Bringing your Family & Friends to Canada for Convocation
If you are completing your studies at uLethbridge, we encourage you to invite your family and/or friends to celebrate your accomplishments and attend your upcoming Convocation ceremony!
Convocation is a traditional academic ceremony attended by graduating students and their family and friends. Graduates wear caps and gowns and receive their degrees, diplomas, or certificates. It is an event to recognize excellence and celebrate your academic achievements.
Please visit the Ãâ·Ñ¸£Àû×ÊÔ´ÔÚÏß¿´Æ¬ of Lethbridge Convocation page for more information and upcoming ceremony dates.
If your loved ones are planning to attend your Convocation, they may be eligible to apply to come to Canada as a Visitor.
Typically, your loved ones will require a valid passport and, in most cases, either a (TRV / Visitor Visa) OR an (eTA) to travel to Canada.
Before Applying
Determining what your family/friend will need to travel to Canada will depend on:
- Where they are from
- How they are travelling (by air, land or sea)
- What documents they are travelling with
⇒ We recommend that they use the to find out what they will need to apply for.
Although in most cases, your family and friends will need a Visitor Visa or an eTA to travel to Canada, there are some exceptions.
The following do not need a Visitor Visa or an eTA to travel to Canada:
- US citizen or permanent resident
- have valid status in Canada (for example, visitor, student, worker) and are re-entering Canada after only visiting the US or Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- French citizen who lives in, and is flying directly from, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- passenger destined to, or coming from, the US on a flight that stops in Canada just to refuel and
- have proper documents to enter the US, or
- were lawfully admitted to the US
- passenger on a flight that makes an unscheduled stop in Canada
- transiting through a Canadian airport under the or
- flight crew, civil aviation inspector, accident investigator who is or will be working while in Canada
- member of the armed forces (not including the civilian component of the armed forces) of a coming to Canada to carry out official duties
- diplomat accredited by the Government of Canada
Applying Online
Your Friends/Family member(s) can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization/eTA if they are from a and will be travelling to Canada by air.
- An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is electronically linked to the applicant's passport and is valid for up to 5 years.
- The eTA application is a simple online process that takes a few minutes to complete and only costs $7 CAD. Most applicants get their eTA approval (via an email) within minutes.
Important: Each family member/friend must submit a separate eTA application online - they will not be able to apply for multiple people in the same eTA application.
- Applicants need their passport, a credit card, and an email address to complete the form and answer the required questions.
- eTA applicants who only plan to visit Canada, are exempt from giving Biometrics (fingerprints and photo).
- Applicants can check if they need to give Biometrics .
- Applicants can check if they need to give Biometrics .
- Applicants may receive an email from IRCC asking them to submit additional documents to continue processing their application.
- If this happens, follow these to submit documentation to IRCC.
- If this happens, follow these to submit documentation to IRCC.
Tip: Review IRCC's for more information and step-by-step instructions.
⇒ Start the eTA application using the .
Your Friends/Family member(s) must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (also known as a Visitor Visa) if they are from a and will be travelling to Canada by any method of travel (land, sea, air), unless they are OR are a United States citizen or permanent resident.
- A Temporary Resident Visa is an official counterfoil document (special type of sticker) that is physically added to a passport.
- Temporary Resident Visa applications are submitted online through either an or the .
- vary depending on the country your family applied from and the Visa Office that is processing their application. We recommend that they submit their TRV application well in advance of their travel.
- Processing times do not include the time it takes to mail their passport to the Visa Office and have their TRV added.
- Processing times do not include the time it takes to mail their passport to the Visa Office and have their TRV added.
- Unless , most Temporary Resident Visa applicants must give (fingerprints and photo).
- Children under the age of 14 and applicants over the age of 79 do not require Biometrics
- Applicants can check if they need to give Biometrics .
Tip: Review IRCC's for more information and step-by-step instructions.
⇒ If applying through the IRCC Secure Account, start the application .
⇒ If applying through the IRCC Portal, start the application .
Family/Friends applying for a Temporary Resident Visa will be required to include their own supporting documents as well as documentation from the person they will visit in Canada (you, as the student).
Providing supporting documentation for your friend/family member's application does not guarantee that they will be approved, but it is a vital component of their application.
When inviting family members, it will be important to determine:
- How long they will be in Canada and where they will be staying
- If they have sufficient funds/financial support to cover all travel/other expenses for the duration of their stay in Canada
- The evidence they will include in the application to show proof of ties to their home country (things that require them to return home after their temporary stay in Canada)
Supporting documents for your family/friend's application may include:
Copy of your valid Study Permit or Work Permit
Proof of your Relationship to the person you are inviting:
A marriage certificate, birth certificate, correspondence, etc.
Copy of your valid Passport/Travel Document
Letter of Invitation: Written by YOU (the uLethbridge student)
Your letter should be clear, concise, and honest and include all specific requirements listed on .
We have included a sample Letter of Invitation below to help you with the structure and format.
Graduation Invitation Letter: From the International Centre
Request your Graduation Invitation Letter ⇒ here.
Note: The Graduation Invitation Letter should be used in addition to your Letter of Invitation, not in place of it.
Proof of Finances: Applicant must show proof of sufficient funds/financial support to cover all travel and living expenses for the duration of their stay in Canada.
If you are supporting your friends/family financially while they will be in Canada, they must provide proof of your own financial documents in their application to IRCC.
On January 1, 2024, IRCC updated their . We recommend that you review that information to ensure you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your friends/family.
(Address of Processing Embassy)
Dear Visa Officer,
RE: Letter of Invitation in Support of TRV Application of Damilola Awosoga
I am writing this letter of invitation in support of my sister, Damilola Awosoga, and her application for a temporary resident visa to Canada. She was born on December 14, 1986 and she lives at 10 Bode Thomas Street, Lagos, Nigeria. Her phone number is: +234 692-5643
I am currently a 3rd year student at the Ãâ·Ñ¸£Àû×ÊÔ´ÔÚÏß¿´Æ¬ of Lethbridge in the Faculty of Arts and Science. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. You can see my Confirmation of Enrolment letter attached. My date of birth is January 15, 1989 and I currently reside at 27 Berkeley Place West, Lethbridge, Alberta. My phone number is 403-587-2697 and I can also be reached at joseph.awosoga@uleth.ca.
My sister will be visiting me from September 15, 2025 (arrival date), to October 1, 2025 (departure date) to celebrate my recent engagement. She will be staying with me and I will be covering the cost of her room and board during that time. Damilola will be paying for her flight and ground transportation to Lethbridge.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have regarding my sister, Damilola Awosoga, or myself. I thank you for considering my sister’s application.
Sincerely,
Joseph Awosoga
Request Assistance from an International Student Advisor
This information has been written by a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA) in accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. The information provided is subject to change at any time. While we will endeavor to update this page regularly, please always see the for the most current information.