UK Visa from Canada: Guide for Moving to UK from Canada

Can Canadians Immigrate to the UK or Live There Without a Visa?

Canadian citizens will not need a visa if they are coming to the UK for six months or less as long as they meet the Standard Visitor visa eligibility requirements. If they are travelling on or after 8 January 2025, they will have to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

The only exception to the above is if you are coming to the UK to get married or enter into a civil partnership. In that case, Canadians will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa. In addition, please note that Canadian permanent residence status (PR) holders may need a visa for visiting the UK for less than six months depending on their nationalities.

On the other hand, if a Canadian national (or PR holder) is moving to the UK for longer than six months for work, study, business or family reunification purposes, they will need to apply for a suitable UK visa appropriate in their immigration circumstances.

UK Visa Options for Canadian Citizens: Work, Study, Family, and More

There are several UK short-term (six months or less) and long-term (more than six months) visa options available to foreign nationals depending on their purposes to move to the UK and their immigration circumstances. The type of visa you must apply for to move to the UK from Canada will depend on your reason for travel as well as the length of your visit.

The UK’s strong economy, high-standard healthcare and education systems, low crime rate, a stable government and a multicultural environment attract a large number of migrants every year, many of whom eventually settle there. The shared heritage of Canada and the UK also provides a historical as well as cultural impetus for Canadians migrating to the UK.

Apart from coming to the UK to work and to study, Canadian citizens and residents often move to the country to join their family members with Family visas.

Moreover, although it is not possible to obtain a UK visa through fiscal or real estate investment, Canadian entrepreneurs can come to the UK to found and run an innovative business with an Innovator Founder visa.

UK ETA for Canadian Citizens: Entry Without a Visa for Short Visits

If you are a Canadian citizen coming to the UK for less than six months on or after 8 January 2025, you will need to apply for an ETA. You will not need an ETA if you:

• Have a valid UK visa
• Have permission to live, work or study in the UK
• Have a settled or pre-settled status in the UK
• Have right of abode in the UK

Canadian PR holders who are British or Irish citizens, or travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport, will also not need to apply for an ETA.

With an ETA, you can come to the UK for six months or less for tourism, to visit your UK-based visiting family and friends, to take part in permitted business activities, or attend short-term study courses. It also allows you to come to the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession or for a permitted paid engagement for up to six months. You can also use an ETA to transit through the UK.

However, ETA holders are not allowed to live in the UK for more than six months, work for a UK company (even if unpaid) or as a self-employed person, access public funds in the UK, live in the country through frequent or successive visits, get married or enter into a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership.

In all circumstances, you must meet the Standard Visitor visa conditions and eligibility requirements. Moreover, if you have a criminal record or have previously been refused entry into the UK, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead of an ETA.

UK Visitor Visa for Canadians: Requirements and Application Guide

Canadian PR holders coming to the UK for less than six months will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa to enter the country. Before you are planning to come to the UK for a short stay, please take note of the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) list of permitted activities for a Standard Visitor visa holder.

While visiting the UK as a Standard Visitor, you may:

• Travel through the country as a tourist
• Visit your family or friends in the country
• Receive medical treatment
• Perform certain business activities, e.g. take part in meetings or business negotiations, attend conferences or visit trade fairs etc.
• Study or research for up to six months, take a test, or do an elective placement
• Participate in a student exchange program
• Take a short recreational course, the duration of which must not exceed 30 days
• Take part in certain permitted paid engagements or events as a professional expert
• Visit as a scientist, researcher, academic, senior doctor or dentist
• Volunteer with a registered charity for up to a month
• Transit through to another country

You will not, however, be allowed to work in the UK – even unpaid – as an employee or as a self-employed person, claim social benefits, get married or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage/civil partnership. Additionally, Standard Visitors will not be permitted to live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits.

UK Spouse Visa for Canadian Citizens: How to Join Your Partner in the UK

Canadians wishing to come and live with their spouses or partners settled in the UK, will need to apply for a UK Spouse visa, Partner visa or Civil Partner visa.

A UK family visa is initially valid for 33 months and renewable thereafter. Once your family visa is approved, you can move to the UK from Canada and apply for a biometric residence permit (BRP). You will be allowed to work or study in the UK, and may claim access to public funds for yourself and your dependents, if any.

After living in the UK continuously for five years on a family visa as a spouse/partner, you may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), provided you fulfil all relevant conditions. You will not be allowed to include any time spent in the country on another visa or as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner. 

