How to Apply for a Canada Visitor Visa From Bangladesh

Bangladeshi citizens need a visitor visa, also called a temporary resident visa, for tourism, family visits or short business visits to Canada. Airport transit has separate document rules; this guide covers visits, not the transit route. Bangladesh is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries, and it is not one of the countries whose citizens can sometimes use an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead. That is the normal passport-based route for a holiday, a family visit or a short business trip. IRCC lists separate status-based exemptions, including US lawful permanent residents, who do not need a Canadian visa or an eTA.

What surprises many Bangladeshi applicants is where the file actually goes. You apply online, you give biometrics in Bangladesh, but the decision is made by the Canadian visa office in Singapore, which serves Bangladesh. That office publishes its own extra checklist, form IMM 5890, and it asks residents of Bangladesh for something most other offices do not: a completed Family Information Form (IMM 5707).

This guide follows that Singapore checklist line by line, explains the three visa application centres (VACs) IRCC lists in Bangladesh, and shows how fees, biometrics and the passport request fit together. Facts come from IRCC pages and the IMM 5890 checklist dated May 2026, checked on 9 November 2026. Confirm them on the official pages before you pay.

Do Bangladeshi Citizens Need a Visa to Visit Canada?

Yes. IRCC lists Bangladesh among the visa-required countries, so a Bangladeshi passport holder normally needs a valid visitor visa and a valid passport for a visit by air, land or sea. Airport transit has separate rules, so check IRCC's transit instructions for that journey.

IRCC runs a separate list of visa-required countries whose citizens may get an eTA instead of a visa if they meet extra conditions and fly in. Bangladesh is not on that list. If someone tells you a Bangladeshi passport can use an eTA because you hold a US visa or once had a Canadian visa, that rule does not apply to Bangladesh.

Which trips the visitor visa covers

The visitor visa covers tourism, visiting family or friends, and business visitor activities such as meetings, conferences and short training that does not count as work. It is not a work permit or study permit. A visa lets you travel to Canada; the border officer at the airport still decides whether to admit you and for how long.

If you live in Bangladesh but hold another passport

Your route depends on your passport, not where you live. A British or Japanese citizen living in Dhaka, for example, usually needs an eTA rather than a visa when flying to Canada; land and sea arrivals have different document rules. A citizen of another visa-required country living in Bangladesh applies online like a Bangladeshi and can give biometrics at a VAC in Bangladesh. The online form asks for proof of your legal status in Bangladesh, such as a residence permit or work visa.

Which Visa Office Handles Applications From Bangladesh?

IRCC's list of visa offices outside Canada names Singapore as the office for Bangladesh. You never visit it. Your application is submitted online, and an officer at or assigned through that office reviews it. This matters for one practical reason: each visa office can publish its own additional document checklist, and the Singapore checklist is the one you follow.

Keep these roles separate when you talk to people. VAC staff cannot give visa advice and do not decide anything. IRCC asks applicants not to contact the visa office unless the office writes to them first. Questions about your file go through IRCC's web form.

What Does the Singapore Visa Office Checklist IMM 5890 Ask For?

The IMM 5890 checklist for temporary resident visas, version 05-2026, splits documents into those everyone must submit and those that apply to particular situations. It warns that missing documents can lead to refusal or delay and that fraudulent documents bring immediate refusal and a possible five-year ban.

Documents every applicant must submit

The four months come from the Singapore checklist. IRCC's general How to apply page separately recommends a bank statement with "at least 6 months of account details, including balances". The two sources differ, so follow the document checklist the IRCC Portal gives you, and if you can, upload six months to cover both. Make sure every page shows your name and account number.

Documents that depend on your situation

• Visiting friends or family: an invitation letter stating the purpose and length of the visit, proof of your relationship, and a copy of the inviter's Canadian status document.
• Employed: a signed original letter on company letterhead granting leave, with your name, position, salary and date of hire, and the employer's address and phone number.
• Self-employed: business registration showing your shares, a business licence, and financial documents such as a profit and loss statement.
• Business trip or conference: two letters, one from your employer approving the trip and one invitation from the Canadian party you will deal with directly.
• Students: a letter from your school approving your absence and confirming when you must return.
• Diplomatic or official passports: a note verbale, an invitation from your host, and the original passport.

The checklist also mentions domestic helpers travelling with an employer, returning students and workers, and transit visas. If one of those fits you, follow that section exactly.

How Do You Fill In the Family Information Form IMM 5707?

IRCC's IMM 5707 instructions say applicants aged 18 or older complete this form. Section A asks about you, your spouse or partner if applicable, and your parents; Section B asks about all your children; Section C is the declaration. This is not the sibling section found in IMM 5645. Enter the names, birth details, addresses, marital status and occupations the form requests. The Singapore checklist says residents of Bangladesh must submit it fully completed, dated and signed.

