- IRCC’s 40-criteria system shapes visa rules for countries; it does not score individual visitor applications.
- Officers assess each application individually, considering travel purpose, finances, home-country ties, admissibility and evidence that the visitor will leave on time.
- IRCC had finalized 1,306,055 applications and had 337,100 pending as of June 30, 2026.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses more than 40 policy criteria to shape visa rules for countries, not to score each visitor applicant. The 40-criteria system helps determine whether citizens of a country need a visa or may travel visa-free. It is not an individual checklist.
The distinction separates country-level policy from visitor-visa screening. IRCC officers decide applications case by case, assessing each traveller’s circumstances and the evidence submitted.
The national framework reportedly weighs safety and security, document integrity, economic and bilateral considerations, and migration patterns. Those patterns include asylum claim volumes and previous visa non-compliance.
Free toolCanada Express Entry Points CalculatorA traveller’s nationality does not replace an individual review. Each application faces its own assessment.
Individual applications turn on the traveller’s evidence
An officer must be satisfied that the applicant will leave Canada when the authorized stay ends. The reason for the trip and its context also count.
Applicants must show how they will pay for their visit. There is no published minimum amount for visitor visas. Officers consider the available financial evidence alongside the trip’s circumstances.
Connections to the applicant’s home country also enter the assessment. Employment, family, property and other obligations can help establish those ties.
The review includes admissibility. Health, criminality and security concerns may affect the decision. The applicant’s documents should support the proposed travel purpose and account of their circumstances.
Security screening can involve several Canadian agencies
In material provided to Parliament on May 4, 2026, the department described using internal databases and risk indicators in screening. Some applications may receive deeper security checks.
That work can involve the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The agencies may take part in more extensive screening of some cases.
Biometrics also form part of the process. Fingerprints are considered alongside biographic data to identify national-security and public-safety risks.
These checks accompany the applicant-specific review. They do not turn country policy criteria into a personal points score.
Application volumes and charges show the process’s scale
IRCC had finalized 1,306,055 visitor visa applications and had 337,100 pending as of June 30, 2026. The figures show both completed files and applications awaiting decisions.
The listed charges vary by application and family size:
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa application | $100 per person |
| Family application cap | $500 for a family of five or more applying together |
| Biometrics | $85 per person or $170 per family |
The biometric charge is separate from the visa fee. The figures do not determine how an individual file will be decided.
Practitioner guidance describes a documentation-heavy review
Immigration commentary and practitioner guidance published in 2026 characterize the process as discretionary and documentation-heavy. Their assessments describe closer scrutiny of travel purpose, finances and ties to the applicant’s home country.
That is commentary on how applicants experience the process, rather than a separate formal test. The legal standard remains whether the officer is satisfied the visitor will leave at the end of the authorized stay and meets admissibility requirements.
Automatic refusal-note releases began in July 2025
Since July 2025, IRCC has automatically released officer decision notes following temporary resident refusals. The policy excludes electronic travel authorizations, or eTAs, and temporary resident permits.
The central question remains whether the person qualifies as a genuine temporary visitor who will leave Canada on time. Individual evidence, not a country-level score, drives that assessment.
