If you want to help a family member or friend visit Canada, you may need to provide a letter of invitation. The Canadian consulate usually requests this document to prove that the person you are inviting has a reason to come to Canada. Here are some tips on how to write a letter of invitation that may help your loved one with their visa application.
Send your letter (notarized, if the visa office asks for that) to the person you invited to Canada. The person must then send this letter to the Canadian embassy or consulate outside of Canada to apply 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 they will pay for things, and
when the person intends 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
If you are a permanent resident, you should include a copy of your PR card or IMM 1000 proof of landing, if applicable.
Information about your loved ones, such as names and birth dates of your spouse and dependents (this is mandatory for the parent and grandparent super visa), and
The number of individuals who are part of your household, including those you sponsored and 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.
The letter of invitation helps your family and friends' temporary resident visa application. This letter of invitation is proof that the person being invited has a reason to come into the country, and it isn't just an arbitrary visit. Writing the letter does not mean you are legally responsible for the visitor once they get to Canada. Regardless, you should still write the letter in good faith be honest and make arrangements to keep the promises you make in the letter.