Except for Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents, all others require permission to enter Canada as a visitor, with or without a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).

Canada welcomes more than 35 million temporary residents (non-immigrants) each year.

Unless they are citizens of a visa-exempt country, individuals who wish to enter Canada for a temporary purpose, such as tourists, temporary foreign workers (work permits) and international students (study permits) must apply for and be granted a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).

The TRV is a document issued by a Canadian Immigration Visa Office outside Canada, showing that the holder has satisfied the requirements for admission to Canada as a visitor. Temporary Resident Visas may be for single entry or multiple entry.

As a general rule, tourists are admitted for a period of six months. Temporary foreign workers and international students are admitted for varying periods of time, as determined on a case-by-case basis. Extensions may be applied for within Canada.

It is important to note that possession of a valid Temporary Resident Visa does not necessarily mean that the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Officer at the Canadian Port of Entry will admit the visitor into Canada. At the Port of Entry, all visitors must demonstrate that the purpose of their visit to Canada is of a temporary nature. Citizenship and Immigration Canada Officers at the Port of Entry will deny admission to all persons who, in their opinion, do not intend to leave Canada at the expiry of their visitor status.

In addition, criminality and medical issues may prevent a visitor from entering Canada. Visitors to Canada must also be able to prove their ability to support themselves during their intended temporary stay in Canada.

Though medical examinations are generally confined to a standard physical exam including blood and urine tests and x-rays, prior medical records as well as the applicants' mental state are examined.

Applicants may be denied a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa solely on medical grounds, if:

• Their condition would endanger the health or safety of the Canadian population at large; or
• Their admission might cause excessive demand on existing social or health services provided by the government. *
  

When determining whether any person is inadmissible on medical grounds, the medical officer is obliged to consider the nature, severity or probable duration of any health impairment from which the person is suffering as well as other factors, such as:

• Danger of contagion;
• Unpredictable or unusual behaviour that may create a danger to public safety; and
• The supply of social or health services that the person may require in Canada and whether the use of such services will deprive Canadian nationals of these services.

* The excessive demand component is waived under the Family Sponsorship category of Canada immigration for the spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner and dependent children of the Sponsor. The Sponsored person(s) still may be refused if their condition is considered to be a danger to Canadian public health or safety.

In certain circumstances, an individual who does not meet the Canadian medical requirements may be granted aTemporary Resident Permit (TRP) to enter Canada.

Police Clearance Certificates or certificates of non-criminal activity, as they are sometimes referred to, must be obtained from the country of current residence and from each country in which the applicant has resided for more than 6 months since his or her 18th birthday.

Police Clearance Certificates can usually can be obtained through law enforcement offices or other government agencies. In extenuating circumstances, Canadian Immigration Visa Offices will waive the requirement to submit Police Clearance Certificates.

Police certificates must be recently obtained. They will be considered valid until the expiry stated on the certificate, or so long as they have been issued no more than three months before your full application for immigration to Canada is submitted to the Canadian immigration visa office abroad, whichever date is sooner.

All applicants for Canada immigration must also undergo a background clearance to weed out those who have been, or are involved in espionage, subversion or terrorism. This is to ensure that the safety and order of Canadian society are maintained and protected. Such security screening decisions are made based on information from every available source, which is then carefully weighed to determine whether an applicant is likely to threaten the internal security of Canada. When there is an indication of security concerns, an interview will be scheduled to discuss these findings with the applicant. Anyone who poses such a threat must necessarily be prevented from entering Canada.

Please note that there is a clear distinction between the Police Clearance Certificate, which the applicant is required to obtain, and the background clearance, in which the applicant for the most part is not actively involved.

If you have resided in the United States, you will be asked to provide State Police Clearance Certificates in addition to the FBI Police Clearance.

For more information about Security Clearances, see our Security Clearance FAQ.