most frequent ones we see are: insufficient ties to your home country (job, property, family) that would motivate a genuine return; an unclear or poorly explained purpose of visit; insufficient or poorly documented proof of funds to cover the trip; incomplete or inconsistent documentation; and a prior immigration history — a past refusal, overstay, or visa violation — that wasn’t properly addressed in the new application. Understanding which of these applies to your situation matters more than simply reapplying with the same documents.
To be clear: no consultant, including an RCIC, can guarantee a visa will be approved — the decision is entirely IRCC’s. What a careful application can do is make sure your case is presented clearly, completely, and in a way that responds to the actual eligibility criteria.
Thinking About the Super Visa?
The Super Visa has its own income and insurance requirements that are different from a standard visitor visa, and getting them right matters. We’ve written a full breakdown of the current minimum income table and insurance rules in our Super Visa income requirements guide. If your family is also weighing a visit against sponsoring parents or grandparents for permanent residence, our Parents and Grandparents Program guide compares the two paths.
Book a Consultation
Whether you’re applying for the first time, extending your stay, or recovering from a previous refusal, Luning Chen, RCIC, and our Kelowna office can review your situation and explain your options honestly — including when a visit isn’t the right fit. There are no guarantees, just a clear, honest read on where you stand.
Book a consultation to get started.