Invitation letter notarized for a visit to Canada
You write the letter for your relative or friend, then sign it in front of notary public Ilya Kershtein at 1225 Kennedy Rd. He checks your photo ID, stamps the page and hands it back the same visit.
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What IRCC wants your letter to say
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada lists these details and asks the host to write the letter personally. Check your draft against both columns before you come in.
About your visitor
- Full name and date of birth
- Address and phone number
- How you are related
- Why they are coming
- How long they will stay
- Where they will sleep and who pays
- The date they plan to leave
About you, the host
- Full name and date of birth
- Address and phone in Canada
- Your job title
- Citizen or permanent resident
- A photocopy proving that status
- Names and birth dates of your family
Source: Government of Canada, IRCC, “Letter of invitation” (canada.ca).
From your ID to the stamped letter
- Show your IDIlya compares your passport or driver’s licence with the host name typed in the letter.
- Read the letter once moreA typo in a date of birth is cheaper to fix now than after the stamp.
- Sign while he watchesHe adds his notarial certificate, seal and signature under yours.
- Send your visitor a scanThey add it to their visa application with the copy of your status document.
Bring these to the appointment
- The letter, unsignedNo printer at home? Email the file and it is printed here at no charge.
- Your photo IDThe name must match the host name in the letter exactly.
- Proof of your statusA copy of your Canadian passport, citizenship certificate or PR card, which IRCC asks you to enclose.
- Every host who signsIf a spouse co-signs the letter, both of you come with ID.
Visitor visa letter or super visa letter
Parents and grandparents applying for the super visa, which allows stays of up to 5 years, need a longer letter from their child or grandchild.
Visitor visa
Any citizen or PR inviting family or a friend- The visitor and host details IRCC lists above
- The purpose and length of the trip
- Where the visitor stays and how costs are paid
Super visa
Written by the applicant’s child or grandchild in Canada- Everything in the visitor visa letter
- A promise of financial support for the whole visit
- The list and number of people counted in your family size
- Proof that you meet IRCC’s minimum income, filed with the application
Source: IRCC, “Letter of invitation” and “Parent and grandparent super visa: eligibility” (canada.ca).
A host who invited his parents
“Ilya kershtein guidance me in applying visitor visa for my parents. And he is available all the 7 days a week, I highly recommend for any notary or legal services.”
Invitation letter questions
Does IRCC require the invitation letter to be notarized?
IRCC’s letter of invitation guide does not ask for notarization. Hosts add it so the visa officer sees that the signature was witnessed and the host’s identity was checked.
Will a notarized letter get my visitor the visa?
No one can promise that. IRCC states that a letter of invitation does not guarantee a visa; the officer decides on the whole application.
Who has to come to the office?
Only the person in Canada who signs the letter, with photo ID. Your visitor abroad does not sign it and does not need to attend.
What does it cost and how do I pay?
$70 for the notarized letter, paid in cash or by e-Transfer. Printing your draft at the office costs nothing.
Other papers for a family visit
Not sure your draft is complete? Call 416-951-3301 and read it to us before you drive over.
Fast & Reliable Notary Services
- 416-951-3301
- kershtein@gmail.com
- 1225 Kennedy Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1P 4Y1, Suite 2000, Unit #2020
- Mon – Fri: 10:00 am – 6:30 pm
- Sat – Sun: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm