A Canada invitation letter has to cover two people: the visitor and you. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes a fixed list of what the letter should say about each, plus a short list of documents that prove your status in Canada. Miss an item and the officer has one less reason to believe the trip is what you say it is.
The letter is optional for most visitor visa files. IRCC says applicants are “sometimes” asked for one, and that a letter “doesn’t guarantee” a visa, because the officer still assesses the visitor’s own ties, money and travel history. For a parent or grandparent applying for the super visa, though, a signed letter from the child or grandchild in Canada is mandatory, and it must carry two extra items that ordinary letters do not.
This guide follows IRCC’s own checklist, item by item, for the person being invited and for the person writing. It then covers who can write the letter, which status documents to photocopy, whether you need a notary, how the super visa letter differs, and how a business host’s letter works.
At the end you will find three complete sample letters: a family visit, a visit by a friend, and a business trip. They are illustrations only. Officers read thousands of letters, and copied phrasing stands out, so rewrite every sentence in your own words and with your own facts.
Fees in this guide come from IRCC’s fee list as of October 2026: CAD 100 per person for a visitor visa, including the super visa, and CAD 85 per person for biometrics. The super visa income table was last updated on July 29, 2025.
One more distinction before you start. An invitation letter comes from the host in Canada. A letter of explanation comes from the applicant and answers the officer’s likely questions about their own situation. The two do different jobs, and a strong visitor file often has both.
Confirm Who Can Write the Letter and Whether You Need One
Free toolCanada Express Entry Points CalculatorIRCC’s guidance assumes the writer is someone living in Canada who can prove their status there. The status documents it lists cover Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians. That is the group the checklist was built for, and it is the group whose letters carry the most weight.
If you are in Canada on a work or study permit, IRCC’s page does not address you directly. You can still write a letter, but attach a copy of your permit, state its expiry date, and make sure the visit falls inside your own authorized stay. An officer will not be persuaded by a host who may have to leave before the guest does.
For the super visa, the rule is strict. The host must be the applicant’s biological or adopted child or grandchild, at least 18, living in Canada, and a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. Nobody else can write that letter.
| Standard visitor visa | Super visa | Business visitor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the letter required? | Optional, but often requested | Mandatory | Expected at the border |
| Who writes it | Friend or relative in Canada | Child or grandchild, 18+ | Canadian host business |
| Writer’s status | Citizen, PR or status Indian (per IRCC list) | Citizen, PR or registered Indian | Company representative |
| Extra contents | None beyond the IRCC list | Financial support promise + family size list | 24-hour host contact details; event code if registered |
| Proof attached | Copy of status document | Status proof + income proof + insurance | Parent-company support letters |
Write Down Everything IRCC Wants About the Visitor
IRCC lists eight facts about the person you are inviting. Each one answers a question the officer would otherwise have to guess at: who this person is, why they are coming, how long they will stay, and whether they will go home.
- Complete name, exactly as it appears in the passport
- Date of birth
- Address and telephone number
- Your relationship to the person
- The purpose of the trip
- How long the person plans to stay in Canada
- Where the person will stay, and how they will pay for things
- When the person plans to leave Canada
Be specific on the last three items. “A few weeks in summer” is weak; “arriving July 6, 2027 and departing August 3, 2027, staying in our spare bedroom” is strong. If a flight is booked or a return ticket is held, give the date. If the visitor pays for their own flights while you cover food and lodging, say exactly that.
The relationship line deserves a sentence of history, not a single word. “My cousin” tells the officer little. “My first cousin, the daughter of my mother’s sister, whom I have visited in Pune three times since 2019” shows a real tie and gives the officer something to cross-check against the visitor’s own documents.
Add Your Own Details and Proof of Status
The second half of IRCC’s list is about you. It establishes that you exist, live where you say you live, and are allowed to stay in Canada. It also asks for your family details, which tells the officer how many people share your home and income.
- Complete name
- Date of birth
- Address and telephone number in Canada
- Job title
- Whether you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
- A photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada
- Details of your family, such as the names and dates of birth of your spouse and dependants
IRCC names four documents that prove status. You only need one, and a clear photocopy or scan is enough. Do not send originals.