• List all your children, including adopted and stepchildren, regardless of age, citizenship or where they live.
• Write the exact current address of each relative, not just the country.
• Use the same spelling of names as in passports and certificates.
• If a parent or other relative has died, say so where the form asks.
• Sign and date the form yourself; a missing signature is a common reason for a request for more information.

Answer consistently with the main application form. If your visitor application names a child in Toronto, IMM 5707 should show that child's current address and occupation consistently.

How Do You Apply for a Canada Visitor Visa From Bangladesh?

IRCC requires most visitors to apply online. Paper is only for people who cannot apply online, for example because of a disability, or who travel on a refugee or stateless travel document.

1. Check your passport. Your passport must be valid, and the visa cannot be issued beyond its expiry date. Renew first if it is close to expiring.
2. Create an IRCC account and answer the questions for a visitor visa. The portal then builds a personal document checklist.
3. Fill in the forms, including the visitor application and IMM 5707.
4. Collect the IMM 5890 documents and scan them in colour, translated into English or French where needed.
5. Upload everything under the right headings. Put extra papers, such as your cover letter, under the client information or optional section.
6. Pay the fees: CAD 100 processing and CAD 85 biometrics per person, or the family amounts.
7. Wait for the biometric instruction letter, upload it in its original IRCC format in AMS and book a free biometrics appointment in Dhaka, Chittagong or Sylhet.
8. Give biometrics within the time the letter allows.
9. Respond to any request for more documents or a medical exam.
10. Submit your passport at a booked in-person VAC appointment only after the individual passport request arrives.
11. Collect your passport with the visa counterfoil, then book your flights.

Illustration created with AI; the person shown is fictional. Landmark reference photo of Ahsan Manzil: Mahbub Hossain Shaheed (mahosha), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How Much Does a Canada Visitor Visa Cost From Bangladesh?

The visitor visa processing fee is CAD 100 per person, with CAD 85 for biometrics where required; eligible family maximums have conditions. IRCC sets these fees in Canadian dollars, and your card issuer converts an online CAD payment.

The family maximums apply only to a principal applicant, a spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children who all apply together. Parents and adult siblings who travel with you are not part of your family group for fee purposes; each pays separately.

Costs that are not government fees

• Conditional VAC package-transmission charges and optional services such as photocopying or SMS updates; appointment booking itself is free.
• Certified translations of Bangla documents.
• A medical exam, only if IRCC asks for one.
• Travel to the VAC from other districts.

VFS lists package transmission at BDT 1,678 per package, tax inclusive, effective 1 November 2026. This is not a universal charge. The government biometrics fee includes one package transmission to IRCC and back to the same VAC. VFS waives the transmission charge if you submit at that VAC and have not previously submitted additional documents or a passport for this application. It is charged if the included transmission has already been used, if you submit at a different VAC, or if you are biometrics-exempt and transmit documents through a VAC. Check the applicable conditions before paying. The government fee is not returned if the visa is refused.

Where Do You Give Biometrics in Bangladesh?

IRCC lists VACs in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. VFS Global's official Bangladesh Canada pages give the addresses and hours below, checked on 9 November 2026. These centres collect biometrics and transmit requested passports; they do not decide visas.

VFS displays those hours for business, passport collection and walk-ins. That does not make biometric enrolment a walk-in service: a prior biometrics appointment is mandatory. Chittagong is the official centre label, and its page does not give a postcode. The map links search the exact published addresses; they are not independently verified map pins. Recheck your centre and appointment confirmation before travelling.

How biometrics work

• Wait for IRCC's biometric instruction letter (BIL), then act within its deadline; IRCC normally gives 30 days.
• Booking the biometrics appointment is free. The separate government biometrics fee may still be payable; do not pay an outside party merely to obtain an appointment.
• For biometric appointments on or after 8 March 2026, VFS requires you to upload the BIL in the original format issued by IRCC when booking through its Appointment Management System (AMS). The notice says the separate passport-submission appointment process remains unchanged.
• Arrive 30 minutes early. Your name and date of birth must match your travel document.
• For an online application, bring the printed BIL, appointment confirmation, VFS consent form and valid passport or travel document with at least two pages blank on both sides; check the current VFS attendance list for other copies.
• Biometrics for temporary-resident applications are generally valid for 10 years. That is not the validity of a visitor visa; check whether you need to give them again.
• Children under 14 and adults over 79 are exempt from visitor-visa biometrics, but still need the appropriate travel documents.

How Do You Prove Funds and Ties to Bangladesh?

Show funds with bank history and documents explaining income or support, and show return ties with relevant job, business, study or family evidence. The Singapore checklist asks for four months of statements, but statements alone rarely tell the whole story.

