How to write an invitation letter for Temporary Resident Visa?

If you are planning to invite your family, friends, or relatives to Canada. They will need to apply for Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). On TRV, visitors are restricted in length of stay and subject to various conditions such as not allowed to work or engage in illegal activities etc.

IRCC would request to provide invitation letter. In this article, I will go through the details of what an invitation letter for visa is and a sample invitation letter.

Important information on invitation letter

An invitation letter is basically a signed letter from someone who is in Canada and inviting you to the country. This person can be your friend, family, or business partner, but it must be someone with whom you have a close relationship. He/she be someone who can verify your identity and purpose for visiting Canada.

Inviting person may offer you accommodation, necessities, food and in some cases could support you financially as well. This could possibly help a person to strengthen his/her application who is applying for a TRV.

Who can write an Invitation Letter for Temporary Resident Visa?

As mentioned, an invitation letter for visa can be written by anyone you know well. It can be a close family member, a friend or relative. The important requirement is that the person sending the invitation letter is a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada with a source of stable income from a job and business.

What information is required on Invitation Letter?

As per official guideline from IRCC website

You must include this information about the person you are inviting:

• complete name,
• date of birth,
• address and telephone number,
• your relationship to the person,
• the purpose of the trip,
• how long the person plans to stay in Canada,
• where the person will stay, and how he or she will pay for things, and
• when the person plans to leave Canada.

You must include this information about yourself:

• complete name,
• date of birth,
• address and telephone number in Canada,
• job title,
• whether you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
• a photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada, such as
  • a Canadian birth certificate, if you were born in Canada,
  • a Canadian citizenship card, if you are a naturalized citizen, or
  • a copy of your PR card or your IMM 1000 proof of landing, if you are a permanent resident,
• details of your family, such as names and dates of birth of your spouse and dependants (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa), and
• the total number of people living in your household, including people you sponsored whose sponsorship is still in effect (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa).

For the parent and grandparent super visa only, you must also provide:

• a written and signed promise of your financial support for your parents or grandparents for their entire stay in Canada, and
• proof that your income meets or is above the low-income cut-off (LICO) for the total number of people, including the visiting parents or grandparents.

Most VFS offices will accept a printout of this invitation letter but some might request to get it notarized. Check with your local embassy or VFS office for more details.

Sample Invitation Letter for Canadian Visa

Based on guideline above, here is the sample letter that you could use.

Your Name

Address
Contact details

Subject: Letter of Invitation

To whom it may concern,

I humbly request that you accept this letter of invitation for [Name of Friend(s) or Family Member(s)] who will be visiting me in [City of Residence], Canada from [Date of Arrival] to [Date of Departure]. [Explain your relationship to your Friend(s) or Family Member(s): Family ties, duration of friendship, how you know each other, etc.].

[Name of Friend or Family Member] will be staying at my home for the entire duration of their stay. [Explain what you will do during your stay in Canada: visit this city, this region, etc.]

Please find attached to this letter proof of my legal status in Canada. You will also find my personal information as well as visitor(s).

Should you require any further information, please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards,

Your Name

Signature

Information about visitor:

• Name:
• Date of birth:
• Address and telephone number:
• Relationship to the guest:
• Purpose of travel: [visiting family, friends, tourism, etc.]
• Duration of stay:
• Address of stay: [Address where the guest will stay at]
• Means of subsistence: [you will pay for all his/her/their expenses, etc.]
• Date of departure from Canada:

Personal Information:

• Name:
• Date of birth:
• Address and telephone number in Canada:
• Job title:
• Legal status in Canada: [Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident]