What is it and when is it requested?
When you apply for a visa to visit Canada, IRCC will in some cases ask you for a letter of invitation written by someone in Canada. Its role is to help confirm that the purpose of your visit is genuine and that someone there is expecting you.
The process is simple: the person inviting you writes the letter and sends it to you. You must then include it with your visitor visa application (Temporary Resident Visa or TRV), along with the rest of your supporting documents.
A letter of invitation does NOT guarantee the visa
This is the most important point, and the one that causes the most confusion. The letter is a supporting document, not an approval. Visa officers assess your whole case to decide whether you meet the terms of Canada's immigration law. A well-written letter helps, but it does not replace ties to your home country or proof of financial means.
Who writes the letter and what does it imply?
It is written by the person inviting you from Canada — a relative, a friend or a contact. Writing the letter does NOT make that person legally responsible for the visitor once they enter Canada.
Even so, the letter must be written in good faith: whoever signs it must tell the truth and genuinely intend to keep the promises made in it (for example, the accommodation being offered).
📋 Key Facts
- Who writes it: The person inviting you, from Canada
- What it is for: Helps confirm the purpose of your visit
- Guarantees the visa? No. The visa officer decides
- Legal responsibility? It creates no legal responsibility
- Where it goes: Included with the TRV application
- Requirement: Written in good faith and truthfully
✈️Information about the person being invited
The letter should include the following information about the person travelling to Canada:
- Complete name
- Date of birth
- Address and telephone number
- The relationship between the traveller and the person inviting them
- 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
🏠Information about the person writing the letter
The person inviting must include their own details:
- Complete name
- Date of birth
- Address and telephone number in Canada
- Job title
- Whether they are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
- Details of their family, such as names and dates of birth of their spouse and dependants
Proof of status in Canada
They must also attach a photocopy of a document proving their status in Canada, such as:
- A Canadian birth certificate, if they were born in Canada
- A Canadian citizenship card, if they are a naturalized citizen
- A copy of their PR card or their IMM 1000 proof of landing, if they are a permanent resident
- A Secure Certificate of Indian Status or Certificate of Indian Status (status card)
Letter of invitation — model
Canada processes applications in its official languages, so the letter you send must be in English or French. Pick the language, replace the bracketed text and you are done. The fields follow the order IRCC asks for them.
[CITY, PROVINCE], [DATE] To Whom It May Concern, Subject: Letter of Invitation for my [RELATIONSHIP], [FULL NAME OF INVITEE] I am writing to formally invite my [RELATIONSHIP], [FULL NAME OF INVITEE], to visit me in Canada. 1. Information about the person I am inviting • Complete name: [FULL NAME] • Date of birth: [DD/MM/YYYY] • Address and telephone number: [FULL ADDRESS, CITY, ECUADOR] · [+593 ...] • My relationship to the person: [brother / mother / friend / ...] • Purpose of the trip: [SPECIFIC PURPOSE] • How long they plan to stay in Canada: [N] days • Where they will stay: at my home address, given in section 2. • How they will pay for things: [DETAIL — e.g. "I will cover accommodation and meals; the invitee covers airfare and personal expenses"] • When they plan to leave Canada: [DD/MM/YYYY] 2. Information about myself (the person inviting) • Complete name: [FULL NAME] • Date of birth: [DD/MM/YYYY] • Address and telephone number in Canada: [ADDRESS, CITY, PROVINCE, POSTAL CODE] · [+1 ...] • Job title: [JOB TITLE] • Status in Canada: [Canadian citizen / permanent resident] • Details of my family: [NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH OF SPOUSE; NAMES AND DATES OF BIRTH OF DEPENDANTS] 3. Undertaking I am writing this letter in good faith. The information in it is true and I intend to keep the promises I make in it. [NAME OF INVITEE] will respect Canadian immigration laws and will leave Canada on or before [DEPARTURE DATE] to return to Ecuador and resume their activities as [INVITEE’S OCCUPATION] at [EMPLOYER OR INSTITUTION]. 4. Document proving my status in Canada (enclosed) Enclosed is a photocopy of [CHOOSE THE ONE THAT APPLIES]: • A Canadian birth certificate, if I was born in Canada • A Canadian citizenship card, if I am a naturalized citizen • A copy of my PR card or my IMM 1000 proof of landing, if I am a permanent resident • A Secure Certificate of Indian Status or Certificate of Indian Status 5. Super visa only (parents or grandparents) Include this section only if you are inviting your parent or grandparent on a super visa: • I promise to provide financial support to [NAME] for the duration of their visit. • People included in the family size calculation: [LIST OF NAMES] — total: [N]. Thank you for considering this application. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information. Sincerely, ______________________________ [FULL NAME] [TELEPHONE] · [EMAIL]
Need help with the rest of the process?
Contact us✍️ Why there is no official form
IRCC does not publish a template: it requires content, not format, and states plainly that the letter must be written by the person inviting, in their own words. That is why the model above organises the information IRCC asks for rather than imitating a form. Adapt it to your case; writing it in good faith and telling the truth is part of what IRCC asks.
And a point almost nobody mentions: writing the letter does not make you legally responsible for the visitor once they enter Canada.
💡 Important Tips
- •The letter isn't required in every case. IRCC asks for it in some cases, and it helps most when the purpose of the trip is visiting family or friends.
- •Be specific with dates. A letter saying "they will come for a few weeks" is weaker than one stating concrete entry and exit dates that match your itinerary.
- •Make clear who pays for what. If the host covers accommodation, say so; if you cover your own expenses, the letter should reflect that and your bank statements should back it up.
- •The letter must be consistent with the rest of your application. If the letter says you're staying 3 weeks but your itinerary shows 3 months, that contradiction works against you.
- •Don't embellish or exaggerate. The letter is written in good faith and truthfully — a promise there's no intention of keeping can hurt both the visitor and the host.
- •If the trip is for business, IRCC has a separate guide for business visitor letters of invitation.
Official Sources
- IRCC — Letter of invitation for visitors to Canada (Government of Canada)
- IRCC — Letter of invitation for business visitors
- IRCC — Apply for a visitor visa
Information verified July 2026. Requirements may change. Always check official sources before applying.
Need help with your Canadian visa?
At The Clubbe we are experts in Canadian visa applications. We review your letter of invitation to make sure it has everything IRCC expects, complete the forms, organize your documents and guide you step by step until your visa is approved.