- Canadian birth certificate, if you were born in Canada
- Canadian citizenship card or certificate, if you are a naturalized citizen
- PR card or IMM 1000 Record of Landing, if you are a permanent resident
- Secure Certificate of Indian Status or Certificate of Indian Status (status card)
A Canadian passport is not on IRCC’s list, but many hosts add a copy of the photo page as a second identity document. It does no harm. If your PR card has expired, include the IMM 1000 or Confirmation of Permanent Residence instead, since an expired card does not end PR status but can raise questions.
Job title alone is the minimum. Most hosts also attach an employment letter and a recent pay stub or Notice of Assessment, especially if they promise to pay for the visitor’s stay. A financial promise with no proof behind it reads as an empty sentence.
Add the Super Visa Extras if You Are Inviting a Parent or Grandparent
A super visa letter must include everything in Steps 2 and 3, plus two items IRCC requires only for parents and grandparents: a promise of financial support for the whole visit, and the list (with names and dates of birth) and number of people in your family size calculation. Leaving either out is a common reason a super visa file comes back.
The family size count includes the applicant and any other super visa applicants, you, your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children (and your partner’s), anyone you previously sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect, and parents already holding a super visa, even if they are not in Canada right now. Dependent children count regardless of custody arrangements.
Your income must meet IRCC’s minimum for that family size. You prove it with your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment for either of the 2 tax years before you apply. A spouse or common-law partner can co-sign and add their income. IRCC also accepts a host income of at least 75% of the minimum if the applicant’s own income makes up the rest; our report on the new super visa income calculation options walks through that route.
| 1 person | $30,526 |
| 2 people | $38,002 |
| 3 people | $46,720 |
| 4 people | $56,724 |
| 5 people | $64,336 |
| 6 people | $72,560 |
| 7 people | $80,784 |
| Each additional person over 7 | +$8,224 |
The parent or grandparent must also show private medical insurance from a Canadian insurer, or a foreign insurer approved by the minister, with at least $100,000 in coverage, valid for at least 1 year from entry, and paid in full or in instalments with a deposit. Quotes are not accepted. The income threshold history is in our piece on the July 29, 2025 super visa income update.
The payoff for that extra paperwork is length of stay. A super visa holder can stay up to 5 years per entry and ask to extend by up to 2 years at a time from inside Canada, on a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. A regular visitor is normally admitted for up to 6 months. For the full application, see our Canada super visa requirements guide.
Sign It, Decide on Notarization, and Send It to the Visitor
You write and sign the letter, then send it to the person you are inviting. They upload it with their online visitor visa application as a supporting document. You do not send anything to IRCC yourself. IRCC also says its list is a guide only: you must write the letter yourself, in good faith, and everything in it must be true.
Notarization is not on IRCC’s list. Neither the letter of invitation page nor the super visa eligibility and document pages ask for a notarized letter, including for parents and grandparents. Some hosts notarize anyway, which does no harm, but it is not an IRCC requirement. If an officer wants more, they will ask through a procedural fairness or document request letter. Spend the notary fee on a better income document instead.
A scanned signature on a typed letter is standard. Put your contact details where they are easy to find, because an officer may call or email to confirm you wrote it.
| Visitor visa, including super visa, per person | $100 |
| Visitor visa, family of 5 or more applying together (maximum) | $500 |
| Biometrics, per person | $85 |
| Biometrics, family of 2 or more applying together (maximum) | $170 |
| Typical single applicant total | $185 |
For Business Visits, Use the Host Company’s Letter
A business visitor’s invitation comes from the Canadian host business, not from an individual. IRCC tells business visitors to carry letters of support from their parent company and a letter of invitation from the Canadian host, along with 24-hour contact details for the business host in Canada and proof they can pay for the stay and the trip home.
