Requirements vary depending on the visa office processing a TRV application, but wherever invitation letters are required, general guidelines are mostly the same.

Purpose of the letter

Invitation letter is needed to provide relevant information from the inviting party, that may have effect on the visa office decision. When deciding whether to issue the temporary visa or not, an immigration officer have to consider all circumstances of the case and conclude, what are the chances that this particular applicant will not leave Canada and remain in the country illegally.

It is a difficult decision to make, because real intentions cannot be reliably determined. That is why visa officers have to rely on submitted documents and other evidence, and this is also the reason why lot of “temporary” visitors nevertheless decide to remain in Canada.

An invitation letter is just another piece of evidence for the visa officer, that contains information provided not by the applicant, but also by the inviting party from Canada. The information in this letter must contribute to the final decision positively, addressing important issues and giving answers to questions that may arise.

Matters addressed in the invitation letter

Applicant should first check the requirements of the visa office that will be processing particular application, as they may differ. Usually it is required to provide information about the inviting party – name, address, contacts, status in Canada, employment information, relationship to the applicant. Purpose of the trip should also be clearly shown in the letter.

General purpose of the letter – to show that an applicant have grounded reasons to leave Canada after the visit, and that sufficient funds are available to cover incurred expenses. Hence the following information may be also included in the invitation letter:

• Reference to applicant’s previous trips to Canada, if applicable.
• Information about inviting host’s income and/or expenses in case he undertakes to cover living expenses of the visitor.

Format of the letter

An invitation letter may be written in almost any form, provided that its content meets the visa office requirements. Some agents and paralegals offer invitation letter forms for filling out by hand for a fee.

Letter should be sent to the applicant, not directly to the visa office. It is the applicant’s responsibility to include the invitation letter with his application upon submission. The letter must be signed by the inviting party.

Sample letter of invitation

You can find the sample invitation letter here >>