What Is an Invitation Letter from Canada?

Why Do I Need a Letter of Invitation to Request a Canadian Visa?

Even though it is typically not necessary, candidates who visit a Canadian embassy with an invitation letter have a higher chance of getting their visa accepted.

The following benefits accrue if the applicant receives an invitation to visit from a 

Canadian citizen or permanent resident:

• It supports the rationale behind the visa application.
• It provides confirmation to the Canadian immigration officials that the visitor has lodging throughout their stay.
• It demonstrates that the applicant is supported financially and socially while living in Canada.

How to Get an Invitation Letter from Canada?

The applicant must be acquainted with the Canadian they intend to visit in order to obtain an invitation letter for a visa.

The applicant can request that the person they are visiting write them a letter of invitation if one is necessary as part of the application procedure for a Canadian tourist visa. An invitation letter must be written by one of the following people:

• A Canadian Citizens
• A Permanent resident of canada

The Canadian host organization must provide invitation letters for applications for working visas in Canada. The letter needs to be written by an employee of the business.

A Canadian corporation would need to send an invitation letter to the following business visitors:

• Investors
• Partners
• Employees
• Conference visitors
• Existing or potential buyers
• People coming from overseas for training at the company’s Canadian premises.

How Do You Compose a Letter of Invitation in Canada?

The following information about the person you are inviting to Canada should be included in the invitation letter if you are writing it for friends or relatives.

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Contact telephone number
• Relationship to the invitee
• Purpose of the visit to Canada
• Length of stay in Canada
• When the invitee plans to leave Canada
• Where the invitee will stay while in Canada
• How the invitee plans to pay for things while in Canada

The invitation letter’s author, a Canadian citizen or lawful permanent resident, must also contain the following details about themselves:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Telephone number in Canada
• If they are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
• Documentation of their status in Canada (photocopies). This could be:
• Birth certificate
• Citizenship card (for example for naturalized citizens)
• PR card or IMM 1000 proof of landing (for permanent residents)
• Job title
• Details of your family members (mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa)
• Total number of household members (mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa)

According to the visa office, the invitation letter may need to be notarized by a Notary Public even though it was written by the Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is inviting the guest.

The invitee must receive the letter via postal mail, and they must submit the original letter with their visa application to a Canadian embassy or consulate.

How should a letter of invitation for business travel to Canada be written?

When composing an invitation letter for a business visitor, company representatives must include the following details about the guest:

• Full name
• Date of birth (if known)
• The visitor’s company and position
• Address
• Contact numbers (work and home, if possible)
• The relationship between the representative’s company and the visitor and business history
• If the representative knows the visitor personally
• Purpose of visit
• Length of visit
• Accommodation and living expenses covered by the Canadian-based company
• The date the visitor intends to leave Canada

The representative of the company must also add the following details about themselves:

• Full name
• Job title
• Canadian address
• Canadian phone number
• Work email address

The final piece of information regarding the business that is attracting the visitor must be the following:

• Company name
• Address of company HQ
• Address of company facilities that the invitee will be visiting
• Company website, if applicable
• Date the company was registered or incorporated
• A short description of the company, including type of business

Do I have to take care of the person I provide a Canadian invitation letter to?

When someone writes an invitation letter for a friend or relative, the writer is not held legally liable for the person they are inviting. Visitors are legally responsible for their own acts once they step foot on Canadian soil.

A letter of invitation merely serves to reassure immigration officials that the visitor has a valid reason for travelling to Canada and is adequately secured financially and in terms of lodging.

An invitation letter is not necessary for visitors who can apply for a Canada eTA online.