Visa and Travel Authorization Information for FSE 2026 and its Co-Located Events

The conference organizers cannot provide definitive advice on visa and other travel requirements as we are neither experts nor authorized to do so. Please consult this Government of Canada site for guidance: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada.html

The following provides a little more information, with pointers to specific government pages. However always remember not to consider the following information to be definitive.

Entry Requirements to Canada: The following Government of Canada site provides information regarding from which countries of origin (based on your passport) either a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is required: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/entry-requirements-country.html

Almost everyone who is neither a Canadian or US Citizen will require either an eTA or a visitor visa.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Those from Visa-Exempt Countries (Not required for Canadian and US Citizens or Permanent Residents)

People from many countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Japan, South Korea and selected other countries, can simply obtain an eTA that (at the time of writing) costs $7 and can normally be obtained online very quickly (even in minutes). This is not a kind of visa. Many countries have set up eTA processes so they can pre-filter people who are planning to come to the country. Official eTA information is here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta.html

Visitor Visas for Attendees from Many Countries

If you an attendee who is not from Canada, the US, or a country where an eTA is required, then you will require a visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa) to attend the conference in Canada. This process can take time (sometimes several months), and may require you to obtain and submit biometric information, so we recommend you start applying early (several months before the conference). A Visa generally allows you only up to a 6-month stay in Canada, but may grant you less time.

The following site provides official information on obtaining a visitor visa from the Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5256-applying-visitor-visa-temporary-resident-visa.html

Beware of people or companies purporting to help you obtain a visa: They may be fraudulent.

The following site gives an indication of the amount of processing time required for obtaining a visitor visa to Canada from all countries. This does not include the time required for biometrics (if required). The times this site shows vary from less than a month to more than a year. The times are not based on which passport you possess, but where you apply. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html

Requesting a Letter from the Conference to Support your Visa Application

When the FSE 2026 registration site starts accepting registrations, one of the things you will be able to request on the registration form if you are an organizer of a conference activity or an author of an accepted paper only, is a letter confirming that you are an organizer or have an accepted paper.

Authors will need to provide their paper ids (as obtained from IEEE Conference Publishing Services) when you register so we can put your paper information on your visa letter. This applies for any FSE 2026 track, including workshops and co-located conferences.

Please do not directly contact us to request a letter; letters are only sent following registration. These letters will not guarantee that the government will issue you a visa, but might be useful.

We will start issuing the letters for people who have papers accepted in the first cycle of the research track. There will always likely be a delay between the date you register and the date we send your letter, so please register early and be patient.

Instructions for those who are applying the Canada visitor visa for the first time

Follow the instruction at IRCC Info
We have applied for the Special Event Code from IRCC (the event code can be found in your visa support letter. As the letter requires manual processing, we will issue the letter once week). Don’t forget to include the event code during the application.

Special Instructions for those who have previously applied for visitor visa but the application is still pending

Visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/contact-ircc/web-form.html
What do you want to do? Select “Update your application (for example, submit documents)”
Select “Add a document to your application”
Fill in the information regarding your application (e.g., UCI) to help IRCC locate your application
Upload all documents that indicate your travel plan, including 1. visa support letter from FSE26 (to prevent misuse of visa support letter, we would only issue letter for people who have successfully registered), 2. Travel itinerary and accommodation details, 3. Proof of financial support (bank statements in the past 6 months, pay stubs, etc.). Please note that although you might have included financial support in your original application, these proofs may have expired (as the validity for financial proof is within the past 6 months) so it is important to provide the updated proof in this update.

Just before you fly: Advance Declaration using the ArriveCan app

Although not required (at the time of writing this), there is a mobile app that allows you to fill in entry declaration information just before you fly. This can save 30% of your time at the immigration and customs lines at airports. It can sometimes enable you to get through customs and immigration in minutes.

ArriveCan is useful for everybody entering Canada, including Canadians and those with eTAs and with visas.

Official ArriveCan information is here: https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html