Hoang immigrated to Canada from Vietnam six years ago. Eventually, he became a Canadian citizen about two years ago. In a trip to Vietnam, Hoang met his high school friend Trang. They dated for about a month while Hoang was in Vietnam. He came back to Canada, but they continued their relationship over the phone, email, and WhatsApp for over two years. Hoang eventually proposed to Trang six months ago. Luckily, Trang said yes. They now hope to marry each other in Canada. Hoang wonders if Trang can visit Canada so they can marry each other.

Canada welcomes millions of visitors every year. When it comes to visiting Canada, foreign nationals fall under three major groups:

• The US citizens may visit Canada without a visa or eTA
• Certain people may visit Canada with an eTA based on their nationality, the documents they hold, or their purpose of visit. Needless to say, eTA is not a visa, but a security clearance that you could obtain via a relatively easy online process.
• The rest of the people need a TRV to visit Canada.

To make it simple, I just use the term fiancé in this article, but it also applies to boyfriends or girlfriends.

Fiancé Visa for the US Citizens

Your US citizen fiancé may visit you at any time with no major issues. The Border Services Officer may ask them about their purpose of visit to Canada. They need to be truthful. It also won’t hurt if they hold documents to show they do not intend to overstay in Canada. Some potential examples include the following:

• Letter of employment
• Proof  of enrollment to school

Of course, a US citizen who is inadmissible to Canada, may not visit Canada. Consequently, inadmissible people need to apply for a TRP, ARC, Rehabilitation, or Record Suspension before entering Canada.

Fiancé Visa for eTA-Required People

The process for this group is relatively easy. They need to apply for an eTA online. If they receive the eTA they may travel to Canada to visit their fiancé. Of course, just like the US citizens, I recommend holding a document that shows they do not intend to stay in Canada illegally. An inadmissible person is not eligible for an eTA and they need to resolve the issue to receive the eTA. Consult with a professional for more information.

Fiancé Visa for TRV-Required People

Canada does not offer a fiancé visa per se. Hence, receiving a TRV for this group could be challenging. Section 179 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations advises an officer to issue the TRV only if they believe the person won’t overstay in Canada. Let’s face it; if you are visiting Canada to be with your fiancé, you have all the reasons in this world to overstay. Therefore, you need to present as many documents as possible to prove otherwise. You may also read my article on TRV for more details on how you could get a visit visa to Canada.

If you wish to visit or move to Canada or if you have encountered any issues with the immigration authorities, you may fill out our free assessment form or book a consultation session to assess your potential opportunities or offer you immigration, visa, or citizenship advice.

Al Parsai, MA, DTM, RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Author – 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada

Disclaimer:
This article provides information of a general nature only. It may no longer be current. It does not give legal advice nor should you rely on it as legal advice. If you have specific legal questions, you should consult a lawyer. If you are looking for immigration advice, book an appointment. All the characters in the articles are fictional, unless otherwise clearly stated. Any resemblance in names, dates, and places (whether individuals, organizations, regions, or countries) is coincidental.