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Is there a specific airport as a point of entry for a visitor visa to enter Canada? I am planning a vacation in Canada and planning to land in Calgary Airport. My friend told me that I need to get a ticket going to Vancouver as I only have a tourist visa and I need a stamp for my tourist visa entry in Vancouver. In this case I need to be sure if only Vancouver must be my point of entry as a tourist visa yet I want to visit Alberta and the most convenient airport I think is Calgary. Am I allowed to land in Calgary or should I select Vancouver as my point of entry?

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    Why would you think they would require you to land in Vancouver?
    – phoog
    Jan 14, 2018 at 10:35
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    As far as I know, the only restriction is that you have to land at an airport of entry, of which Calgary is one.
    – Michael Seifert
    Jan 15, 2018 at 14:48
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    if there were no customs and border patrol at the airport, there'd not be international flights departing and arriving there.
    – jwenting
    Jan 16, 2018 at 9:38

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There is no limitation that I can see on where you enter Canada on a visitor visa, any international airport should do. It is possible slightly different conventions apply if you were thinking of crossing from the US or entering by sea but I haven't found anything official to suggest that is the case.

You will have to give them a "purpose of travel" in the application process which might include your sightseeing itinerary (e.g. you are travelling to Calgary, X, Y, and Z locations for a holiday). They don't care how you organise it specifically as long as it seems reasonable.

So if you arrive in Vancouver with plans to holiday in Calgary, they may ask what your onward travel plans are (e.g. are you flying or taking a bus or if you're really feeling ambitious, driving yourself). They'll probably ask where you're staying and maybe what local sights you're interested in. They may want to see your hotel reservations and return flight reservations.

But they won't limit exactly how you enter and leave Canada, since it's not uncommon for people to choose a particular route for convenience or cost. The only issue would be if you were heading onwards to another country from Canada, not returning directly home - then they may want to see some proof you'll be legally able to enter there. For example, if after Canada you were heading to the US, or transiting via the US, you should have your US visa (if needed) already sorted.

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If you have a Visitor’s Visa to Canada stamped inside of your valid passport, you can enter Canada at the Calgary International Airport, the Edmonton International Airport or any of the several other Canadian international airports that you decide to book a flight for. Although Canada’s many ports of entry are staffed by members of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), who will check your travel documents and make the decision regarding authorizing entry into Canada, some Canadian airports may be open limited hours. Some of the most popular ports of entry for Canada include the international airports for Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Halifax, and Victoria.

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  • Typically, all Canadian airports that have international flights will have customs and immigration agents on staff whenever international flights arrive. You won't be stuck if your flight arrives late. (You might have to wait a few minutes if you arrive too early for the customs service to begin, but I've only had that happen once, and it was in the US at Denver.)
    – Jim MacKenzie
    Feb 8, 2018 at 16:27

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