Canada visa types
Explore Canada visa categories — work permits, study permits, family sponsorship, visitor visas, and permanent residence pathways.
34 visa types across 7 categories
Browse Canada visas
Canada visa types each have different requirements, timelines, and eligibility rules. Browse by category to find the right option, with processing times and links to official Canada sources.
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Showing 34 of 34 visa types
Most popular visa types
Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker)
Express Entry: 2026 category-based draws, the March 2025 CRS job-offer points removal, and the current CA$1,590 government fee, explained.
Study Permit
A Canada Study Permit allows you to study at a designated learning institution in Canada.
Global Talent Stream (GTS)
The Global Talent Stream (GTS) lets Canadian employers hire highly skilled foreign workers quickly under the Global Skills Strategy.
Work visas
Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
Canada BOWP guide covering eligibility, qualifying PR streams, IMM 5710, and how to keep working while IRCC reviews your permanent residence file.
Spousal Open Work Permit
The Canada spousal Open Work Permit allows some spouses or partners of temporary residents to work legally in Canada.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) lets you work in Canada after graduating. Covers the 2024-2025 language, field-of-study, master's-length, and…
Work Permit: Types, Requirements & Application
A Canada work permit lets you take temporary employment in Canada, but you need authorization from IRCC. Approval isn’t automatic.
Open Work Permit
An open work permit gives you broad access to the Canadian labour market. You’re not tied to one named employer.
International Experience Canada (IEC)
IEC is for eligible young people from partner countries to work and travel in Canada through a few defined categories.
LMIA-Based Work Permit
An LMIA-based work permit allows you to work in Canada only after your employer secures a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment.
Intra-Company Transferee Work Permit
A Canada Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) allows you to move from a foreign branch of a multinational company to a related Canadian enterprise.
Caregiver Immigration Programs
Canada’s caregiver immigration process allows you to apply for temporary work or permanent residence through specific caregiver pathways.
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is for Canadian employers who need to hire temporary foreign workers for seasonal farm work when local labour.
CETA Professional Work Permit
The CETA work permit lets certain EU professionals work in Canada temporarily under a trade agreement.
CPTPP Professional Work Permit
The CPTPP Professional Work Permit allows certain nationals of CPTPP member countries to work in Canada in a defined professional capacity.
Family visas
Spousal/Partner Sponsorship
Canada spousal sponsorship allows you to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for permanent residence through IRCC.
Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship
Canada’s parent sponsorship process lets you seek permanent resident status for your parents or grandparents through a formal family sponsorship stream.
Visit & tourism
Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor Visa)
A Canada visitor visa is a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) issued by IRCC for short-term travel.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a pre-screening requirement for certain air travelers to Canada.
Super Visa (Parents and Grandparents)
The Super Visa lets parents and grandparents visit Canada for up to 5 years per entry.
Other pathways
Private Sponsorship of Refugees
Canada refugee sponsorship allows people in Canada to help refugees come to Canada and start a new life.
Refugee Claim (Asylum)
A refugee claim lets you ask Canada for protection if returning to your home country would put you at risk.
Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations
A Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) application lets you ask Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to grant exemptions from certain.
Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)
A Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) lets you enter or remain in Canada even if you’re otherwise inadmissible.
Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR)
The GAR program is for refugees selected for resettlement by the Government of Canada.
Other
Quebec Skilled Worker (now PSTQ)
Quebec replaced the Skilled Worker Program with the PSTQ on November 29, 2024. Current streams, French requirements, fees, and how to apply through Arrima.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The Canadian Experience Class targets skilled workers with Canadian work experience who want to become permanent residents.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled trades workers seeking permanent residence.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) lets provinces and territories select immigrants who can support their local economies.
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
The Atlantic Immigration Program allows eligible skilled workers and international graduates to apply for permanent residence in Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (Closed — replaced by RCIP)
Canada's Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot closed on 31 August 2024. See what replaced it — the Rural Community Immigration Pilot — and how to apply.
Start-up Visa Program
The Start-up Visa Program allows you to apply for permanent residence if you plan to launch an innovative business in Canada.
Self-Employed Persons Program (Paused)
IRCC paused new Self-Employed Persons Program applications on 30 April 2024 and extended the pause until further notice in December 2025.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)
The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) gives skilled French-speaking candidates a pathway to permanent residence in specific Canadian communities.
Canada visa resources
Cross-cutting guides for requirements, fees, processing times, and common mistakes.
Tips for choosing a visa type
- Match your purpose of travel to the right visa category before comparing options.
- Check official processing times — they vary by visa type and location.
- Review required documents early; some visas need employer or school sponsorship.
- Understand the difference between nonimmigrant (temporary) and immigrant (permanent) visas.
- Use official government sources to verify eligibility — VisaMind provides guidance, not legal advice.
Looking beyond Canada? Visa requirements vary by destination. Start from the homepage to explore other countries.
More for Canada
Continue exploring Canada immigration resources.
FAQ
Canada immigration FAQ
The questions readers ask most about applying to live, work, study, and visit Canada
The Comprehensive Ranking System scores up to 1,200 points across age, education, language, work experience, adaptability, and additional points (Canadian education, French proficiency, sibling in Canada, provincial nomination). Cut-offs vary by draw category — most general draws sit between 480 and 540.
A closed (employer-specific) work permit ties you to a single Canadian employer named on the permit. An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer in Canada — examples include the spousal open work permit, the post-graduation work permit (PGWP), and the bridging open work permit (BOWP) granted to people with a pending PR application.
Spouses and common-law partners of full-time students at a Designated Learning Institution can apply for a spousal open work permit, but eligibility tightened in 2024–2025 — only spouses of master's, doctoral, and select professional-program students currently qualify. Confirm against the latest IRCC instructions before applying.
Quebec runs its own economic-immigration grid through Arrima. Candidates need a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) before IRCC will issue permanent residence. Express Entry profiles are filtered out of federal draws once a Quebec destination is declared.
Permanent residents must accumulate 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada within the five years immediately before applying, file Canadian taxes for at least three of those years, and meet language requirements at CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) for ages 18–54.
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