A letter of invitation is one of the required documents when applying for a Canadian temporary or even permanent residence visa. A lot of visa applicants do not always know what and how to go about it. the following are the guidelines on the Canadian invitation letter.
- What is an invitation letter
- Requirements for an invitation letter
- Information of the visa applicant
- Information of the inviter
- Where to send an invitation letter
- Sample of the invitation letter
WHAT IS AN INVITATION LETTER?
A Canadian invitation letter is a letter sent by a Canadian citizen or permanent residence to the Canadian consulate or embassy inviting someone you know very well to the country. The person you are inviting has to be your friend, spouse, fiancé, or relative. An invitation letter convinces the consulate that you know the applicant and that the applicant will give true information about himself to the consulate and a guarantee that the applicant will have accommodation and will also return to his home country at the expiration of the visa. An applicant with an invitation letter stands a good chance in getting his application processed successfully, as an invitation letter could also stand as evidence to the Canadian government.
REQUIREMENTS FOR AN INVITATION LETTER
Before an invitation letter is accepted it must first meet the requirements of a Canadian invitation letter. A Canadian invitation letter must meet the following requirements:
- Information of the Visa applicant
- information of the person inviting the applicant
If an invitation letter does not meet with this requirement, the applicant stands a chance of getting rejected or having his application denied. You should also bear in mind that a letter of invitation does not guarantee a visa, as the consulate might have other reasons to deny a visa to an applicant.
Some applicants do not necessarily need an invitation letter to come to Canada, especially people with electronic travel authorization (ETA)
Writing an invitation letter for an application does not mean that the person writing the letter is legally responsible for the applicant as visitors are held responsible if they violet any law in Canada.
Kindly ensure to follow all the procedures laid out.
INFORMATION OF THE APPLICANT ON THE INVITATION LETTER
The following information about the applicant must be contained in the invitation letter:
- The first and last name of the applicant
- Date of birth of the applicant
- Telephone and email address of the applicants
- Duration of the visit
- Relationship between the applicant and the person inviting him
- Purpose of visiting the country
- Address of the applicant
- Date of return
INFORMATION OF THE PERSON INVITING THE VISA APPLICANT (INVITER)
The person inviting a visa applicant must give personal information about himself such as:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Exact Canadian address
- Citizen or permanent residence status.
- Total number of people that live in your household
- Job title
- Names and number of family members and dependents
WHERE TO SEND AN INVITATION LETTER
After the invitation letter has been written by the Canadian, it should be sent to the applicant. After receiving the signed and properly dated invitation letter, you go ahead to submit it. An invitation letter can be scanned and sent as PDF when applying online or can be sent to the Canadian embassy or consulate located in your country together with other necessary documents when applying physically.
An invitation letter must be notarized and must be properly signed and dated by the person inviting the applicant to Canada.
INVITATION LETTER FOR SUPER VISA
A super visa which is also known as a parent visa is a temporary residence visa given to parents or grandparents who wish to visit their children or grandchildren for a period not longer than six months.
An invitation letter written to invite parents or grandparents Is not so different from the normal invitation letter but with some slight differences.
The person inviting must prove that he or she will take care of the parents or grandparents throughout their stay in Canada and also prove that they have enough finance for the member of the household and also for the visiting parents or grandparents.
SAMPLE OF AN INVITATION LETTER
Below is a clear sample of an invitation letter to enable you to get a clear picture and a format of how a Canadian invitation letter should look like.
Name of a place in Canada
To the Canadian embassy in (state the country)
Embassy address
Embassy phone contact
Subject: invitation letter for Mr./Mrs. Doe
Dear sir/madam,
My name is Jane Doe, I was born on 9th April 1979 and I am from Calgary, Canada. I am a Canadian permanent resident and I live in (state the address)
Living in my house are two people; my daughter and son. I work as a baker in Randolph wine and cake shop earning CAD$60,000 annually.
I am inviting my husband John doe who was born on October 10th, 1971, and currently living Abuja Nigeria to Canada for a temporary visit. John Doe will be staying in my house throughout his stay from 18th November to 18th January. He is visiting to spend time with his children and also tour around Canada.
John doe works in the federal ministry of finance in Nigeria and earns up to CASD$70,000 annually and as such will be able to afford his trip and stay in Canada. John doe plays an important role in the ministry of finance and as such will return at the expiration of his stay in Canada.
Kindly find attached a certified copy of my permanent residence card and my bank statement for the past six months.
I look forward to having john doe visit me and the children so that we can spend quality time as a family and tour the country.
Kind regards,
Jane Doe
(house address)
(phone number)
(email)
Signature.