Canada Visitor Visa for Nigerians (2026): Fees & Process

Quick Answer

Nigerian passport holders need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) — the visitor visa — to enter Canada. You apply online through IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), pay CAD 100 for the visa plus CAD 85 for biometrics (about USD 135 combined, roughly NGN 205,000 at mid-2026 rates), then give fingerprints and a photo at a VFS Global centre in Lagos or Abuja. Processing times from Nigeria are volatile — often several weeks to a few months — so check IRCC's live processing tool and never book non-refundable travel before approval. The two make-or-break factors are proof of funds and evidence of ties to Nigeria. Start with the Nigeria to Canada visa page and IRCC's official guidance.

Related on VisitPlane: Canada visa cost from Nigeria — fees & hidden charges · Canada visa processing time from Nigeria · Cheapest visas from a Nigerian passport

What the TRV Is — and Isn't

The TRV is Canada's standard visitor visa for tourism, family visits and short business trips. It's usually issued as a multiple-entry visa valid up to the life of your passport (or ten years), and each entry typically allows a stay of up to six months, at the border officer's discretion. It is not a work permit, not a study permit, and holding one doesn't guarantee entry — the officer at the port of entry always has the final say.

One myth to retire early: there is no "easier" paper route. Nigerian applicants apply online via the IRCC secure account, and everything — forms, uploads, payment — happens there. VFS Global's role in Nigeria is limited to biometrics collection and passport handling; VFS does not decide applications and paying any third party "for approval" changes nothing except your bank balance.

Key takeaway: The Canada visitor visa is decided on two questions — can you fund this trip, and will you leave when it ends? Every document in your file should answer one of those two questions.

Step by Step: How Nigerians Apply in 2026

1. Check you're applying for the right thing. Tourism or family visit → TRV. A course of study over six months → study permit. Parents/grandparents of PRs or citizens visiting long-term → consider the Super Visa. This guide covers the TRV.
2. Create an IRCC account on canada.ca and complete the questionnaire — it generates your personalised document checklist.
3. Complete the forms and upload documents (details below). Consistency matters more than volume.
4. Pay the fees: CAD 100 visa + CAD 85 biometrics per person (a family applying together pays a maximum of CAD 170 for biometrics).
5. Book and attend biometrics at VFS Global in Lagos or Abuja within 30 days of the instruction letter. Slots can be scarce in peak season — book immediately.
6. Wait for processing, watching your IRCC account for any additional-document requests. Respond fast and completely.
7. If approved, you'll submit your passport (via VFS) for the visa to be inserted, then collect it or receive it by courier.

Documents and Proof of Funds

IRCC's checklist is personalised, but strong Nigerian applications almost always include:

• International passport valid well beyond the trip.
• Bank statements — typically the last 4–6 months. Officers look for a stable history that plausibly covers flights, accommodation and daily costs without draining your life savings. There's no published magic number; a sensible benchmark is comfortably more than the real cost of your itinerary. Sudden large deposits with no explanation are a classic red flag — if money genuinely arrived (asset sale, business payment), document the source.
• Employment evidence — an employment letter stating role, salary and approved leave; or CAC registration, business bank statements and tax records for the self-employed.
• Ties to Nigeria — this is the heart of the file: an ongoing job or business, family who remain behind, property documents, school enrolment for children not travelling. Anything that makes your return the obvious outcome.
• Trip details — a simple itinerary and accommodation plan. If visiting family, an invitation letter plus your host's Canadian status document (PR card, citizenship, work/study permit) and, ideally, their proof of income.
• Travel history — old visas and entry stamps. A record of visiting other countries and returning home is one of the strongest signals you can offer.

Prepare your file with our document checklist — and make every claim verifiable.

Fees: The Real Cost from Nigeria

| Item | Fee (official, mid-2026) | Approx. naira | | --- | --- | --- | | Visitor visa (TRV) | CAD 100 | ~NGN 110,000 | | Biometrics (per person) | CAD 85 | ~NGN 95,000 | | Biometrics (family cap, 2+) | CAD 170 max | ~NGN 190,000 |

Naira figures use mid-2026 exchange rates and will move — budget with a margin, and add VFS passport-transmission or courier charges, photos, and any document costs. IRCC fees are processing fees: they are not refunded if you're refused. For a full breakdown of the extras, see our Canada visa cost from Nigeria guide.

