My Experience with the Canada Visitor Visa

I am a non-immigrant residing in the US (originally from India). If your situation differs, please research accordingly.

Application Process:I applied for a Canada visitor visa for myself and my husband through the IRCC website. You can access the application portal https://ircc.canada.ca/visit-visiter/en/get-account-ircc-portal. For the 10-year employment history requirement, ensure there are no gaps. If you were unemployed at any time in the last 10 years, even for just 1 or 2 days, you must specify this.

Biometrics:Biometric in the US is undertaken at VFS office (LA and NY) and USCIS application center. So I booked a biometric appointment at the USCIS application center, which was closest to me. Link: https://my.uscis.gov/appointmentscheduler-appointment/ca/en/office-search. However, the appointment was scheduled for 4 weeks later, which was too late for my needs. I opted to go in earlier than my appointment date and was able to complete the biometrics without any issues.

Passport Submission:I followed this Reddit post for guidance (https://www.reddit.com/r/ImmigrationCanada/s/Y89ALffMmr). But I needed to send two passports in one package, I learned from other sources that it's acceptable to do so. However, you need a prepaid return envelope or use VFS’s optional “One Way Courier Service.” I added an additional money order of $36.30 along with the other documents for this service. Make sure to place each application in a separate envelope within the package.

Timeline * 9th May: Submitted my application * 31st May: Completed biometric appointment * 10th June: Received request for passport submission * 10th June: Sent passport to VFS LA * 13th June: VFS confirmed receipt and dispatched to IRCC * 18th June: IRCC sent the passport to VFS * 19th June: VFS couriered the passport back * 20th June: Received my passport