Canadian Immigration Visa's

Applying for your Canadian Immigration Visa's is probably one of the most complicated procedures you will encounter on your Canadian immigration journey. Extensive research and attention to detail is required for a successful application as mistakes can prove very costly in both time and money.

***Latest news - Citizen and Immigration Canada have announced a simplified application procedure for the federal skilled worker and Business applicants. From the 1st September 2006, all new applicants now only have to submit the processing fee's and the modified application forms (IMM 0008SW or IMM 0008BU). All supporting documents will then need to be submitted when the application is ready for submission.

This may sound like great news and in the long term it may well be. The issue I can see is that with the current processing times of between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years in many cases, you may have applied thinking all is well, only to find out 2 years later that you do not qualify for whatever reason. In the long term this may help bring the waiting times down but I would definitely recommend that if there is any doubt whatsoever with your application you enlist the services of an Immigration Consultant. To have an independant, experienced professional asses your case prior to application and then give an honest opinion can save a lot of money and heartache. For more details about the different applications please scroll down to the dedicated section for each visa type.

Here is the professional view from Mr Phil Mooney, CSIC, CAPIC:

"CIC introduced a Simplified Application Process (SAP) last month, for most Skilled Workers and Business Class applications. At first glance this would seem like a great idea, and many prospective applicants saw it as a way to shorten the time it would take to get approved, which is now stretching to more than 5 years at some Visa Posts. However, the real truth is that SAP simply makes it easier to get in line, without having to submit all of the documents required before, but it will actually cause the line-ups to get longer!

In fact, there is a real danger when applying with SAP. It clearly states that applicants must meet all of the requirements at the time of filing. Yet many people will fill in the forms, and not understand how to evaluate their work experience or what proof is needed to support educational claims. Then, in three or four years (or longer!), when CIC finally opens the file and requests proof, it will be too late to get your money back if you either can’t find the proof or if you discover that you didn’t really qualify. With filing fees for a family of four being C$1400, this will be an expensive mistake.

Or, you may claim that you speak English at a high enough level to get the maximum points, but not take an IELTS test within 12 months of applying. By the time they open your file years later, even if you speak perfect English, your application will be denied.

We are also hearing already about certain agents offering “cheap, quick and easy” immigration to Canada, using SAP. They have no need to thoroughly evaluate your situation to insure that you are eligible. When you receive the initial notice from CIC within 30 days telling you that your file will be processed in “69 months” I am willing to bet that you will never be able to get hold of that same agent again! And remember, all of the preparation work and gathering of documents will still have to be done when they finally get to your file.

It is essential that, if you pay someone for advice or to complete and submit the forms for you, that they be approved by CIC, since once your application is filed, only authorized representatives can communicate with CIC on your behalf. Authorized representatives include members of CSIC, lawyers who are a member of a Canadian Law Society, or a member of the Chambre des Notaires du Quebec.

As of September 1st 2006, all applications must be submitted with the SAP process, unless they are submitted to the U.S., or involve provincial programs or arranged employment."

If you feel you would like to have a free assessment by an immigration professional, we are able to recommend Phil Mooney who caters for applicants from all around the world. Phil can be contacted via the link above or below.

The Government of Canada have announced in the 2006 Budget that the Right of Permanent Residence Fee has been cut by 50% to C$490.00 effective 12:00am EDT on May 3rd 2006. If you paid the fee prior to this day but landed after you may be entitled to a refund. For more information go to the CIC Info Page. Other news is the announcement to increase settlement funding for the next two years and the intention to establish a Canada wide Agency for the assessment of Foreign qualifications and credentials!

We have descriptions of all the different classes of visa with links to the details and have also included some tips and advice to help you. This is a big page so make sure you take it all in!

There are plenty of books on immigration on the market and though we didn't use one ourselves, we recommend the StepbyStep Immigration To Canada Guide by Alex Berez. Just click on the banner to find out why this is quickly becoming THE DIY guide for Canadian Immigration!

