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Visa for Canada

If you are planning on visiting Canada, here are the steps you should follow to get a Canadian visa.

For more details about how to apply, see:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/apply-how.asp or
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5256ETOC.asp

1. Find out if you need a visa: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
• Saudi students DO need a visa.

2. Check the current processing time: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp/visitors.asp
• Expect to wait at least 30 days, but the embassy recommends that you apply 3 months before your trip to Canada, just in case.

3. Ask A.C.E. for a visa letter (verifying your student status).

4. Gather your documents (I-20, passport, educational/employment history, trip itinerary, etc).

5. Download the appropriate application forms and fill out electronically: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/visa.asp
• Document Checklist
• Application for Temporary Resident Visa
• Family Information
• Schedule 1: Application for a Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada

6. After you finish the Temporary ResidentVisa application, click on the “Validate” button located at the top of the form and print your application form. This will create a “Barcode page” (page 5). You must include this page when you send your application.

7. Print the rest of your completed forms. Make sure to sign and date each of them!

8. Mail your application materials to the Canadian embassy in Los Angeles.

   Consulate General of Canada
   Visa Section
   550 South Hope Street, 9th Floor
   Los Angeles, CA 90071

Please mail your:


• Printed application forms (signed and dated, including document checklist and last page with computer barcode)
• Passport
• 2 passport photos
• I-20 (all 3 pages, signed by DSO)
• Proof of financial support (Financial guarantee or bank statement)
• Letter from A.C.E. confirming student status
• Application fee (Bank draft, Money order, or Cashier’s cheque; US or Canadian dollars).
  
  For more information about payment, see: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/los_angeles/visas/fees-frais.aspx?lang=eng
  
  
9. Single entry: $75 (all fees are in Canadian dollars)
10. Multiple entry: $150
11. Family rate: $400
12. Transit only (less than 48 hours in Canada): FREE
13. Include a prepaid and pre-addressed Express Mail or Priority Mail envelope, so that the consulate can return your passport and documents to you. For more information, see:

    http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/los_angeles/visas/apply-how_a_demande-comment.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

9. Wait a minimum of 30 days for application to be processed. You may be contacted for an interview. If your application is denied, they will send your documents to you with an explanation. If it is accepted, they will send you your passport, documents, and requested visa. (Again, for current processing times, see: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp/visitors.asp)