Things to Know Before Applying for a Canadian Visa in Nigeria

things you should know before applying for a canadian visa in nigeria

Things you Should Know Before Applying for a Canadian Visa In Nigeria

Canada is one of the most important countries that form an integral part of North America; it’s the second largest country in the world in terms of land mass and it touches three great oceans on the north, the west and the east (the Arctic, the pacific and the Atlantic oceans).

People migrate to Canada for a variety of reasons. For the tourists, this may be the abundance of lakes ( Canada has more lakes in it than all the lakes we have in the world altogether) about two million, the multicultural population with about a fifth of the country’s population being immigrants and the warm embracing people all attract people from over the world.

Although Canada shares a border with USA which is the longest land border in the world with thousands of people crossing in and out daily, a large number of Nigerians also cross into this beautiful country such that it has become one of the go-to places for people of Nigeria.
There are a lot of things an individual should know and keep in mind before applying for a Canadian visa in Nigeria.  These points are important regardless of whether the intending visa applicant is a first time traveler or returning visitor as both will always require a visa.

Also Read: How to Apply for a Canadian Visa in Nigeria

This article has been designed to provide information on the vital things an applicant should know before applying for a Canadian visa in Nigeria. With this information at hand, the Canadian visa application process becomes a lot less complicated and the applicant’s visa stands a higher chance of being accepted.  Below are the things you should know and do before applying for a Canadian visa in Nigeria.

  1. Be sure to find out if you are eligible: it is highly recommended that you determine your eligibility before proceeding to apply for a Canadian visa in Nigeria. As far as a high number of people desire to travel to Canada every year, not all meet the set eligibility requirements.

This is the most important step to carry out before you commence your Canadian visa application. It would be a total waste of time and even money if you begin your visa application and later find out that you are not eligible. There are certain conditions that must be met before a person can successfully apply for a Canadian visa in Nigeria. These include:

  • Ownership of a valid international passport ( it is preferable that this is not older than six months )
  • Availability of previous passports (if any) to show your travel history if applicable.
  • Complete health- you must be hale and hearty. People with HIV/AIDS or persons presumed to be of ill health which may cause a threat to the Canadian population are most likely to receive a negative response to their Canadian visa application.
  • You must have a genuine reason obliging you to return to Nigeria after your temporary visit to Canada. This could be your family, stable job, assets such as houses, businesses or any other thing that will assure the Canadian immigration officer of your return to Nigeria.
  • Possession of complete requirements that are needed to be tendered at the Visa Application centre ( these include your application form, evidence of payment of visa processing fee, your original passport and so on ).
  • An applicant must also have adequate funds to ensure their smooth stay in Canada. The Canadian immigration officer must be convinced you can take care of yourself while in Canada. Therefore, you will need to make available proof of funds in terms of a bank statement of your account with history for at least three previous months. A proof of sponsorship from your host in Canada may also be acceptable.

Other documents you should ensure you have for a successful Canadian visa application includes:

  • A note containing information about your trip. Here, you should have the following:
  1. Contacts; how you can be contacted during your trip
  2. The purpose of your trip
  • Your destinations
  1. Hotels you booked and addresses
  2. An itinerary showing your provisional airline bookings.
  • A letter or evidence of invitation from a person living in Canada that you will be meeting. This letter should include the dates of your visit, the period of stay and the purpose of visit.
  • You also need two passport photographs. Ensure you sign at the back of these.

An applicant must also take note of certain things that could void the eligibility to apply for a Canadian visa successfully. These include;

  • Having perpetrated or caused an human right violation
  • A situation where the prospective applicant has once been convicted of a crime
  • Being indebted, bankrupt or in severe financial trouble
  • An applicant travelling together with a family member or person ineligible to travel to Canada
  • Being dishonest in filling the Canadian visa application form or during interview
  • Important note:
  • If on any occasion, you are incapable of providing all the necessary documents as required, you are advised to download and complete a waiver form and submit alongside your application form. This will be attached to your application form for submission to avoid unnecessary delays and possible rejection of your visa application
  1. Check the embassy website and get familiar before proceeding to apply: this is important to help you get information concerning your Canadian visa application like where to obtain the visa application form, what type of visa you should be applying for and where you can carry out submission. You can visit the Canadian immigration website by following this link. You can also visit the High Commission of Canada at the following addresses for more information and enquiries on Canadian visa application in Nigeria;

High Commission of Canada

No 15, Bobo Street,

Maitama, Abuja

P.O Box 5144,

Abuja, Nigeria.

