Applying for a visa for a posting to Canada

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The following guidelines are for foreign representatives and officials who are nominated for a bilateral or multilateral posting, on behalf of whom the mission or organization will be seeking accreditation documents. The Immigration Liaison Unit is the point of contact on this page.

For the purposes of these guidelines:

Overview

In preparation for your posting to Canada, you and your accompanying family members are asked to apply for diplomatic or official entry visas. These visas are issued by IRCC and remain the best and only official indication to Canada Border Services Agency officers that the passport holder is seeking to enter Canada to take up a posting with the Government of Canada’s prior knowledge; and that the passport holder may also be entitled to applicable privileges and immunities. These visas also help to minimize the risks of incidents at ports of entry.

Please review the following instructions and information carefully to prevent avoidable visa processing delays. Links have been provided to the applicable policies and procedures.

To learn about who may accompany you on posting and the requirements for your family members, please refer to the Family members, definitions and related notifications web page.

Apply for your visa well in advance of your planned departure date and do not make final travel arrangements (example, purchasing flight tickets) until your application has been approved and you have received your visa affixed into your passport.

Step one: Gather required supporting documents

The following documents must accompany the visa application. Note that foreign language documents must be accompanied by a courtesy translation into English or French.

All applicants

  • A diplomatic note or international organization letter of support - Follow the Diplomatic Note Instructions and Template under Annex C.
  • Passport - Copy of the biographical page of the passport or laissez-passer for each traveller; if the biographical page does not specify the type of passport (for example, diplomatic, official service), include a copy of the passport cover page.

If applicable

  • For persons with prior military and/or police service: provide a completed details of military service table and/or details of police service table, even if you are not taking up functions as a defence/military attaché or as a policy liaison attaché.
  • For minor children travelling with only one parent: provide a consent letter signed by the non-travelling parent along with a copy of a signed identification document for that parent.
  • For accompanying children aged 19 to 25, for whom the sending state or international organization is seeking accreditation: provide proof of full-time studies in a Canadian designated learning institution or other school if studying outside Canada; IRCC may in certain circumstances seek proof of full-time studies for accompanying children under 19.
  • For parents or parents-in-laws of the foreign representative, for whom the ministry of foreign affairs is seeking accreditation: provide the approval note issued by the Office of Protocol*.
  • For persons occupying a new mission position or a position that has been vacant for five years or more: provide a copy of the approval note issued by the Office of Protocol of Canada (for bilateral postings only)*.

*A service request for the approval of staff increases or for the approval of accreditation of parents and parents-in-law must be made before a visa application is submitted as per the instructions found in Accreditation services guidelines and Family members, definitions and related notifications. Visa applications received before the Office of Protocol’s approval is granted will not be processed.

Additional requirements for certain categories

If you are seeking accreditation under one of the following designations, please provide the relevant additional requirements (follow links for additional details):

Step two: Prepare and submit your visa application(s)

Key information

  • A separate application is required for each accompanying family member.
  • It is important that you provide a personal email address and a direct telephone number where you can be reached, especially if a third party has assisted with the preparation of your application forms.
  • Diplomatic and official visas are exempt from application processing fees normally levied by IRCC and from the requirement to provide biometrics.
  • If information is missing from your application, you will be contacted by email or through your IRCC account; please monitor these accounts and respond promptly to any requests; applications that remain incomplete are not processed and may be closed (administratively withdrawn)
  • Disclosure of personal information is administered in accordance with Canada’s Privacy Act.
  • For technical assistance, please email IOBRROCDIPLO-DGOICORRDIPLO.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

Determine how you need to apply

Review the list of visa-required countries under Travellers who need a visa and determine if the instructions under Annex A or Annex B apply to you and your accompanying family members.

The following are 2 options available to determine how you need to apply:

  1. Submit a temporary resident visa application online

If you hold a passport from a country listed under Travellers who need a visa, follow the detailed instructions at Annex A: Submit a temporary resident visa application online.

  1. Download and submit an application by email

If your passport is from a country not listed under Travellers who need a visa, or if you hold a laissez-passer issued by an international organization, follow the detailed instructions at Annex B: Download and submit an application by email.