Processing Time: The Honest Version

We won't quote you a false number. TRV processing for applications from Nigeria has ranged from a few weeks to several months in recent years, driven by application volumes, seasonal surges and case complexity — and the Lagos visa office has carried well-documented backlogs. The only figure that matters is the live estimate on IRCC's processing-times tool for a visitor visa applied for from Nigeria, checked on the day you apply.

Plan around the uncertainty: apply as early as you reasonably can (applications can go in months ahead of travel), keep flights refundable, and don't schedule weddings, graduations or business events tight against an assumed approval date. For a deeper dive, see our processing-time guide for Nigeria.

Why Nigerian Applications Get Refused

Refusal letters from IRCC tend to cite the same handful of grounds, and they're worth understanding before you apply, not after:

• "Not satisfied you will leave Canada" — the ties question. Weak evidence of employment, family or assets in Nigeria is the single most common refusal driver.
• Insufficient funds — statements that can't plausibly fund the trip, or that show unexplained sudden inflows.
• Purpose of visit — a vague or inconsistent trip story; invitation letters that don't match the stated plan.
• Limited travel history — not disqualifying on its own, but it removes a reassuring signal, so the rest of the file must work harder.
• Misrepresentation — any forged or altered document risks a five-year ban. No agent's promise is worth this.

If refused, you can request the officer's detailed notes (GCMS notes) to see the actual reasoning, fix the specific weakness, and reapply. There is no formal appeal for TRVs — a stronger reapplication is the remedy.

Making the Invitation Letter Work (Family Visits)

Most Nigerian TRV applications are family visits, and the invitation letter is where many quietly fail. A strong invitation is specific: who is inviting whom, the relationship (with evidence — birth certificates, photos over time), the occasion and dates, where you'll stay, and who pays for what. It should be backed by the host's status document (PR card, citizenship certificate or valid permit) and, if the host is covering costs, their proof of income (Notice of Assessment, pay stubs). A one-paragraph "I invite my brother to visit" letter with nothing attached doesn't hurt you, but it doesn't help either — and if the host is sponsoring the trip financially, an unverifiable promise can actively weaken the funds picture. Keep your own funds evidence strong even when a host is paying; officers weigh what they can verify.

If You're Refused: The Reapplication Playbook

Roughly speaking, a refusal letter gives you categories, and the GCMS notes give you the actual reasoning — request them (through the formal access-to-information route or a Canadian representative) before spending money on a new application. Then change something real: a stronger employment letter, a longer and cleaner bank history, a tighter itinerary, better ties evidence. Submitting the identical file again invites the identical outcome, and each refusal is on your record. What doesn't help: agents promising "connections", borrowed lump sums parked in your account, or altered documents — the last of these risks a five-year misrepresentation ban that closes Canada completely.

Visiting vs Studying vs the Super Visa

Briefly, because Nigerians are often sold the wrong product: a TRV is for visits up to six months. A study permit — a different application with different requirements, including provable tuition funds — is needed for study programmes over six months; short courses under six months can be done as a visitor. Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents may qualify for the Super Visa, which allows extended multi-year stays but requires the child's income evidence and Canadian medical insurance. If an agent proposes "visit first, convert later" schemes, treat that as the red flag it is.

Practical Tips Before You Apply

Tell one coherent story across every document — the itinerary, the invitation, the leave letter and the bank statements should all describe the same trip, taken by the same person, for the same reason. Apply early and track your IRCC account weekly. Book biometrics the day the instruction letter arrives. Answer any additional-document request before the deadline, completely. And insure the trip — Canadian healthcare is not free for visitors, and a flexible travel-medical plan such as SafetyWing covers emergencies abroad, while an Airalo eSIM gets you connected on landing in Toronto or Calgary without roaming fees. (Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.)

Before You Book: Verify Officially

Everything above is planning guidance, not legal advice, and Canadian immigration rules, fees and timelines change — sometimes mid-year. Before applying or paying anyone, confirm the current requirements, fee list and processing estimate directly on canada.ca (IRCC), use only the official IRCC portal to apply, and cross-check your route on our Visa Wizard and the Nigeria to Canada page. If anything here conflicts with IRCC's site today, IRCC wins.

Sources

• IRCC — Apply for a visitor visa: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/apply-visitor-visa.html
• IRCC — Check processing times: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html
• IRCC — Fee list: https://ircc.canada.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp
• VFS Global — Canada visa application centres in Nigeria: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/nga/en/can/

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