Or

The Deputy High Commission of Canada at

4 Anifowoshe Street,
Victoria Island
Lagos, Nigeria

P.O. Box 54506
Ikoyi Station,
Lagos, Nigeria

Telephone: +234-1-271-5650
Fax: +234-1-271-5651
Email: lagos@international.gc.ca

Working days/hours;

Monday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

  1. Find out the type of Canadian visa you should apply for: there are different types of Canadian visas available to Nigerians including the student visa, work visa and visitor’s visa. You must be sure of which you wish to apply for as well as the validity type. This will depend on your purpose of travel and the duration you wish to stay.
    There is the single-entry visa which permits an individual to visit Canada only one time. The single entry visa is valid for up to six months from the date the individual arrives in Canada. A multiple entry visa on the other hand allows an individual to travel to Canada more than once but only for six months at a time. The multiple entry visa remains valid for up to ten (10) years or one month before the individuals passport expires whichever comes first.

There are also different classes of Canadian visas available to Nigerians based on the applicant’s purpose of travel. These include;

  • Visitor visa: includes visa for individuals, family or groups who wish to visit Canada on a temporary basis as a tourist or visiting family. It is issued irrespective of whether one intends to obtain the visa for a single visit or multiple visits.
  • Work permits: There are different classes of work permit for people migrating to Canada from Nigeria. These include the open work permit which gives you the opportunity to work for an employer in Canada as long as he/she is not ineligible to operate. You can find out if you qualify for an open work permit There is also the employer specific work permit which gives you the opportunity to travel to Canada for work based on conditions specified on your work permit.
  • Study permits: This kind of visa is for students or people who intend to travel to Canada to study. For a student visa, you are required to pay a study permission fees which includes prolongation.

If you intend to travel to Canada on a mission rather than business related or just visiting, you must apply for a visa type in the appropriate classification.

Also Read: How Long Does it Take to Process Canadian Visa in Nigeria

A temporary work permit may not be used for a study permit and vice versa so you must be careful.

To find out if you need a Temporary resident Visa (also called TRV or simply Visitor Visa) or not, you can follow this link.

  1. Download and study the visa application form and Instruction guide: Usually, there is an instruction guide available to provide help during the process of Canadian visa application. Ensure you download the instruction guide to aid in the application of your Canadian visa. Study your instruction guide carefully. This will give you all the information you require to successfully complete your application form without errors.

To download the Canadian visa application instruction guide and application form, follow this link.

  1. The Canadian visa application fees: the Canadian visa application fee is paid in naira and subject to change whenever the embassy deems it fit. But generally, there are two types of fees: an application processing fee and a biometric fee.
    Estimated fees when paying online and applying in person:
    Processing fee – about ₦28,000 (about $77)
    Biometrics (per person) – about ₦24,000 (about $66)
    Estimated fees when applying through the VFS Global Visa Application Centre:Processing fee – about ₦28,000 (about $77)
    Biometrics (per person) – about ₦24,000 (about $66)
    Service charge – about ₦17,000 (about $47)
  2. Application and submission of forms: if you are applying to Canada from Nigeria, you must know that your visa application form may either be submitted online or at your desired visa application centre. Online applications are done through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online application system while offline or physical visa applications can be done by visiting any of the VFS global Canadian Visa Application Centre in Lagos or the one in Abuja.

The processing time for visas can take up to 30 days depending on the type of application submitted, the volume of applications received, and whether the application is complete.

The visa process can take some time, so using a visa application centre is recommended if you have the option. For your Canadian visa application, you can visit either of the following addresses based on your location;
Canadian Embassy in Nigeria
Physical Address:

4 Anifowoshe Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos
Telephone number :(234) 1 271 5650
Hours:Monday to Thursday 7:30 AM – 4 PM
Friday 7:30 AM – 1 PM
Canadian Visa Application Centre in Abuja
Physical Address:

Silverbird Entertainment Centre,

Plot 1161, Memorial Drive,
Central Business District, Abuja

Telephone number:      (234) 815 019 9900
Hours:Monday to Friday 8 AM – 3 PM
Canadian Visa Application Centre in Lagos
Physical Address:

Manor Hall, Plot 110, Admiral Ayinla Way,
Third Roundabout, Lekki Phase I – Lagos
Telephone:       (234) 815 019 9900
Hours:  Monday to Friday 8 AM – 3 PM

  1. Other important things to know: apart from the above stated you should know that;

–  all payments for the Canadian visa in Nigeria can only be made in naira.

– Also all your applications must the submitted with details of payment. Without the details of payment attached, your application will most likely be rejected and returned to you.

– Note that once your application processing has started, you will not get any refund even if your application is not approved.

– In the case where your form has to be returned to you, you will pay all the cost incurred for returning your file or any unrelated documents you have submitted by mistake.

– Although you may be informed at the embassy that your visa processing will take only about 34 days, you should bear in mind that due to Nigerian factors, your visa processing might span between three to sixteen weeks so do not panic.

All the best in your Canadian Visa Application.

ALSO READ

Things You Should Know Before Applying for a Canadian Visa in Nigeria © www.travelvisa.ng

2 Comments

  1. I want to apply for family visa to Canada, some of my children are adults while some are minors, what do I do pls

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WANT TO CALL US? ClickHere!