The letter should make clear that the visitor will not enter the Canadian labour market. Meetings, conferences, trade fairs, buying goods or services, taking orders, after-sales service under a warranty, and training from a Canadian parent company or equipment supplier are the activities IRCC lists. Hands-on work for a Canadian employer needs a work permit instead.
If your event is registered with IRCC, include the event code in the letter, and ask participants to put the same code in their applications. IRCC tells organizers to give each visitor 2 copies of the letter. Our Canada business visa document guide lists the rest of the file.
- Company letterhead with legal name and address in Canada
- Visitor’s full name, date of birth, employer and job title
- Purpose of the visit and the specific activities planned
- Exact dates and the city or cities to be visited
- Who pays for travel, lodging and meals
- Statement that the visitor will be paid only by the foreign employer
- Name, title and 24-hour phone and email of the Canadian contact
- IRCC event code, if the event is registered
A Note on the Letter of Explanation
The invitation letter speaks for you; the letter of explanation speaks for the visitor. The applicant writes it, in the first person, to explain their own job, family, funds and travel history, and to address anything an officer might question, such as a past refusal or a long stay. Keep the two letters consistent on dates and money, and do not try to make your invitation do the applicant’s explaining for them.
Sample Canada Invitation Letters
The three samples below use invented names and details. They show structure and the level of detail officers expect. Do not copy them word for word: officers see recycled template language every day, and a letter that reads like a download weakens a genuine file.
March 2, 2027
To the Visa Officer,
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Re: Letter of invitation for Ramesh Kumar Iyer (born April 11, 1958) and Lakshmi Iyer (born September 3, 1961)
My name is Priya Iyer-Menon. I was born on June 19, 1988, and I am a permanent resident of Canada, landed on October 14, 2019. I live at 2210 Kingsway Avenue, Unit 405, Burnaby, BC V5H 0A2, and my phone number is (604) 555-0142. I work full time as a Senior Data Analyst at a credit union in Vancouver. A copy of my PR card is enclosed.
I am inviting my parents, Ramesh Kumar Iyer and Lakshmi Iyer, who live at 14 Gandhi Nagar Second Street, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India, phone +91 44 5550 1830, to visit me in Canada. The purpose of their visit is to meet their first grandchild, born on January 22, 2027, and to help our family during my parental leave.
They plan to arrive on May 10, 2027 and leave Canada on August 8, 2027, a stay of about 13 weeks. They will live with us at the address above, in a separate bedroom. My husband and I will pay for their food, local transport and any outings. My father will pay for their return flights from his pension savings.
My household includes my husband, Arjun Menon (born February 7, 1986), a permanent resident, and our daughter, Meera Menon (born January 22, 2027).
My father retired from a state bank in 2018 and receives a monthly pension. My parents own their home in Chennai, and my younger brother and his family live nearby. My parents visited me in Canada in 2022 and returned home on time.
Please contact me at the number above or at the email address in my parents’ application if you need anything further.
Sincerely,
Priya Iyer-Menon
April 15, 2027
To the Visa Officer,
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Re: Letter of invitation for Adaeze Chioma Okafor (born November 28, 1993)
My name is Daniel Robert Fraser. I was born on August 2, 1992 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I am a Canadian citizen. A copy of my Canadian birth certificate is enclosed. I live at 88 Robie Street, Halifax, NS B3H 3B1, phone (902) 555-0177, and I work as a Civil Engineer with a regional engineering consultancy.
I am inviting my friend Adaeze Chioma Okafor, of 7 Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria, phone +234 80 5550 2291, to attend my wedding on July 17, 2027 in Halifax. We met in 2015 as graduate students at the University of Leeds and shared a flat for two years. She will be a bridesmaid alongside my fiancee’s sister.
She plans to arrive in Halifax on July 12, 2027 and leave Canada on July 26, 2027. She will stay with my fiancee and me in our guest room. She has booked and will pay for her own flights. I will cover her lodging and meals for the two weeks.
I am not married yet. My fiancee, Claire Thibodeau (born March 30, 1994), lives with me. I have no dependants.
Adaeze works as a Pharmacist at a hospital in Lagos and has confirmed approved annual leave for these dates. She has travelled to the United Kingdom and Ghana in the past five years and returned home each time.
