What is a Canadian Conference Visa and Who is it Given to?

Conference visa is the type of visa that a person must obtain in order to attend national or international conferences, seminars, fairs or academic events held outside the country of origin.

The Canadian conference visa grants individuals coming for the relevant event the right to access Canada and work at the relevant event for up to 5 days without a work permit.

Those who will come to Canada to work for any event for more than 5 days must apply for a Canadian work visa.

Who is Granted a Canada Conference Visa?

Academicians, university lecturers, professors, research assistants, company or association officials and undergraduate/graduate/doctoral/postdoctoral students can apply for a Canadian conference visa.

Those who want to go to Canada through a Canadian congress visa must obtain a Canadian visa invitation letter issued by the relevant congress authorities.

Those who will be presenting at a conference or attending an event in Canada as a listener can also apply for a conference visa.

What are the Canada Conference Visa Requirements?

Canada conference visa requirements are listed below.

• The planned trip must be less than 6 months.
• You should not go to Canada for the purpose of looking for work.
• The visa applicant’s income must be outside of Canada.
• Supporting documents for the visa application must be attached to the visa application.
• Must have a valid travel document.
• Must have financial means to cover the planned travel.
• A declaration of departure from Canada must be made at the end of the planned trip.
• Must not have any criminal record.
• It should not pose a risk to safety or health.

How to Apply for a Canadian Congress Visa?

In order to apply for a Canadian congress visa, you must first register for an event held in Canada and request an approved invitation letter from the authorities of this event.

Applications for a Canadian conference visa can be made online or in person. If the application is to be made online, it is made through the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. After receiving feedback from IRCC about the Canadian conference visa, the biometric procedures required for the visa application can be carried out at the VFS Ankara or VFS Istanbul offices.

Physically submitted Canada congress visa applications are evaluated by IRCC, as in online applications, after making an appointment and submitting them directly to VFS Global offices.

With a Canadian congress visa, provided that the number of days to be worked is 5 days or less, a Canadian business invitation is not required and a Canadian conference invitation is sufficient.

What are the documents required to obtain a Canada Conference Visa?

The documents required to obtain a Canadian conference visa are listed below.

• Passport : Must be valid for at least 6 months and have 2 blank pages.
• Canada conference visa support letter : If you are participating in a conference in Canada on behalf of a company or association, a support letter from the parent organization must be submitted in the application.
• Canada conference visa invitation letter : The invitation letter issued by the conference authorities must be attached to the application. Contact information of the relevant conference authorities must be included in the application.
• Financial qualification documents : Documents proving that the applicant will have financial capacity for the duration of their stay in Canada, taking into account the financial possibilities stated in the invitation letter, if any, must be included in the application.
• Additional documents : If relevant to the conference, service agreements, contracts, and sureties must be attached to the application.

In addition to the documents required for the Canadian conference visa application mentioned above, the documents required for the standard Canadian visit visa must be submitted for the application.

What is a Sample Canada Invitation Letter for Conference Visa?

Canada invitation letter sample for conference visa is a document that contains the travel information of the visa applicant for the purpose of traveling to Canada and is required to obtain a conference visa. A visa invitation letter is needed to prove to the visa officers that the entry to Canada is for a conference or event.

The Canada visa invitation letter, which must be issued and approved by the conference authorities, must also state whether financial facilities such as accommodation, meals and reservations are provided to the participant.

How to Get a Conference Invitation Letter from Canada?

If a Canadian invitation letter is to be received for a conference, first of all, it is necessary to register for the relevant conference and pay the participation fee, if any. After registering for the relevant conference, the first step of obtaining a Canadian visa is completed by requesting an invitation from the conference authorities.

The Canada conference invitation letter must include information such as name and surname, contact information of the affiliated institution/association/company, name of the country of citizenship, travel duration and reservation information, conference registration number and proof of payment of the conference participation fee.

Do Those Going to Canada on a Conference Visa Need a Work Permit?

Those who go to Canada with a conference visa must obtain a work permit after 5 days, a work permit is not required for programs lasting less than 5 days. If the person is an international meeting or conference organizer in Canada or will attend a conference as a speaker for less than 5 days; a work permit is not required.