Canada is one of the countries that is a part of the dreams of millions of people in Nigeria. Canada attracts about 50 million tourists each year, making it an ideal country to travel to. With its geography, nature and climate, and major tourist cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Niagara Falls, and countless other tourist attractions, this cold country has become a “hot travel destination” for everyone.
If you want to travel to Canada from Nigeria, you will need to obtain a Canada visa to be able to enter Canada. In this article, you will learn how to apply for a Canada visa in Nigeria without hassle.
Choosing a Canada Visa
To begin your Canada visa application in Nigeria, you need to choose a type of Canada visa that suits your traveling circumstance, and also check if you are eligible to apply for the visa. You will also need to find out the documents necessary for the application, the visa application duration, and the application fees.
You will need to apply for a Visitor visa if you are visiting Canada as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend a business meeting/conference/trade show, to transit through Canada, to work, or to study. The Canadian Visitor visa is for temporary traveling purposes – hence, it’s also known as Temporary Residential Visa(TRV).
A multi-entry Canada Visitor visa can be issued to you, which is valid until the end of the validity period of your passport. For example, if your new passport is valid for 10 years, your multi-entry Canada visa is valid for ten years. You can stay in Canada for a maximum of 6 consecutive months after obtaining this visa. Due to the multi-entry visa, you can leave Canada at the end of a maximum of 6 months and return again for the next 6 months.
Other types of Canada visas include Permanent Residence Visas, Business immigrant visas, and Express Enrollment Program Visas.
Documents required to apply for Canada Visa in Nigeria
When applying for a Canadian visa, you must submit the following documents:
- Original and copy of the first page of your passport
- Copies of your previous visas and entry and exit stamps, if any
- Copy of your ID card
- Certificate of employment and or certificate of an educational institution for students
- Statement of bank account in your name
- Extracts of property in your name, if any
- Proof of your marital status (If you are married, a copy of your marriage certificate, if you have children under 18, birth certificates, or if your marriage has been dissolved, a copy of the dissolution document)
- 5 x 4.5 size, white background image
- Ticket bookings for your trip
- Hotel reservations for your trip
- Application forms
- Your document confirming the payment of the visa fee
- An official invitation letter for the job, event, or meeting
Procedures for applying for Canada visa in Nigeria
There are two ways to apply for a Canadian visa: online or in-person
How to apply for Canada Visa online
When applying online, go to canada.ca. On the website, you will create an account on the portal. Then, log in to your account, select the type of visa you want to apply for, and answer the necessary questions. Then, open a page with a list of required documents (as well as application forms). Then, upload the documents as required for the application.
Once all the documents are uploaded to the system, the application is approved, and you are redirected to the payment page to pay online.
After that, all notifications about the next steps are sent to that account. Upon receipt of the notification, you must print the notification and present your passport and fingerprint at a visa application center.
After capturing your fingerprints, the visa procedure begins. If the answer is known, the account will be notified again. If the answer is no, there will be a notice stating the reason for the refusal. If the answer is yes, the original passport is required to affix the visa label to the passport.
Then, you will print the notice and approach the visa application center with your passport. The visa application center will receive the passport and send it to the Canadian embassy to affix the visa label.
How to apply for Canada visa in person
Step 1: Prepare your application
This is after you must have determined the type of Canada visa that suits your circumstance. To begin with, go to VFS Global website to download the visa application form. Ensure you fill the form correctly and print out the completed form. When printing the completed form, print on a white, bond quality, non-glossy paper, using a laser printer, together with the barcoded sheets.
You will also have to attach with the completed application form the original copies of all required documents for your visa category as stated in the IRCC document checklist. In the case where you can’t provide all the necessary documents, fill, sign, and print out the waiver form on the VFS Global website. Then, attach to the other documents.
It’s important that you read the privacy policy on the website and complete the consent form, and also attach it to the application form.
Step 2: Book an appointment
You will need to book an appointment to get your fingerprints and photo(also called biometric information) captured at the Visa application center when submitting the prepared documents. However, you may not need to provide your biometric information at the Visa application center.
You can check the Government of Canada’s website to confirm this. If it’s not necessary for you to get your biometric information captured, you can simply submit your application at the business hours of the visa application center.
Step 3: Visa application fee
You will need to pay a visa application fee. You can pay online by visiting the Government of Canada’s website. If you want to download the form to print and take it with you to the Visa Application Centre, then you can pay at the time of your appointment. You will also have to pay the Government of Canada Fee and biometric fee (if required) as per instructions on the IRCC website.
Step 4: Visit the Visa Application Centre
When visiting the Visa application center for your appointment, ensure you get there latest, 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Then, you will submit the application form and other documents. Your biometric information will be taken and you can then pay the application fee if you are yet to. Upon payment, you will receive a unique tracking number that allows you to get updates concerning your application.
Step 5: Track your Application
An email will be sent to you to inform you about your visa application decision. If you can’t easily access email, or you would like to have detailed tracking information, you may be able to get the information via SMS sent directly to your contact. You can also get tracking information updates on VFS Global’s website, Webchat, Helpline number(2348150199900), or go to the visa application center.
Step 6: Collect your passport
After a visa application decision has been made, you can pick up your documents from the Visa Application Centre or have your documents returned to you by courier for an additional fee. To collect the decision envelope in person at the Visa Application Centre, you must provide the following:
- A copy of the stamped biographic page of your passport
- The original Visa Application Centre Services Receipt issued by the Visa Application Centre
- A form of government identification
You may also delegate someone to collect your decision envelope at the Visa Application Centre. Your delegate must provide the following:
- The signed Visa Application Centre services consent form with the delegate’s name and relationship to the applicant
- A copy of the stamped biographic page of the applicant’s passport
- The original Visa Application Centre Services Receipt issued by the Visa Application Centre
- A form of the delegate’s government identification
Also see: How to apply for a U.S. visa in Nigeria