What is a Canadian visa?
A Canadian visa is an official document issued by the Government of Canada that permits foreign nationals, such as Iranians, to enter and stay in Canada for different reasons, such as tourism, study, work, or permanent residence.
Depending on the purpose of your visit, you will need different types of visas. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues Canadian visas, and almost all applications are now submitted online. Canada has no embassy, consulate, or visa office in Iran. So Iranian applicants must submit applications to IRCC online and provide biometrics at a visa application center in another country.
A Canadian visa alone is not enough to enter Canada, even if IRCC decides you are eligible and meet the requirements for entry. Border services officers at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) still reserve the right to decide whether you are fit to enter.
If you answer their questions honestly and correctly, they will let you enter Canada, but if they have any suspicions, they can ask you to return to Iran even if you have a Canadian visa.
Iranian temporary residents in Canada
Temporary Iranian residents in Canada are people from Iran who are living in Canada temporarily, typically for reasons like tourism, study, work, or visiting family and friends.
They usually receive temporary status through visas, permits, or other authorized documents that allow them to stay in Canada for a specified period.
Due to the unrest in Iran, the Canadian Government has introduced special measures to support Iranian temporary residents in Canada. This includes fee waivers for extending or changing their temporary resident status. The fee waivers ended on 28th February 2025. From March 1, 2026, the measures were narrowed to a single pathway: extending a work permit from inside Canada, with standard fees.
To qualify, your current work permit must have been issued on or before 28 February 2025. You can only get one extension under these new measures, and they expire on 31 March 2027.
Visitors and students who want to extend their stay must now apply through IRCC’s regular processes. You can learn more about these support measures and how to apply for them on the website of the Government of Canada.
Types of Canadian visas for Iranians
There are three main categories of Canadian Visas. These include:
The temporary Canadian visas
Temporary Canadian visas allow foreign nationals to enter Canada for a limited time for purposes such as tourism, visiting family or friends, studying, or working. Here are some common types of temporary Canadian visas:
The temporary resident visa: This visa, also known as the visitor visa, allows you to enter Canada as a temporary resident as a visitor, student, or worker.
The super visa: If you are a Canadian citizen or have obtained permanent residency in Canada, the super visa allows your parents or grandparents to visit you for an extended stay of up to five years at a time.
The Diplomatic and Official visa: The Diplomatic and Official visa permits officials and diplomats from foreign countries like Iran to enter Canada for official duties.
The courtesy visa: If you do not qualify for a Diplomatic and Official Visa but hold an important rank or position in society, you will be given a courtesy visa.
The business visa: There is no separate business visa. If you are coming to Canada for short business activities such as meetings or conferences, without entering the Canadian labour market, you apply for a visitor visa as a business visitor.
Giving birth in Canada: There is no special visa for giving birth in Canada. If you travel to Canada while pregnant, you apply for a regular visitor visa and must show that you can pay for medical care. A baby born in Canada is generally a Canadian citizen, except for the children of foreign diplomats.
Organ donors: If you are travelling to Canada to donate an organ to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you apply for a visitor visa, and the visa application fee is waived.
The facilitation visa: If you are a Canadian citizen with another nationality, such as Iranian nationality, and you do not have a Canadian passport but have your Iranian passport, you will get a facilitation visa stamped on your Iranian passport if it is proven that you cannot get a Canadian passport due to extreme situations.
The student visa: This visa will be issued to you if you have admission to study in a Canadian institution for more than six months. If you intend to study for less than 6 months, you will be given a temporary residence visa.
Work permit: You need a work permit for most jobs in Canada, regardless of job duration. If your work permit is tied to a specific employer, you will require a job offer backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA exemption. Open work permits are only available in specific situations, such as for some spouses.
The permanent Canadian visas
Permanent Canadian visas refer to immigration programs that allow individuals to obtain permanent residency in Canada. These programs are designed for individuals who wish to live and work in Canada on a long-term basis.
Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ): This replaced the Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). To apply, you must declare your interest in Quebec’s Arrima portal and be invited to apply. Your knowledge of French is a primary selection criterion for most of its streams.
