Visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa): Nigerian citizen in Nigeria → Canada
Nigerian citizens need a visitor visa (TRV) for Canada — apply online to IRCC and give biometrics at a Canada visa application centre.
A temporary resident visa (TRV) for short visits to Canada — tourism, visiting family or friends, or business. It is an official document placed in your passport.
- Validity
- Up to 10 years — or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever is first
- Entries
- Single or multiple entry (decided by the visa officer — usually multiple)
- Max stay per visit
- Usually up to 6 months per visit (the border officer decides on arrival)
When to start
Start 45 days–3 months before your travel date.
Confirm you have a valid passport, enough money, ties to your home country, and will leave Canada at the end of your visit.
Prepare a digital copy of your valid passport plus the documents on your personalized checklist (funds, ties, purpose of trip).
Submit your visitor visa application online; the portal gives you a personalized document checklist to follow.
Pay the visitor visa fee (from $CAN 100 per person) plus the separate biometrics fee.
If required, attend a Canada Visa Application Centre in person to give your fingerprints and photo after you receive your biometrics instruction letter.
Processing time varies by country and does not include the time to give biometrics.
What you'll need
- Valid passport — A digital copy of your valid passport or travel document, valid for at least 6 months from your planned travel date. ✓ verified
- Proof of funds — Evidence you have enough money for your stay (amount depends on length of stay and whether you stay in a hotel or with family/friends). ✓ verified
- Proof of ties to your home country — Documents showing ties — a job, home, financial assets or family — that will take you back to your home country. ✓ verified
- Letter of invitation / medical exam — If applicable, a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada, and/or a medical exam. ✓ verified· if requested for your situation
Where you'll apply
Because you live in Nigeria, you apply online to IRCC. If biometrics are required, you give them in person at a designated Canada Visa Application Centre (operated by VFS Global) after you receive your biometrics instruction letter.
Fees
| Visitor visa (per person) | CAD 100 |
| Biometrics | varies |
Gotchas to watch
- A visitor visa does not guarantee entry — a border services officer makes the final decision when you arrive in Canada.
- The biometrics fee is separate from the visa fee, and processing time does not include the time to give biometrics.
- Apply early: processing times vary by country and can be long in peak periods.