• The valid destinations for an e-TA:
  • Tourist destination such as vacation
  • Family and/or friends visit
  • Business trip
  • Studying in Canada for less than six months

Specific conditions are attached to a business trip that also involves work and a study trip that lasts longer than 6 months. Below is a sneak peek of the veil:

Whether you need a work permit or not, you must always have an e-TA to enter Canada if you are not Canadian. In the cases below you must apply for a (temporary) work permit

• Length of stay longer than 6 months in Canada
• Starting your own business in Canada
• You will be working for a Canadian employer

The (temporary) work permit applies to employees who will temporarily work in Canada for a Canadian employer. There are two types of this ‘work permit’: the open work permit, which allows you to work for various Canadian employers, and the employee-specific work permit, which describes a number of conditions, such as the name of the employer you will be working with, the duration of your work contract and the place where you work.

To obtain a work permit, the following conditions are of great importance:

• You have a job with a Canadian employer
• You leave Canada when the work permit expires
• You have sufficient resources for you and your family members to support yourself during your stay in Canada
• You have no criminal record
• You are in good health
• You are no danger to Canada

Nowadays, if you apply for a work permit, an e-TA is automatically added.

The application for a work permit is more complicated and takes longer (at least 2 weeks) than the application for an e-TA.

Studying in Canada for longer than the allowed maximum 6 months condition:

Whether you are going to study or just on vacation, as a non-Canadian you should always have an e-TA. That is the basis for entry into Canada. If you want to study, the following conditions apply.

Which visas are there?

Canadian visas are divided into two main streams:

• The Temporary Resident Visa (the TRV): the temporary residence permit. These permits are intended for a holiday, study or business trip and are an official document that is pasted into your passport by an employee of a visa office through which customs can see that you have met specific conditions to stay in Canada.
• The Permanent Resident Visa (the PR): the permanent residence permit. These permits are for travelers who want to settle in Canada for a longer period of time (emigrants).

An overview of temporary residence visas for studying and working in Canada:

If you are applying for a temporary residence visa, please ensure that you are applying for the correct visa when applying. Below is a summary of the various temporary residence visas for studying and working in Canada:

• The business visa: business visa: this visa is intended for travelers who are temporarily staying in Canada for business purposes. If you want to invest or if you want to deepen your business relationships or grow your company, you profile yourself in Canadian eyes as a ‘business visitor’. You must meet the following conditions:
  • You must leave Canada within 6 months
  • You are not allowed to participate in the Canadian labor market
  • You must prove that your core business is outside of Canada
  • You have a passport
  • You have sufficient financial resources for your journey and return journey
  • You must provide a letter of your potential Canadian trade relationship
  • You must have a document stating who you work for
  • You must provide contact details of your commercial relationship
• The student visa: Study Permit: is for foreign students who want to visit Canada to study. Canada is known for its good study facilities with regard to living and studying and working on campus. The application takes an average of 14 days and costs €100.00. You must meet the following conditions:
  • are registered with a recognized educational institute and can submit a letter of acceptance. You also have sufficient financial resources for living expenses for you and your partner, if any, and for tuition fees.
  • You have no criminal record and pose no threat to the Canadian government
  • You are in good health and you cooperate with a medical certificate
  • You are going to leave Canada again

You can only work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours with this visa. You may work full time during the school holidays. This visa is also called a Permit. If you apply for a study permit, an e-TA is automatically applied for.

The conditions for the ‘study permit’ application:

• A ‘study permit’ is mandatory if your length of stay, including study, is longer than six months
• You may only study at an educational institution that is on the list of ‘Designated Learning Institutions’, the so-called DLI
• When applying for a ‘study permit’ you must hand over the invitation letter from the relevant school to an employee of the Canadian embassy
• The maximum length of stay is the duration of the study plus 90 days
• You can request an extension in case of study delay
• If you have finished your studies earlier, the ‘study permit’ will also expire earlier
• If you go on holiday to another country during your studies or go back home for a while, you must apply for a new e-TA before traveling back to Canada to resume your studies

What else you need to know:

• If you have applied for a ‘study permit’, an e-TA is automatically applied for
• If you are flying from Canada to the United States, you must apply for both an e-TA and an e-STA. If you come to Canada by boat or overland, you do not need to apply for an e-TA. You will then have to fill in another form at Canadian customs.