Hi!
As I understood correct, you need just to cross the border and come back to the states? If so, then here are the questions:
1. Did you check CIC website to find out if you need a visa to visit Canada? There are some cases when you don t need it.
2. Did you consider an option with Mexican border? It might be easier even if you live far from it.
Anyway, if those questions do not work for you, you can apply for TRV by paper and you will need to attach an itinerary. It s an important document, that s why you could not go to the next step online. If you want to get a visa, you itinerary should look like the real travel itinerary. Usually it s just a written day-by-day plan of the trip. As for invitation letter, I assume that for tourist reasons invitation letter is a booking confirmation from the hotel. I would suggest to plan a small trip to Canada, visiting some kind of events or attractions, book a refundable hotel, write complete itinerary, attach all the necessary docs in order with checklist and apply as much earlier as you can before your intended trip. Be aware that the processing times for TRV are quite long and the percentage of denials is high too. Do not book any airtickets before U get a visa.