Explain the money

Large deposits just before applying raise questions. If you sold land, received a gift or moved savings from fixed deposits, add the deed, gift letter or encashment certificate. A short cover letter that walks through the sources is more useful than another stack of paper.

Ties that matter

Strong ties include a job you will return to, a business, property, family members who stay in Bangladesh, and studies to finish. Previous travel to countries such as the UK, the Schengen area, Singapore or Malaysia, with returns on time, also helps. Keep copies of old visas and entry stamps in your upload.

What Should an Invitation Letter From Canada Include?

If you are visiting relatives or friends, the Singapore checklist asks for an invitation letter with supporting documents, proof of your relationship and a copy of the host's Canadian status document. The letter should be signed and dated and include:

• The host's full name, address in Canada, phone number and email.
• Their status in Canada (citizen, permanent resident, student or worker), with a copy of the document; for a PR card, copy both sides.
• How they know you, with proof such as birth certificates showing a shared parent.
• The purpose of the visit, such as a wedding, a graduation or a new baby.
• Your planned dates and where you will stay.
• Who pays for flights, accommodation and daily costs.
• A statement that you plan to return to Bangladesh.

If your host is paying, add their bank letter and employment evidence. The checklist asks that a sponsor's documents be dated within three months of your application.

How Do Children and Families Apply Together?

Each traveller, including a baby, needs their own passport and their own application. Families can apply together in the IRCC Portal so that the files are linked and the family fee caps can apply.

• Include birth certificates for each child showing both parents.
• If a child travels with only one parent, add a consent letter from the other parent and a copy of their ID.
• Add school leave letters for school-age children.
• Children under 14 do not give biometrics for a visitor visa.

For grandparents planning long visits with children who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, the super visa may suit better. It has different rules, including private medical insurance and a minimum income for the child or grandchild. For an ordinary visitor trip staying with family, our guide to matching a family invitation with proposed arrival and return dates addresses the hosting calendar, not super visa eligibility.

What Should Business and Conference Visitors From Bangladesh Submit?

The Singapore checklist treats business trips and conferences as separate situations, and both need two letters. The first is a signed original letter on company letterhead from your employer approving the trip, with the purpose, your name, position, salary and date of hire, and who pays for the trip. The second is an invitation from the Canadian side.

• For a business trip, the invitation must come from the company you will deal with directly, not from a third party that only arranges meetings.
• For a conference, the invitation comes from the organiser inviting you, and a registration confirmation helps.
• Garment, leather and IT exporters should add recent export records or contracts with the Canadian buyer.
• Business owners should add the trade licence and company bank statements as well as personal statements.

Business visitors cannot do work that enters the Canadian labour market. Meetings, negotiations, trade shows and after-sales training of a short kind fit; hands-on paid work for a Canadian company does not.

What Are the Translation and Scanning Rules?

Any document not in English or French needs a certified translation, and the checklist says this directly. In Bangladesh this usually means birth registration certificates, nikah nama marriage certificates, land records and some bank or trade licence papers written in Bangla.

• Upload the original-language document and the translation together.
• Use a translator who certifies the translation; an affidavit may be needed if the translator is not certified.
• Scan in colour at a readable resolution, one document per file where possible.
• Name files clearly, for example "Birth certificate Rahim Uddin.pdf".
• Do not upload password-protected PDFs.

When Do You Submit Your Passport to the VAC?

Not at the start. Wait for an IRCC passport request (PPR) issued specifically for each person, including every family member. VFS requires an appointment for in-person passport submission at all Bangladesh VACs, a rule in force since 25 March 2024. Bring the PPR, one VFS consent form per application and any other documents requested in that letter. A passport request is not a substitute for checking the final decision and returned document.

On 9 November 2026 the current VFS banner says courier passport submissions are temporarily unavailable and applicants must book an appointment for in-person submission. Older courier instructions remain below that banner; do not treat them as confirmation that courier submission is currently available. Check the live notice before choosing a submission method.

• Do not travel abroad while your passport is with the VAC, so plan around it.
• Keep the receipt the VAC gives you.
• When the passport comes back, check the name, date of birth, passport number and visa expiry on the counterfoil.
• The visa expiry is the last day you can enter Canada, not how long you can stay.

How Long Does Processing Take and How Do You Track It?

Use IRCC's current visitor-visa processing estimate for applications from Bangladesh; published times change and are not a fixed decision date. Check IRCC's processing times tool on the day you apply rather than relying on a figure from a forum. Biometrics are part of the process, so give them promptly after the instruction letter arrives.

• Track your file in your IRCC account.
• If you are asked for more documents, respond before the deadline.
• Use IRCC's web form for questions; do not email the visa office directly.
• Do not buy non-changeable flights until you hold the visa.

Do You Need a Flight Reservation for a Canada Visa From Bangladesh?