If your spouse or partner residing in the UK is an EEA national and has pre-settled status there, you may also apply to join them through the EU Settlement Scheme.

Family Visas for Canadians Moving to the UK to Join Relatives

Apart from foreign national spouses or partners of a British/Irish citizen or people settled in the UK, certain other family members may also be eligible to join their UK-based relatives under the family visa category.

Eligible family members who can take this route to move to the UK are:

• Fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
• Children
• Parents
• Dependent relatives requiring long-term care from their UK family member
• Widow/widower of a deceased UK resident
• Separated spouses/partners who have been victims of domestic abuse

How Canadian Citizens Can Work in the UK: Visa Types & Requirements

The UK has several work permit options for overseas workers. You may choose what is appropriate in your circumstances, depending on your skills or qualifications and your employment situation.

British or Irish citizens and people with pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme don’t require a visa or permit to work in the UK. However, as a Canadian national, you must have a valid UK work visa or permit to do so. The visa requirements and validity will vary depending on the type of visa.

The UK work visa options can be categorised like the following:

• Work visas such as the Health and Care Worker visa and Skilled Worker visa, for people with an eligible job offer from a UK employer
• For people working in the UK for their overseas employers, Senior or Specialist Worker visa, Overseas Domestic Worker visa, Graduate Trainee visa, Secondment Worker visa, Service Supplier visa, UK Expansion Worker visa, Representative of an Overseas Business visa
• People without a job offer in the UK can apply for a British National (Overseas) visa, Graduate visa, Youth Mobility Scheme visa, Global Talent visa, UK Ancestry visa, High Potential Individual (HPI) visa
• Temporary work visas such as Seasonal Worker visa, Government Authorised Exchange visa, Creative Worker visa, Religious Worker visa, Charity Worker visa, International Agreement visa
• Other work visas, such as International Sportsperson visa, Minister of Religion visa (T2), Scale-up Worker visa

UK Business Visas for Canadian Entrepreneurs and Investors

A UK business visa allows foreign nationals to come and engage in business activities in the country. Depending on your circumstances, there are several business immigration routes for Canadian nationals to the UK, through some of which you may also be able to settle in the country eventually.

For example, a standard visitor visa for business purposes allows you to come to the UK and engage in certain types of business activities for up to a maximum of six months.

On the other hand, an Innovator Founder visa is typically valid for three years and will enable you to set up and run an innovative business in the country if you have a unique business idea. You will also be able to bring your eligible family members to the UK, and apply for settlement in the country after three years, provided you meet the relevant conditions.

To apply for an Innovator Founder visa, a Canadian entrepreneur must have an original and innovative business idea, which will have to be endorsed by an approved body in the UK. The business idea must have a potential for growth, and there should be a clear plan to create jobs in the UK and expand the business footprint to national and international markets, to be successfully endorsed.

Global Talent Visa and High Potential Individual Visa UK

If you are considered to be a leader or a potential leader in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology, you may apply for a Global Talent visa UK, which will allow you to live, work and study in the country without requiring a valid job offer from a UK-based employer.

To be considered a leader/potential leader for the purpose of the Global Talent visa, you must either be endorsed for being so, or have won an eligible award (such as a Nobel Prize or a Booker Prize). A Global Talent visa is valid for up to five years, and you can continue renewing the same. You may also be able to apply for ILR after three or five years, depending on your field of work and how you applied initially for this visa.

If you have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university as specified on the Home Office website in the last five years, you may also be eligible to apply for a High Potential Individual (HPI) visa to come and work in the UK. This visa also allows you to be self-employed.

You will be allowed to stay in the country for a maximum of two years, or three years if you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, on an HPI visa. You will not be able to renew an HPI visa or apply to settle in the UK on its basis. However, you may be able to switch to a different visa (e.g. a Skilled Worker visa).

UK Student Visas for Canadians: Study in the UK as a Canadian Citizen

International students can apply for a Student visa if they have been accepted by an educational institution in the UK, and have sufficient financial means to cover their tuition fees and living costs.

Canadian nationals over 16 years of age will have to apply for a Student visa. They may apply for a Child Student visa if they are 4-17 years old, and want to study at an independent school in the country.

Moreover, if your course duration is six months or less, you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa in the UK for study purposes. A Short-term study visa is also available to foreign nationals to come to the UK for studying English.

