Canada’s 40+ Visa Policy Criteria Explained for Travellers

Canada has released more detail about how it screens visitors, explaining the factors behind visa requirements for different countries and the checks applied to individual travellers.

The information appears in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) 2026 deputy minister transition binder, dated September 4. The department expects 5.8 million visitor applications in 2026, compared with nearly 5.6 million in 2025.

Country Rules Differ From Personal Assessments

Canada’s Visa Policy Framework has guided decisions about visa requirements for more than 20 years. It uses over 40 criteria to weigh whether citizens of a country should need a visa, or qualify for visa-free travel under certain conditions.

The binder provides examples but does not publish the full list of criteria.

These include public safety, passport reliability, identity checks, trade and tourism benefits, and migration patterns such as asylum claims or unauthorized work and study.

The 40-plus criteria are not a new checklist that every applicant must pass. They guide decisions about countries. Officers separately assess each person seeking a visitor visa.

What Officers Examine

IRCC reviews why someone wants to visit, whether they can pay for their stay and whether they intend to leave Canada when their authorized stay ends.

Officers may look at travel history, employment, family ties, immigration status, marital status, education, past work and supporting documents. They also assess health, security and criminal admissibility.

The department says decisions depend on each case’s evidence. The published binder does not set a universal bank-balance requirement or a points score for visitor visa approvals.

Some applications may receive further checks from the Canada Border Services Agency or Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Fraud Measures and Identity Checks

IRCC says measures introduced under a visitor-integrity strategy in summer 2024 have reduced fraud and tightened screening, with attention to visitor groups where misuse was identified.

It also reports rising asylum claims from visitors, adding pressure to Canada’s asylum system.

A Global Risk Framework introduced in September 2025 tracks broader trends and warns officials about emerging problems. It does not itself approve or reject individual applications.

Visa-required applicants generally provide fingerprints and a photograph, with some exceptions.

Canada handles nearly 3.5 million biometric enrolments annually through a network that includes 166 overseas Visa Application Centres, 82 Service Canada locations and 130 U.S. Application Service Centres.

Visitor Visa and eTA Rules

A temporary resident visa involves detailed forms, supporting records and an officer’s review. It costs $100, plus an $85 biometric fee, and may be valid for up to 10 years.

By contrast, an electronic travel authorization (eTA) costs $7, needs no biometrics and is used by eligible visa-exempt travellers flying to Canada.

It lasts up to five years or until passport expiry. IRCC says 85 to 90 per cent of applications receive automated approval within minutes.

China and India are the largest visa-required source countries, while the United Kingdom and France lead eTA applications. Those volume figures do not establish individual risk.

For applicants, the practical message is to provide clear, truthful documents that match their travel plans.

Screening can be thorough, but IRCC says each visitor visa decision rests on personal circumstances and evidence.