The family-sponsorship program: This visa allows you to immigrate permanently to Canada if you are the spouse or dependent child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Express Entry visas
The Canada Express Entry Visa Program is an immigration program designed by the Government of Canada that allows people worldwide to apply to immigrate to Canada based on their skills. These visas include:
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) visa: This is for qualified tradespeople in occupations such as carpentry, aircraft mechanics, crane operation, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, electrical work, electrical engineering, plumbing, and many other professions and trades.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): This program issues a visa if you have a profession that is highly sought after in Canada at a certain time. You can research what occupations Canada needs when you plan to apply and gather the necessary information.
Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP): Provinces and territories nominate people whose skills meet their local labour needs. Some PNP streams are linked to Express Entry, and getting nominated adds 600 points to your Express Entry score, while other streams are applied for directly with the province. Each province sets its own criteria and in-demand occupations, so confirm before applying.
Canadian Experience Class: If you have a temporary student visa or a temporary worker visa and want to switch to permanent resident status, this visa is for you. You need at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada.
Canadian visa requirements for Iranian Citizens
If you plan to travel from Iran to Canada, you must meet certain criteria before you can apply for a visa, including having certified translations in Canada for all required documents. Some of these requirements are:
You must be at least 18 years old to apply as the primary visa applicant. Minors can apply for a visitor visa or study permit, but they need consent from a parent or legal guardian. Programs such as Express Entry require the principal applicant to be an adult.
You must assure the visa officer that you will leave Canada after your appointed stay (for temporary visas).
You must be able to prove that you have the financial means to support yourself and any family member (s) during your stay in Canada (for temporary visas).
You must agree not to work or study in Canada without proper authorization (for temporary visas).
You must prove to a visa officer that you do not pose a security risk to Canada. Canada has designated the Iranian regime under its immigration law, which makes many current and former senior Iranian government officials inadmissible. Military service history, including service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, can also affect your application.
You must have no criminal record. A past conviction does not always mean refusal, but you may need to apply for rehabilitation or a temporary resident permit.
You must prove that you are in good health.
You must provide all the documents requested by the visa officer.
You must certify and translate all the requested documents from Persian into English or French. If a certified translator does not complete the translation, IRCC also requires an affidavit from the person who did the translation.
Canadian visa documents required from Iranians
Iranians going to Canada must provide the following documentation to get a visa:
Temporary visas
A valid international passport or travel document.
A completed visa application form.
A digital photo that meets IRCC’s specifications, uploaded with your online application.
Your financial records as proof of funds to support your stay in Canada and to return to Iran.
Your biometrics profile (photo and fingerprints).
Your marriage certificate (if applicable).
Your travel itinerary.
A letter of authorisation or custody documents (for minors travelling alone).
A copy of your current immigration status (if Iran is stated as your nationality on your passport but you live in another country).
Express Entry visas
French/English language proficiency test results.
Certificates of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes if you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or you want to get points for the education you got outside of Canada.
Provincial nomination (if you have one).
A written job offer from a Canadian employer (if you have one). A job offer does not add points to your Express Entry score, but it can help you meet the eligibility requirements for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Proof of work experience.
A Canadian-issued certificate of qualification in a trade occupation.
Permanent visas
Police certificates.
Proof of funds.
Birth certificates (if you have dependent children).
Adoption certificate (if you have an adopted dependent child).
The use of a Representative form, if you are using a representative.
The Common-Law Union form, if you’ve declared your marital status as “common-law”.
Your marriage, divorce certificate, death certificate (if you are widowed), as the case may be.
For permanent visas, you no longer need an upfront medical exam before submitting your application for permanent residence through Express Entry Programs.
Study visas
Proof of acceptance into a Canadian Institution.
An attestation letter from the province or territory where you plan to study, if required. Most master’s and doctoral students no longer need one. Students going to Quebec need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) instead.
Proof of identity.
Proof of funds to cover tuition and well-being while in Canada (20,635 CAD per year).
Proof of funding source.
A Statement of Purpose, stating why you wish to study in Canada and that you understand your responsibilities as a student.
An Immigration Medical Exam (IME), if required. English or French proficiency exam scores, if your school asks for them. IRCC itself does not require a language test for most study permit applications.
