A letter of invitation does not guarantee that we will issue a visa. Visa officers assess you to decide whether you meet the terms of Canada's immigration law.

Sometimes, when you apply for a visa to visit Canada, we ask you to give us a letter of invitation from someone in Canada.

Information for the person writing the letter of invitation

Writing a letter of invitation does not mean you are legally responsible for the visitor once he or she gets to Canada. You should still write the letter in good faith. You must tell the truth and plan to keep the promises you make in the letter.

Send your letter (notarized, if the visa office asks for that) to the person you are inviting to Canada. The person must then send this letter to the Canadian embassy or consulate outside of Canada when he or she applies for a temporary resident visa.

You must include this information about the person you are inviting:

complete name,

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 he or she will pay for things, and

when the person plans to leave Canada.

You must include this information about yourself:

complete name,

date of birth,

address and telephone number in Canada,

job title,

whether you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,

a photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada, such as a Canadian birth certificate, if you were born in Canada, a Canadian citizenship card, if you are a naturalized citizen, or a copy of your PR card or your IMM 1000 proof of landing, if you are a permanent resident,

details of your family, such as names and dates of birth of your spouse and dependants (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa), and

the total number of people living in your household, including people you sponsored whose sponsorship is still in effect (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa).

For the parent and grandparent super visa only, you must also provide:

a written and signed promise of your financial support for your parents or grandparents for their entire stay in Canada, and

proof that your income meets or is above the low-income cut-off (LICO) for the total number of people, including the visiting parents or grandparents.

This information is only a guide. You must write the letter of invitation yourself. Some visa offices may ask that a notary public notarize your letter.