The Singapore checklist asks for details of your itinerary in Canada, such as provisional airline and hotel bookings. You do not need a paid fare. A flight reservation with a real PNR shows your planned route, for example Dhaka to Toronto via the Gulf, with dates that match your leave letter and invitation.

• A flat $15 per person for a flight reservation, and $15 per person for a hotel reservation.
• A real PNR on the flight reservation that you can check on the airline's site; hotel references are separate.
• Validity of 48-72 hours, so get it close to the day you submit.
• Free flight date changes on the booking day only; later flight changes require a new $15 reservation.

A BookForVisa flight reservation can be issued while you are at an embassy or visa centre. It supports a visa application or onward-travel proof at immigration; it is not a paid ticket and is not for flying. A BookForVisa hotel reservation supports accommodation evidence in a visa file, not an actual hotel stay.

For an overnight connection, our guide to using the correct local arrival and return dates explains the calendar check before you match the itinerary to your invitation. If you are offered a dummy ticket elsewhere, check it is a verifiable reservation in your name.

What Mistakes Do Bangladeshi Applicants Often Make?

Check for missing IMM 5707, insufficient bank history, unsupported deposits and conflicting dates before submitting. Compare the complete file with the Singapore checklist and your personal IRCC document list.

• Leaving out IMM 5707. Residents of Bangladesh must include it.
• Only three months of statements when the Singapore checklist asks for four.
• Missing birth certificates, or certificates without translation.
• Unexplained large deposits shortly before applying.
• A leave letter without salary or date of hire, which the checklist requires.
• Sponsor documents older than three months.
• Sending the passport early before IRCC asks.
• Assuming a US visa allows an eTA. That option does not cover Bangladeshi passports.
• Dates that do not match across the form, leave letter, invitation and reservation.
• Booking non-changeable flights before the decision.

What Happens When You Arrive in Canada?

A visa lets you travel to Canada, but a border services officer decides at the airport whether to admit you and for how long. Visitors are usually allowed to stay up to six months, though the officer can set a shorter period and may write the date in your passport or on a visitor record.

• Carry copies of your invitation letter, reservation details, funds evidence and return plans in your hand luggage.
• Answer questions about your trip simply and consistently with your application.
• Check the stamp or visitor record for the date you must leave.
• If you want to stay longer, apply to extend from inside Canada before your status ends.

With a multiple-entry visa you can return during its validity, but each entry is a fresh decision at the border. Keep your ties to Bangladesh strong between trips and travel for the purpose you declared.

What Does a Realistic Planning Timeline Look Like?

Collect identity, funds and host evidence before applying, then follow IRCC letters for biometrics and passport submission. The preparation sequence below is a planning aid, not an IRCC processing-time estimate.

Processing times move with demand, so start early in busy periods such as summer holidays and Eid travel.

Illustration created with AI; the people shown are fictional. Landmark reference photo of Peggy's Cove: Taxiarchos228, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

What If Your Canada Visa Is Refused?

A refusal letter lists the reasons, often that the officer was not satisfied you would leave Canada, or that your funds or purpose were unclear. You can apply again at any time with a stronger file; there is no fixed waiting period for a new visitor application.

• Address each reason directly with new evidence, not the same documents.
• If you want the officer's notes, you can request them through an access to information request.
• Declare the earlier refusal honestly on the new form.
• Before a fresh submission, use our travel-proof consistency audit for the revised file to find contradictory dates or old PDFs; this does not replace addressing the refusal reasons.

What Is the Final Checklist for a Canada Visa From Bangladesh?

Check your passport, personal IRCC checklist, IMM 5890 evidence and IMM 5707, then confirm fees and the instructions for your current stage. Biometrics and passport submission follow the individual IRCC letters, not a fixed preparation date.

1. Passport valid well beyond your trip.
2. IRCC Portal account and completed visitor application.
3. IMM 5707 Family Information Form, completed, dated and signed.
4. Birth certificate and marriage certificate, with translations.
5. Bank statements for the past four months, plus income evidence.
6. Leave letter with salary and date of hire, or business documents.
7. Invitation letter, relationship proof and host status copy, if visiting someone.
8. Sponsor letter, ID and bank certificate dated within three months, if someone else pays.
9. Flight and hotel reservation for your planned dates.
10. Fees paid: CAD 100 plus CAD 85 per person, or the family caps.
11. Biometrics at a VAC within 30 days of the letter.
12. Individual PPR received; in-person passport-submission appointment booked; current courier banner checked.

Header image: illustration created with AI; the people shown are fictional. Landmark reference photo of Moraine Lake: Tobias Alt (Tobi 87), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Frequently Asked Questions

Friendly reminder: BookForVisa prepares flight and hotel reservations to support visa applications and onward-travel proof. Requirements vary by destination, consulate, visa category and applicant situation. A reservation supports your file; it is not a paid ticket for travel and does not guarantee visa approval or entry.