Invitation Letter and Cover Letter - Previous Visits

[Nunuc]

Dear all,

My parents were granted a single entry visitors visa 14 months ago. They are now applying for a fresh visa to visit Canada. In my invitation letter and their cover letter, do they need to mention their visit last, and in the case of my mother, for staying longer than indicated in the planned itinerary in their cover letter? Or does this not matter since it was within the limits given to her upon entry into Canada and all the information is kept on record anyways? Also, should the details of the past visit be indicated in both my invitation letter and their cover letter?

Secondly, in my invitation letter, do I need to provide any additional proof (house ownership, tax return notices etc.) or is that unnecessary since my parents are financially independent and will present proof of this? The reason I ask is that all of this seems to be a grey area and some people include a tonne of information and others don't and the results still vary - there are simply no instructions as to what to include and with what level of detail and the official response is always 'that is up to you'.

Thanks in advance.

 

[kat3onah]

Dear all,

My parents were granted a single entry visitors visa 14 months ago. They are now applying for a fresh visa to visit Canada. In my invitation letter and their cover letter, do they need to mention their visit last, and in the case of my mother, for staying longer than indicated in the planned itinerary in their cover letter? Or does this not matter since it was within the limits given to her upon entry into Canada and all the information is kept on record anyways? Also, should the details of the past visit be indicated in both my invitation letter and their cover letter?

No need to indicate on the invitation letter
When you apply for a TRV you need to indicate your past travels from 5-10 years on some forms. As proof of Travel History you need to scan the entry/exit stamps and visas on your parent's passport. I think this is enough to prove that they visited Canada.

On the end of their cover letter they can say something like "It would be truly appreciated if given the opportunity to visit Canada again and spend quality time with our son and his family. As per our previous visit to Canada, we can assure your good office that we will not remain in the country beyond our authorised stay." - This is just a sample.. You can change it.

Secondly, in my invitation letter, do I need to provide any additional proof (house ownership, tax return notices etc.) or is that unnecessary since my parents are financially independent and will present proof of this? The reason I ask is that all of this seems to be a grey area and some people include a tonne of information and others don't and the results still vary - there are simply no instructions as to what to include and with what level of detail and the official response is always 'that is up to you'.

Thanks in advance.

Refer to this link for the format of the invitation letter https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/letter-invitation.html

 

[Nunuc]

Thanks a lot - I am little overwhelmed by the fact that there is a lot of difference in terms of what people are providing in terms of supporting documents etc. Will try not to bombard them with too much info.

 

[kat3onah]

Thanks a lot - I am little overwhelmed by the fact that there is a lot of difference in terms of what people are providing in terms of supporting documents etc. Will try not to bombard them with too much info.

Actually the CIC website encourages applicants to provide as much documents as they can. Since there is no interview for TRV, I think IRCC rely on the supporting documents we provide.

 

[canuck78]

Yes I would include your financial information like bank statements and NOA. No need for your home ownership documents. Your parents financial information still is more important than your information.

 

[Nunuc]

On some documents like proving ties to a country yes - but when you are not financially supporting or sponsoring the applicants, it is a little confusing to see that some people provide all their info/tax slips/employment and others don't and it doesn't seem to have much of an impact which way things go. That is what I would like to avoid. Keep things simple and provide all key documents. The whole CAN+ thing is also confusing - it says in the instruction that they don't need to provide any further proof of finances but there is a lot of advice out there that they should do so anyway.

 

[Nunuc]

thanks Canuck - for their cover letter/proof of ties, is it enough to have property ownership, employment contract, letter from company about approved leave, bank statements and tax returns?

In the invitation letter I will state the purpose of their visit, that they will be staying with us at our house, that they are paying for their trip and stay themselves and what we plan to do.

In their cover letter they will say they want to visit again, when they plan to arrive, how much the trip itinerary costs and that they will cover all expenses themselves.They will include copies of their last Canadian visa and their valid American visa and the relevant entry stamps to US and Canada. Since they have a passport that is exempt from Schengen visas, should they include EU entry stamps as well or is that not necessary since they do not need visas to enter the Schengen zone?

Thanks a lot once again.

 

[canuck78]

thanks Canuck - for their cover letter/proof of ties, is it enough to have property ownership, employment contract, letter from company about approved leave, bank statements and tax returns?

In the invitation letter I will state the purpose of their visit, that they will be staying with us at our house, that they are paying for their trip and stay themselves and what we plan to do.

In their cover letter they will say they want to visit again, when they plan to arrive, how much the trip itinerary costs and that they will cover all expenses themselves.They will include copies of their last Canadian visa and their valid American visa and the relevant entry stamps to US and Canada. Since they have a passport that is exempt from Schengen visas, should they include EU entry stamps as well or is that not necessary since they do not need visas to enter the Schengen zone?

Thanks a lot once again.

No need to tabulate cost of visits. No need to give copy of visas.