Step three: Submit passport(s) for visa issuance

  • IRCC will notify you when visas are approved for you and any accompanying family members:
    • If you applied online, the notification will usually be through your IRCC account.
    • If you sent your application by email, you will be notified via the email address on your application.
  • Follow the instructions provided in the approval notification on how and where to submit your passport(s) for visa issuance. Please note:
    • You may be required to submit your passport(s) to a Canada Visa Application Centre (VAC), a third-party service provider contracted by the Government of Canada to send passports securely to and from the relevant Canadian mission abroad; VACs charge a mandatory service fee for passport transmission, as well as for return courier delivery to you if you choose this additional service; these fees cannot be reimbursed by IRCC.
    • Individuals submitting passports on your behalf should be in possession of a signed Use of a Representative Form authorizing them to act on your behalf.
  • Once you receive your visa(s), verify the expiration date and plan travel accordingly:
    • Diplomatic and official visas are issued with a limited validity period; however, while valid, these visas will allow for multiple entries into Canada.
    • A new visa application will be required if you do not travel to Canada within the validity of your visa; visas cannot be extended.

Related content:

Annex A: Submit a temporary resident visa online

Instructions for applicants holding a passport from a country listed as visa-required under Travellers who need a visa

  1. Register online to receive an invite code to create an IRCC portal account.
  2. You will receive an email with instructions to create an IRCC portal account.
  3. Create and sign-in to your IRCC portal account.
  4. Click on the link to “apply to visit, study or work in Canada as a temporary resident.”
  5. Create your personalized application by answering the questions as prompted, taking note of the following responses:
  • when prompted to indicate reason for travel
    • enter “I want to apply for a visitor visa,” and
    • enter “I need a visa to take up a diplomatic posting in Canada”
  • when prompted to indicate more about what you will do in Canada
    • enter “Accreditation”
  • when prompted to indicate if you are a lawful permanent resident of the United States
    • enter “no” (Answer no even if you are a green card holder of the U.S.)
  • when prompted to indicate if you have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years
    • enter “no” (Answer no even if you have previously held a visa.)
  • when prompted to indicate if you hold a valid US non-immigrant visa
    • enter “no” (Answer no even if you have previously held a visa.)
  • when prompted to indicate your national identity document number
    • enter “XXXXX”
  • when prompted to provide information regarding your education
    • enter “no”
  • if prompted to provide financial information
    • enter $0.00
  1. Ensure that the personal history section includes details for the past 10 years without gaps, listing all periods of employment and unemployment; if the employment and education information provided is insufficiently detailed, IRCC may contact you to provide Details of Government Employment (IMM 0149) or curriculum vitae.
  2. Upload all required supporting documentation indicated in Step one.
  3. If you are prompted to provide proof of payment of fees, or proof of your exemption for the requirement to pay fees, upload your diplomatic note or letter of support.
  4. Submit the application and repeat for each accompanying family member.
  5. Send an email notification to the relevant IRCC office indicating that your applications have been submitted and provide the application file numbers (V plus 9 digits) for all applications. Note that defence or military attachés have additional documents to attach to the notification email and should also copy xdc-accreditation@international.gc.ca as per Appointing a defence and/or military attaché. 

Email addresses of IRCC visa processing offices for postings:

Annex B: Download and submit an application by email

Instructions for applicants holding either a passport from a country not listed as visa-required under Travellers who need a visa, or a laissez-passer (UN or EU)

  1. Download the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Form (IMM 5257).
  • Complete a separate application form for each family member.
  • Ensure that the personal history section includes details for the past 10 years without gaps, listing all periods of employment and unemployment; if the employment and education information provided is not sufficiently detailed, IRCC may contact you to provide Details of Government Employment (IMM 0149) or curriculum vitae (CV).
  • You are not required to provide the following information when filling the forms:
    • Information regarding a previous marriage or previous common-law relationship
    • Information regarding language
    • Information regarding National Identity Documents
    • Information regarding U.S. lawful permanent residence or green cards
    • Questions regarding your financial situation ($0.00 may be inputted into the relevant field)
  • Sign the form and save it without validating.
  1. Download the Family Information Form (IMM5707).
  • Complete a separate Family Information form for each family member aged 18 years and over.
  1. Email the completed application package to the relevant IRCC office including:

Attachments should not exceed 2 MB. The preferred format is PDF, JPEG, TIFF, DOC, or DOCX.