Bringing Family to the UK: Dependant Visas for Canadians

Canadian nationals or PR holders holding certain categories of visas in the UK may bring their spouses or civil/unmarried partners and dependent children to the country on dependant visas. The following UK visa categories allow the main applicant’s dependent spouse/partner and children to come to the UK:

• Skilled Worker visa
• Health and Care visa (except certain categories)
• Senior or Specialist Worker visa
• UK Expansion Worker visa
• Secondment Worker visa
• Service Supplier visa
• Graduate Trainee visa
• Representative of an Overseas Business visa
• Creative Worker visa
• International Agreement visa
• Charity Worker visa
• Religious Worker visa
• Government Authorised Exchange visa
• Scale-up Worker visa
• International Sportsperson visa
• Minister of Religion visa (T2)
• UK Ancestry visa
• Innovator Founder visa
• High Potential Individual visa
• Graduate visa (only if your eligible family members joined you in the UK as your dependants on your current Student visa or your children were born in the country during your current Student visa)
• Student visa ( in limited circumstances)

Apart from being eligible as a family member, there are certain additional eligibility requirements that you must fulfil to be able to apply for a dependent visa. These requirements vary depending on your relationship with the main visa applicant.

In all scenarios, the main visa holder must meet the Home Office-specified minimum income threshold or have proof of sufficient financial means to cover their dependants’ expenses and provide suitable accommodation for the family in the UK.

UK Visa Requirements for Canadian Citizens: Documents & Eligibility

The eligibility requirements for UK visas vary depending on the type of visa you are applying for. However, in most cases, you will need to meet the following basic requirements:

• Evidence of travel purposes and intentions: You will be able to prove your reason(s) to travel to the UK, be it for less than six months or for a longer term. In addition, if you are applying for a non-settlement visa (i.e. which does not eventually pave your way to settle in the UK), you will have to prove your intentions of leaving the UK once your visa validity is over
• Financial requirements and proof of sufficient funds: You will have to convince the Home Office that you have sufficient financial means to cover your and your dependants’ (if any) expenses in the UK. For family visa applications, proof of suitable UK accommodation for your family is also required
• Sponsorship or invitation letters (where applicable): If you are coming to the UK via a sponsored work visa or study visa route, your employer or education provider will need to assign you a certificate of sponsorship. Likewise, endorsement letters from a designated body is required for an Innovator Founder visa or a Global Talent visa
• Health insurance and medical examination requirements: You will also need to have travel health insurance for yourself and your dependants to cover any medical treatment or emergency in the UK. If your visa category requires you to pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS), you will be able to access NHS care services in the UK

How to Apply for a UK Visa From Canada

You must apply online for your UK visa. You will need to create an account on the Home Office website and follow the instructions to understand how you can apply and what supporting documents you must provide.

VFS Global is the designated UK visa services provider in Canada. They have visa application centres (VACs) in Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, St. John’s, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Dartmouth, Hamilton, Kingston, Montreal, and Winnipeg in Canada. VFS Global is responsible for providing relevant information to UK visa applicants in Canada, receiving their supporting documents, and collecting their biometrics.

After completing your online application, please submit the same to your local VFS Global center on your scheduled appointment date. Please carry all your required documents with you on the date of your appointment at the visa center.

VFS Global will review your application, and collect the visa fee and your biometric data (i.e. facial image and ten fingerprints). UKVI, however, is responsible for processing and reviewing all UK visa applications made in Canada. They are also the decision-making authority on these visa applications.

Documents Needed to Immigrate to the UK from Canada

The supporting document requirements for immigrating to the UK will vary depending on your reason to travel to the country, and your chosen visa option thereof. A general list of supporting documents has been provided below, but please note that the Home Office may ask you for other relevant documents depending on your circumstances.

The supporting documents include:

• A valid Canadian passport (or national passports for Canadian PR holders), with at least one blank page, or any emergency travel document
• Onward ticket
• Proof of financial means
• If you are coming to work, then your:
  • Job offer or employment contract
  • Certificate of sponsorship reference number, and the name and sponsor licence number of your employer
  • Criminal record certificate in case of certain job categories etc.
• If you coming to study in the UK, then:
  • Acceptance letter from a UK educational institution
  • Parental consent to study in the UK if you are under 18
• For family visas, proof of relationship with your UK resident family member
• Business plan and endorsement from an approved body in the UK for foreign entrepreneurs applying for an Innovator Founder visa
• Any relevant documents that prove the genuineness of your immigration purposes and intentions

You may also need to submit your tuberculosis test results if you have lived in any of the listed countries for six months or more, or you were living in such a country within the last six months, although Canada is not a listed country.