English or French proficiency exam scores.
A custodian declaration (for minors).
Other documents
These documents are not mandatory as they only apply to certain visas, and you only need to submit them if they were included in your personalized document checklist.
Remember that you must translate any document that is in Persian that you will need for your application into either English or French. To do this, you will need a trusted certified translation service in Iran.
Accurate translations are essential to convey the correct information to Canadian immigration authorities and avoid hurdles in your visa application. Translayte makes the job easy by providing an online translation service to save you time and stress. Visit Translayte, request a quote for a certified translation, and you'll have accurate Persian-to-English translations in no time.
How to apply for a Canadian visa
Choose the right visa program for you: Understand the immigration programs available and determine which one aligns with your goals, whether you're working temporarily in Canada or seeking permanent residency.
Check if you are eligible to apply: Make sure you meet the specific criteria for your chosen immigration program or visa.
Take the necessary assessments: Complete any required medical examinations. Depending on the program, you may need to take language proficiency tests like the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for foreign qualifications.
Gather necessary documents: Collect all required documents we listed earlier for your chosen program, including general documents like a passport and specific documents such as proof of acceptance for a Canadian student visa.
Create an IRCC secure account: Create an account on the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship (IRCC) platform, and you will get access to all the forms and information you will need concerning your application. You will need a GCKey username and password to sign up.
Fill out the visa application form: You can complete and submit the Canadian visa application form online through the IRCC system. You can also download the filled-out form and submit it in person to a visa application center in Iran or the Embassy of Canada to Türkiye in Ankara, as there is no longer a Canadian consular mission in Iran. If you cannot provide any required supporting documents, upload a letter of explanation in its place, explaining why the document is missing and what you are providing instead.
Pay the required fees: Pay your fees online through your IRCC account when you submit your application, and keep the receipts. You can pay by credit card or debit card, so you may need a card issued outside Iran.
Give your biometrics: After you apply and pay the biometrics fee, IRCC sends you a biometric instruction letter. Book an appointment at a visa application center and give your fingerprints and photo there, usually within 30 days. Most visitor and study applications don’t involve an interview, but an officer may ask you to attend one if they need more information.
Wait for your visa: After you provide your biometrics, wait for an update on your visa status. If the Canadian government is satisfied with your application, you will receive a visa; processing times vary, so check the current estimate with the IRCC processing-times tool. If not, you will receive a refusal letter. If approved, IRCC will ask you to submit your passport to a visa application center so they can affix your visa to it. You can collect it in person or have it returned via courier.
The cost and processing time of a Canadian visa
Processing times vary by visa and situation, so check the IRCC processing times tool for the current estimate. Canadian visa fees vary depending on the visa you apply for. The fees range from 7 CAD for an ETA to over 1,500 CAD per adult for some permanent residence applications.
Below are some visas and their fees, all in Canadian Dollars;
Canadian visitors visas
Visitor visa – per person (Single or multiple entry) - $100.00
Visitor visa – per family of 5 or above (Single or multiple entries)- $500.00
Visitor extension - per person - $100.00
Restore your status as a visitor - $229.00
Canadian work visas
Work permit (including extensions) – per person - $155.00
Work permit (including extensions) – per group (3 or more performing artists applying at the same time and place) - $465.00
International Experience Canada - $172.00
Open work permit holder - $100.00
Restore your status as a worker - $229
New work permit - $155
Canadian student visas
Canadian visa biometrics fees
Biometrics – per person - $85.00
Biometrics - per family (2 or more people applying at the same time and place) - $170.00
Biometrics - per group (3 or more performing artists applying at the same time and place) - $255.00
Important considerations concerning Canadian visa applications for Iranian citizens
If you are applying for visas with your family, each family member will need their own application form; however, you can submit the applications together, and they will be processed under one payment receipt.
Expect to wait an additional four weeks if you are required to complete a medical examination.
Processing fees are non-refundable once IRCC starts processing your application. All fees are paid online in Canadian dollars. IRCC does not accept payments in Iranian rials.
Iran does not have an embassy in Canada, so Iranian consular services are not available in Ottawa. If you have any questions about your Canadian visa or status, contact IRCC directly.
