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Canada

Visa Information and Lodgement

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Country coverage

The visa office provides immigration and visa services to clients in Canada, Central America and the Caribbean including: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre et Miquelon, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands.

Travelling without a visa label

You need to have a valid visa to travel to Australia. We do not require you to have a visa label placed into your passport for travel to Australia. This is known as 'label-free' travel, making travel to Australia simpler and more secure.

If you are transiting or exiting through another country, you need to check with the relevant government authorities about whether you need to show a visa label in your passport. We cannot advise you on other countries’ requirements.

More information on travelling to Australia without a visa label and how to confirm your visa entitlements is available.
See: About your visa

Permanent entry visas

Partner, prospective marriage, child, remaining relative, carer and aged dependent relative visa applications from applicants usually living in one of the countries in country coverage list above are lodged and processed in Ottawa.

Applications for general skilled, business innovation and investment, Distinguished Talent (subclass 124), Former Resident (subclass 151) and parent subclasses are lodged and processed in Australia.

For Points Based Skilled Migration (subclasses 189, 190 and 489) and Business Innovation and Investment (subclasses 132 and 188) visas you will have to submit a complete Expression of Interest (EOI) and receive an invitation to apply.
See: SkillSelect

Former Resident (subclass 151) applications are lodged and processed at the Perth Office.
See: Perth Office

Distinguished Talent (subclass 124) visas must be lodged (by post or courier) and are processed at the Adelaide Business Skills Processing Centre.
See:
Distinguished Talent Visa (offshore) (subclass 124)
Adelaide Business Skills Processing Centre

Contributory parent and parent migration applications are lodged and processed at the Parent Visa Centre.
See: Parent Visa Centre

Refugee and Humanitarian visas

Clients from the Americas region whose application for a Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visa is accompanied by a Form 681—Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal (proposal form) must lodge their application at the department’s NSW Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre. This applies to people who are lodging a visa for consideration under the Global Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) or as an immediate family member.
See:
Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia
NSW Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre

All other Refugee and Humanitarian applications should be directed to the Australian High Commission, Canada.
See: Contacts – Canada

Temporary entry visas

Passport holders from Canada are eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) through travel agents and airlines.
See: Electronic Travel Authority – Online Applications

Passport holders from Canada are eligible to apply online for a Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417).
See: Working Holiday Visa – Online Applications

Passport holders from Canada are eligible to apply online for a Student visa. Some Mexican nationals may be eligible to apply online for a Student visa.
See: Students

Paper temporary entry visa applications from applicants usually living in one of the countries in country coverage list above are lodged and processed by the Australian High Commission in Ottawa.
Exception: Temporary entry visa applications from Mexico and Central America for the following subclasses are lodged and processed at the Australian Embassy, Mexico:

  • Medical Treatment (subclass 602) Transit (subclass 771)
  • Visitor (subclass 600)
  • Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity)(subclass 400).

See: Contacts – Mexico

From 24 November 2012, select 400 series applications (including subclasses 401, 402 and 457) from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean (previously known as Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) and Sint Eustatius (Saint Eustatius)) are assessed and decided at the Australian High Commission , Ottawa.
See: Change to visa lodgement and processing for selected 400 series applications in Santiago

401 Temporary Work (Long-stay Activity) (Subclass 401) visa - Exchange, Sport and Religious Worker streams. Sponsorship and nomination applications are lodged and processed at the Specialist Temporary Entry Centre – NSW.
See: Specialist Temporary Entry Centre - NSW

401 Temporary Work (Long-stay Activity) (Subclass 401) visa – Domestic Worker (Executive) stream. Sponsorship, nomination and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Specialist Temporary Entry Centre - ACT
See: Specialist Temporary Entry Centre - ACT

402 Training and Research visa – Research stream sponsorship applications only.
Professional Development stream sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Specialist Temporary Entry Centre – Tasmania.
See: Specialist Temporary Entry Centre - Tasmania

402 Training and Research visa – Occupational Trainee stream sponsorship, nomination and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Specialist Temporary Entry Centre – SA.
See: Specialist Temporary Entry Centre - SA

416 Special Program applications are lodged and processed at the Specialist Temporary Entry Centre – Tasmania.
See: Specialist Temporary Entry Centre - Tasmania

420 Entertainment sponsorship, nomination and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Entertainment Visa Centre - NSW.
See: Entertainment Visa Centre - NSW

Applications for the Sponsored Family stream of the Visitor (subclass 600) visa must be lodged in Australia. These applications will be processed at one of the Sponsored Family Visitor processing centres.
See: Sponsored Family Visitor Processing Centres

457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visas can be applied for using SkillSelect. If you are:

Important: Applications for overseas business subclass 457 nominations, sponsorships and applications from applicants located in above country coverage list as well as the United States, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean (previously known as Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) and Sint Eustatius (Saint Eustatius)) are lodged and processed in the Australian High Commission, Ottawa, Canada.
See: Contacts – Canada

If you are sponsored by an Australian employer, you must lodge your visa application at the same office in Australia where your employer lodged papers to support your application. Please ask your employer where they lodged these papers.
See: Contact Us – Australian Offices

Citizenship

Applications for Citizenship by Descent can be lodged at the Australian High Commission, Canada.

Applications for Australian citizenship general eligibility and other situations, and applications to resume or renounce (give up) Australian citizenship should be lodged at the ACT and Regions Office.
See:
Application process for Australian citizenship
Application process to resume Australian citizenship
Giving up your citizenship
ACT and Regions Office