Email addresses of IRCC visa processing offices for postings:

Note that defence or military attachés should also copy xdc-accreditation@international.gc.ca as per Appointing a defence and/or military attaché.

If you do not receive an email autoreply after sending your application, please send a follow-up email to confirm that your application has been received.

Annex C: Diplomatic note instructions and template

For postings to bilateral missions: Your diplomatic note (note verbale) must be issued by your ministry of foreign affairs (not the mission in Canada or abroad).

For postings to a permanent mission to the ICAO in Montréal: Include the official letter of support from ICAO; IRCC may also require a diplomatic note (note verbale) issued by your ministry of foreign affairs under certain circumstances.

For postings to an international organization (example, international civil servants, NATO international staff), include an official letter of support from your organization.

Required information

  1. Your legal name, date of birth, position title, office and location of your assignment, anticipated posting duration, and tentative travel date
  1. Your predecessor’s name and anticipated departure
  • Canada will normally allow an overlap of no more than 10 days between you and your predecessor, except for heads of mission and heads of consular post.
  • Office of Protocol of Canada approval for a new position is required if you are being posted to a high commission, an embassy, or a consulate general and you have no predecessor, or if the position has been vacant for more than 5 years.

Related content: End of functions and departure notifications, and the attestation of IDs destruction

  1. The legal names, dates of birth and passport details of your accompanying family members for whom your mission is seeking accreditation and applicable privileges and immunities
  2. The legal names, dates of birth and passport details of any members of the family who are already in Canada for whom your mission will be seeking accreditation documentation and applicable privileges and immunities
  3. For individuals who hold regular passports, a statement from acknowledging that such persons, once accredited, will enjoy the applicable privileges and immunities under the VCDR or VCCR or other applicable treaty, and that the foreign ministry assumes all related responsibilities for such privileges and immunities (applicable to bilateral missions and representatives of State Members to the ICAO | not applicable to international civil servants)
  4. A courtesy translation if the diplomatic note is not in English or French

If required information is missing, IRCC may request a new diplomatic note. If a properly completed diplomatic note is not received, the application may be closed (administratively withdrawn) without being processed.

Template

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of [Country]

Protocol and Assignments Division

[City], [Country]

No. 2024/ABC/123

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of [Country] presents its compliments to the Embassy of Canada in [Country] and has the honour to request a diplomatic visa for Ali RIVER to take up a posting in Canada and accompanied by the below listed dependents. Ali River is designated as Second Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of the [Country] in Ottawa for a period of 4 years and is tentatively travelling on September 1, 2027. Ali River will succeed Justin Case, Second Secretary (Political), who is scheduled to depart Canada on September 5, 2024.

Details of the representative and dependents:

  • RIVER, Ali (DOB 1965/01/01), Passport D12345 (diplomatic)
  • Spouse: STREAM, Carey A. (DOB 1965/01/01), Passport O12345 (official)
  • Dependent Child 1: RIVER-STREAM, Jett (DOB), Passport O12346 (official)
  • Dependent Child 2: RIVER-STREAM, Ryder (DOB), Passport P12345 (regular)
  • Dependent Child 3: RIVER-STREAM, Rain (DOB), Passport P12346 (regular)

The Ministry advises that Rain River-Stream already holds a valid study permit to Canada, which he independently obtained. As Ryder River-Stream and Rain River-Stream are travelling on regular passports, the Ministry accepts that once accredited, they will enjoy the privileges and immunities normally applicable to “members of the family forming part of the household” under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Ministry also assumes the related responsibilities for such privileges and immunities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of [Country] avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of Canada [Country] the assurances of its highest consideration.

City, [Month], [Day], [Year]

Official seal