UK Visa Processing Time for Canadian Applicants: Normal & Fast-Track

UKVI starts processing a visa application once the applicant has submitted their passport and other supporting documents, and provided their biometric information (i.e. facial photo and fingerprints) at a VAC.

UKVI publishes an estimate based on the current volume of visa applications and updates the same from time to time. Typically, the processing time may vary from three weeks to 24 weeks depending on your UK visa type. This timeline may further increase due to several reasons, such as:

• Incomplete or inaccurate information provided on your online application form
• Insufficient supporting evidence submitted (or UKVI needs additional documents or information given your immigration circumstances)
• Verification is required for your supporting documentation
• You are required to attend a visa interview
• UKVI is experiencing an increased volume of visa applications at the time

You may be able to pay an additional fee to get a faster decision on your visa application. However, not all visas come with this option and there is a limit on the number of applicants who can apply for a faster decision.

However, if UKVI requires more information and/or documents from you, a decision will take longer even if you have opted for priority/super priority service, although you will not get a refund.

UK Visa Fees for Canadians: Costs and Payment Options

You will need to pay a processing fee as part of your UK visa/immigration application from Canada. You can pay by a credit or a debit card. This is a non-refundable fee, and even if the Home Office refuses your visa application, you will not get a refund.

How much you have to pay varies depending on your visa/permission type and the proposed length of your leave to remain. You may also need to pay IHS depending on your visa category. There may also be associated costs, for example, if you want to opt for any premium services offered by UKVI.

You may check the UK Visa fee details applicable in your case here.

What to do If Your UK Visa Is Refused as a Canadian Citizen

Your UK visa application may be refused for various reasons, such as submitting incomplete application form, not submitting required supporting documents or submitting insufficient information/evidence, not being able to convince the visa authorities of the genuine purpose of your visit, history of immigration abuse, criminal offences or previous conviction record etc.

Your visa refusal decision letter will inform you of the reason(s) behind your visa refusal, as well as whether you have the right to appeal the decision, or if you can seek an administrative review instead.

Please consider consulting an immigration lawyer if you are unsure about your course of action in case your UK visa application has been refused. Dial +1 844 290 6312 today to speak with one of our legal team members.

UK Entry Requirements for Canadian Passport Holders

Having obtained a UK visa (or ETA) does not guarantee your entry into the UK. Immigration officers at the UK border control will thoroughly check your documents (and may also ask you pertinent questions to ensure you adhere to the entry rules) before processing your entry clearance. You will also be subjected to security screenings and visa validation checks. Customs officials may also ask to check your baggage.

Coming from Canada, you can use the UK/EEA immigration lanes and the automatic ePassport gates. However, if you are coming to the UK with a Temporary Work – Creative Worker certificate of sponsorship for up to three months and you want to enter the country without a visa, you will need to see a UK Border Force officer to get your passport stamped.

UK border control may refuse you entry to the UK. In such a scenario, you will be informed in writing the refusal reason(s), if you can appeal against the decision, and when you will be removed from the UK.

Moving to the UK From Canada: Key Facts for Canadian Citizens

Before moving to the UK, the most important thing you must consider is the cost of living in the country. You may consult a professional immigration adviser to understand how much money you will need to maintain the standard of living for yourself and your dependants, if any.

Please factor in housing costs, applicable taxes, utility bills, household bills, education expenses for your children, medical costs, transport costs, and any other necessary expenses while doing your calculation.

In addition, you must be aware of the social and cultural aspects of life in the UK. If you are planning to live in the UK for a longer term or eventually settle in the country, it is important to be clear about your expectations around your life in the UK.

How IAS Can Help Canadian Citizens Move, Work, or Study in the UK

Immigrating to the UK can be a fairly time-consuming process, and one which will require your utmost diligence. Even if you meet the eligibility criteria, it is of crucial importance to fill up the relevant forms correctly and completely as well as submit all required documentation, to avoid a possible visa refusal or rejection.

IAS can help. Our team of sympathetic immigration lawyers have the required expertise to assist you, regardless of your personal circumstances or the complexity of your case.

If you are a Canadian national seeking overall advice with your UK immigration plan, or would like an immigration expert to complete your visa application on your behalf, we are here for you. We also offer document and application checking services if you just need a final check to confirm that your documents and application adhere to the Home Office guidelines.

To know more about the services we provide and how we can help you, please call us on +1 844 290 6312 today to speak to our team of expert immigration lawyers.