Immigration Consultants

We made several incorrect assumptions about our points total, which when corrected left us very close to the limit. When we realised our mistakes we decided to hire a consultant - most will do a free assessment to check for your eligibility. As subscribers to the immigration paper "Canada News" we picked out, (randomly!), Kerry Martin's Access Migration which unfortunately, has now stopped accepting applications for Canada.

Two years later we were landing in Calgary - the rest, they say, is history. The "Our Story" page will provide all the details.

We were very lucky that we had picked one of the most professional (registered with the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants - CSIC) and successful Immigration Consultant companies in the UK. Only after we had hired Kerry did we start reading the great testimonials about Access Migration Services in the Canada News. There were also plenty of horror stories about people being duped by unscrupulous "consultants" and losing their money.

After extensive research, we are proud to recommend that you Contact Phil Mooney of CanAm Immigration for a no obligation, FREE assessment of eligibility. Phil is a member of CSIC and is the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC) and with his experienced team, will provide expert and trustworthy service.

If you decide on someone else, please thoroughly research anyone you choose (ensure they are in good standing with the CSIC - they are the regulatory body for Canadian Immigration Professionals and have a searchable database of members who are in good standing. CSIC is there for YOUR protection so please use them to ensure anyone you hire is trustworthy.

If you decide to go it alone we wish you the best of luck and hope this site will help you along the way. Remember - a complete application with fully supporting documents is essential. The waiting times for processing are long enough without waiting several months just to have an incomplete application form returned. Fully research everything and provide exactly what is asked for, an extra week or two being diligent is a small price to pay! If you can provide more evidence or supporting documents than required it all helps demonstrate your commitment to move.

Classes of Visa

Skilled Worker Class Immigration - independent people who wish to become permanent residents and are willing to work.

Business Immigrant - experienced business people who can invest in the Canadian economy and self employed persons.

Student Visa - studying at an educational institution

Temporary worker - temporary working permit

Family Class Immigrant - you will be sponsored by a family member who is either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada.

Visa's for Quebec - Quebec has it's own self governed immigration system

Provincial Nomination Program - Most Provinces have their own fast track Nominee program.

More information and the application forms can be downloaded from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

You will be requested to provide official Police checks for all the countries you have lived in for 6 months or longer since you were 18 years old. The certificates have to be the originals and issued within the last 3 months. Depending on the countries you lived in, these can take along time to get. It is worth being prepared and start applying for these as soon as you can, but remember they have to have been issued within the last three months when your application for the Canadian Immigration Visa's is submitted. There is normally a charge made by the specific Police authorities for these certificates but these can vary.

If you are accepted through the selection process you will have to pass a Medical Examination to continue with your application.

All of your family members, even if they are not accompanying you, will have to have this examination. The medical cannot be performed by your own doctor - only one that is on the Designated Medical Practitioners list.

The examination results are only valid for a period of 12 months and if you are not admitted as a permanent resident during this period then you have to have another examination.

The cost for the medical varies from clinic to clinic and it is certainly worth calling a few in your area to compare the costs. Some clinics can perform the whole medical examination at the same location and others you will need to go to different places for x-rays, blood tests etc. The waiting lists for these examinations can be quite long so as soon as you are notified you need one start trying to get appointments.

I was quite concerned about the medical but it really was nothing to worry about. They took a couple of x-rays, did some blood tests and the rest was a full physical examination. Please note that the requirements for young kids are different - no blood tests or x-rays.We had all of ours done on the same day and the whole procedure was quite painless (apart from the blood tests!).

If you have any medical condition that you are worried about please take ANY supporting evidence about it to the medical. This could be major operation follow ups to give the "all clear" or even consultants opinions. You really don't need any confusion over your medical status as it may stall, delay or end the application. This isn't meant to cause alarm, just to make sure you "cover all the bases" and are totally prepared. If you are using an immigration consultant please discuss it with them.

One final note for the girls that could save you money. If you have a smear test result that is less than 12 months old take it with you or have one at your doctors before you go. If you can't produce a valid test result you will have to have another test during the medical and pay the private fees for it!