We are excited to welcome you to our upcoming conference! Most travellers to Canada will need either a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) – but not both. In some cases, a valid passport alone may suffice.
To determine what you need, utilise this official tool to see what’s right for you.
The eTA is a form of pre-screening for foreign nationals who wish to enter Canada by air. It is valid for upwards of five years, so we strongly encourage those eligible to apply before booking their flight.
Citizens from select visa-required countries may be eligible to apply for an eTA, instead of a visa, to travel to Canada by air. However, these travellers need a visitor visa when arriving by car, bus, train, or boat, including a cruise ship.
If you are travelling to ISME2026 as a Citizen or Permanent Resident of the US, you do not need a Visa or eTA to enter Canada, only a valid passport from your country of origin and proof of your residency (e.g. Green Card). See section 4. here for which US documents are valid for entry into Canada.
International travelers who already have a valid Visitor’s Visa do not need an eTA to enter. Your visa is all you will need to travel into Canada by air, sea, or land.
Please visit this webpage to learn more about specific exemptions.
You can start your application process here.
Obtaining one costs $7.00 CAD, can be completed online, and allows for stays of up to 6 months. Applications take minutes and only require that your passport is from an eTA eligible country.
A visitor visa, also known as a Temporary Residence Visa (TRV), is a requirement for most travelers to enter Canada.
You can check the list of visa-required countries here, under the “Visa-required travellers” section. If your country of nationality (where your passport is from) is on this list, you must have a valid Visitor’s Visa to attend the conference.
The Government of Canada, Visitor Visa web page will outline all necessary steps for creating and finalizing your visa application, including an outline of expected documents.
We recommend starting your Visa Application as soon as you register. For the purposes of attending ISME26, you will be travelling into Montreal, Quebec, Canada > Enter the code from your Visa Letter in additional information box.
Participants may be automatically directed to apply via the IRCC Portal. However, all participants applying for a visa to attend a registered event should apply for their visa via the IRCC Secure Network by clicking on this link: IRCC Secure Network.
Submitting Biometrics
Biometrics are personal identifiers (Such as Photo ID and Fingerprints) that are required to process your visa. Unless you have already submitted Biometrics within the last ten years, it is necessary to submit these to receive your visa.
Once you start your visa application, you will get an email or a letter from the IRCC asking that you submit at any designated collection facility in your Country. This notice is called a BIL (Biometric Instruction Letter) and you will need to bring it with your passport to submit your biometrics.
Where to Submit
For safety, security, and accuracy reasons, you can only supply your biometrics at designated collection sites, often called VACs (Visa Application Centres). You can search for registered VACs in your country on this page here. Simply enter your country of residence into the “Filter Items” bar to receive a list of every available VAC in your country.
Please note that you only have 30 days to submit your biometrics upon receiving your BIL. Please take the time to learn where VACs are located near you, as you will need to make an appointment at a VAC within those 30 days to submit.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your application, please contact IRCC directly by email at CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca or submit a webform for inquiries.
Delegates can request written invitations to assist with the visa process during the registration process itself. You must pay in full for a Visa Invitation to be issued. Our events logistics team will send a list of registered, and cancelled delegates, to the IRCC to validate visa applications.
Please note that the ISME organizing team is NOT able to expedite your visa application.
We can’t tell you exactly how long it will take us to process your application. Each application is different and takes a different amount of time to process.
You can check the processing times to find out how long it takes us to process most applications.
Learn how to check your application status.
IMPORTANT: Once your visa application has been submitted, you will receive a reference number from IRCC (e.g., V123456789) and enter the processing queue. Please share this visa application number with us, and we will notify IRCC of your submission for attendance at ISME26.
- Determine if you will need a Visa or eTA to enter Canada
- More information about the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
- Link to Start your eTA Application
- List of countries Canada considers “eTA eligible” and which are “Visa Required”
- List of accepted documents US Citizens and Permanent Residents can use to cross the border into Canada (Without a Visa or eTA)
- Click here for instruction on how to apply for a Visitor’s Visa, and how to access the IRCC Portal so you can begin you application online
- Find a designated Biometric Collection Site in your Country