I can be reached at the phone number above if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Robert Fraser
[Company letterhead: Northfield Packaging Systems Inc., 4400 Industrial Parkway, Mississauga, ON L5T 2Y1]
September 6, 2027
To the Visa Officer,
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Re: Business visit by Mr. Luis Fernando Alvarez Rojas (born May 14, 1984)
Northfield Packaging Systems Inc. invites Mr. Luis Fernando Alvarez Rojas, Senior Process Engineer at our equipment supplier, Maquinas Andinas S.A.S. of Medellin, Colombia, to visit our Mississauga plant from October 18 to October 29, 2027.
The purpose of the visit is to attend technical meetings on the specifications of two forming lines we have ordered from Maquinas Andinas, and to review warranty service on a line his company installed in 2025. He will not perform production work for Northfield and will not receive any payment from us. His salary will continue to be paid by Maquinas Andinas.
Maquinas Andinas will pay for his flights and per diem. Northfield will pay for his hotel near our plant and local transport during the visit. He will return to Colombia on October 29, 2027.
Our contact for this visit is Sarah Kowalczyk, Director of Operations, available 24 hours a day at (905) 555-0190. A letter of support from Maquinas Andinas is enclosed with Mr. Alvarez Rojas’s application.
Sincerely,
Sarah Kowalczyk
Director of Operations, Northfield Packaging Systems Inc.
Common Invitation Letter Mistakes
After the Letter Is Sent
Once the visitor has your letter, they submit it with their online application, pay the fees and give biometrics if required. Keep a copy of everything you sent, because an officer may contact you to confirm details, and you may need the same facts again for an extension or a later visit.
If the application is refused, read the officer’s reasons before writing a new letter. A refusal for weak home ties will not be fixed by a longer invitation. Our guide to reapplying, reconsideration and Federal Court review after a Canada visa refusal explains the options, and our analysis of rising Canada visitor visa refusals covers the patterns officers cite most.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a letter of invitation for a Canada visitor visa include?
IRCC asks for the visitor’s full name, date of birth, address and phone, your relationship, the trip purpose, length of stay, where they will stay and how they will pay, and when they will leave. It also asks for your own name, date of birth, Canadian address and phone, job title, status and family details.
Does a Canada invitation letter need to be notarized?
No. IRCC’s letter of invitation page and its super visa pages do not ask for notarization, including for parents and grandparents. A typed, signed letter with a copy of your status document is enough. If an officer needs more, they will ask for it.
What proof of status should I attach to an invitation letter for Canada?
Attach a copy of one document: a Canadian birth certificate, a citizenship card or certificate, a PR card or IMM 1000 Record of Landing, or a Secure Certificate of Indian Status or status card. Send a clear photocopy or scan, never the original.
Who can write an invitation letter for a Canada visa?
IRCC’s checklist is written for hosts who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians living in Canada. For the super visa, only the applicant’s child or grandchild aged 18 or older with one of those statuses can write the letter.
How is a super visa invitation letter different?
It must include everything in a normal letter plus a promise of financial support for the whole visit and the list, with names and dates of birth, and number of people in the family size calculation. The host’s income must meet IRCC’s minimum, which starts at $30,526 for one person.
Does an invitation letter guarantee a Canada visitor visa?
No. IRCC states that a letter of invitation does not guarantee a visa. The officer still assesses the visitor’s own ties to home, funds, travel history and purpose of travel. The letter supports the application but cannot replace the visitor’s own evidence.
What does a business invitation letter for Canada need?
It comes from the Canadian host business and should state the purpose, dates and activities, who pays, and that the visitor will not enter the labour market. IRCC says visitors should carry it with parent-company support letters and 24-hour contact details for the host, plus any IRCC event code.
How much does a Canada visitor visa cost?
IRCC charges CAD 100 per person for a visitor visa, including the super visa, with a CAD 500 maximum for a family of 5 or more applying together. Biometrics cost CAD 85 per person or CAD 170 for a family applying together.
