Canada Visa and Immigration Guide for Applicants in India

November 15, 2026

Team of Boldvoices · 15 November 2026

If you are applying from India, start with the purpose of your stay. Visiting, studying, working and applying for permanent residence each have their own eligibility checks and application steps.

Jump to your route

Study · Work · Official job openings · Visit · Join family · Settle

What’s new

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan. It sets planning targets for new international students and temporary workers and for permanent resident admissions. Check the rules for your own program and, for Express Entry, the instructions for the relevant invitation round.

Study in Canada

Start with a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution. Check whether your situation requires a provincial or territorial attestation letter and, for Quebec, review the separate Quebec requirements. Prepare financial evidence for tuition, living costs and transportation using IRCC’s current proof-of-funds instructions.

If working after graduation is part of your plan, check the post-graduation work permit rules for the specific school and program before committing to tuition. Language or field-of-study requirements may apply depending on your route.

Official job openings by industry

Verified total of open vacancies that support a work visa, by industry: No official total verified as of 15 November 2026. Where a portal displays a filtered count, use it as a count of results for that search and check individual adverts for overseas eligibility and visa support.

Job Bank lets applicants outside Canada look for employers recruiting internationally and shows results by occupation. Its Temporary Foreign Workers search also distinguishes postings with a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requested from postings marked Approved LMIA. Use the occupation filter and check both the posting’s applicant instructions and its LMIA status. A posting can advertise multiple positions.

Before counting an opening, check that the advert is active, accepts applications from overseas, and supports the specific work-visa route or provides the job offer needed for it. Count one advert once and record the number of positions separately if the employer publishes it.

Work in Canada

For an employer-specific permit, check the employer’s paperwork before applying. Depending on the route, this may include a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an offer-of-employment number for an LMIA-exempt role. The permit can set conditions about your employer, occupation and work location. Open work permits are available in specific situations, so check your eligibility separately.

Visit Canada

Use IRCC’s entry-requirements checker for your passport and purpose of travel. Visitor visa applicants should be prepared to show why they are travelling, how they will pay for the visit, and what ties support their plans to leave when their stay ends. Use the visitor instructions for the documents relevant to your circumstances.

Join family

For permanent family sponsorship, check both the sponsor’s eligibility and whether the person being sponsored qualifies as a spouse, partner or dependent child. If family members plan to accompany a student or worker temporarily, check the entry, study or work requirements for each person.

Settle in Canada

Express Entry manages applications for three federal skilled immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Compare program requirements before creating a profile. If you enter the pool, use the official rounds page to check the invitation type, date and published cutoff.

Provincial nomination is another route to explore. Review the province’s stream rules and confirm whether the stream runs through Express Entry or through its own federal application process.

How to apply from India

Identify your route and follow the corresponding IRCC instructions for applicants outside Canada.
Gather the documents on the applicable checklist. Check whether your case requires a medical exam or additional evidence.
Submit through the channel IRCC specifies. If IRCC requests biometrics, use the instruction letter to book with an official collection site.
Track messages and requests in your application account or through IRCC’s status instructions.

Fees and processing

Standard federal application fees checked on 15 November 2026 include CAD 100 per visitor visa applicant, CAD 150 per study permit applicant and CAD 155 per work permit applicant. An open work permit generally adds a CAD 100 holder fee. Individual biometrics cost CAD 85 when required. Check the current fee list for exemptions, family pricing and fees for other routes.

Use IRCC’s live processing-time checker for the route and country you’re applying from. Check again before making plans that depend on the decision date.

Common questions

Does a new immigration target change my pending application? Review the specific program announcement for an effective date and any instructions covering applications already submitted.

Does a work permit lead to permanent residence? Compare your profile against the eligibility and selection rules for the permanent residence program you are considering.