Category: FAQ

Visiting Canada: What can I do if my visitor visa application is refused?

28/2/2019

As with any other type of visa or immigration application, there are no guarantees that everyone who applies for a visitor visa will receive one. In assessing each application, visa officers are looking to see if you are eligible and will abide by the conditions once a visitor visa is granted. While the overall number of visitor visas has increased dramatically in the past few years, the refusal rate has also increased. If your visitor visa application is refused you will undoubtedly be disappointed. But depending on the reasons for your refusal there may be options for you to pursue to change the decision or to make a new application.

1. Understanding why your application was refused
our application may be refused for a number of different reasons. Before you can make a new application you must understand the reason and make sure that this mistake can be overcome in your new application.
One of the common reasons for refusal is that the application is not detailed enough and does not contain sufficient documents to demonstrate your eligibility and your ties to your home country to demonstrate that you will leave Canada. It is the duty of applicants and their representatives to make sure that they provide a full application with documents that will convince an officer of your eligibility.

2. Mistakes can be made
Sometimes it is possible that a mistake may be made when processing your application. For example if your refusal letter states that you have no travel history but you have travelled to dozens of countries and provided proof of your travels then it is possible that the documents may have been missed when assessing your document. In such circumstances we are often able to request a reconsideration of the decision by explaining the error within a short-time after the decision is issued.

3. Appeal options
If a negative decision is made on your visitor visa application (or other temporary application such as study permit or work permit), you have the right to apply for judicial review of the decision in Federal Court in Canada. There is limited time to apply to Federal Court so you must seek legal advice as soon as possible to determine if this is the best way to proceed. In deciding whether to apply to Federal Court we look at the basis of the decision made and whether the decision was incorrect based on law or the facts.

4. Dealing with misrepresentation
If you provide incorrect information and documents in your application, whether on purpose or by mistake, your application may be refused because of misrepresentation. The consequences of a finding of misrepresentation are severe and you may be prevented from submitting a new application for a number of years. Depending on the circumstances of your case you should contact a lawyer to seek advice on the best way to respond. As you are prevented from re-applying you will need to either resolve the issue at the Visa Office by proving that there was no misrepresentation or apply to federal court if a mistake was made in determining the misrepresentation in your application.

5. How quickly can I re-apply for a visitor visa?
Your ability to re-apply will depend on the reason for your refusal. If your application was refused for misrepresentation you may be prevented from applying for up to 5 years. However, if your application was refused because you did not provide sufficient proof of ties or financial support you may be able to apply again and provide the missing documents and information. In most cases, if you reapply before there is a change in your circumstances you are likely to receive a similar response. You should allow yourself sufficient time to be able to take steps to overcome the shortcomings of your application, such as acquiring more travel history before you submit a new visa application. Therefore it is critical that you understand the reason for your refusal before you make any plans to submit a new visitor visa application.

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Your Responsibilities When Dealing with Immigration and Citizenship Officials

24/1/2019

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The visa, immigration and citizenship laws and procedures of Canada are complex. There are forms, guides, laws, regulations, manuals and so much more to consider when understanding how any particular type of application can be prepared or submitted. However, there are few guidelines for you when you want to know how you should interact with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and what your responsibilities and rights when dealing with IRCC.

Below are the top 4 tips to help you when interacting with IRCC:

1. Always provide honest and accurate information
Honesty is always the best policy. It is a serious crime to lie or provide false information or documents IRCC. It is your duty to ensure that you provide truthful, accurate and complete information when submitting any kind of application to IRCC. Providing false, inaccurate or incomplete information is a form of fraud and is called “misrepresentation”.

Misrepresentation can take different forms. For example, misrepresentation can be when someone provides wrong work history dates, or even forgets to provide information of on previous refusals from 10 years ago. In more serious cases it involves providing fraudulent or altered documents. The consequence of a finding of misrepresentation are very severe: you may be forbidden from coming to Canada for at least 5 years, may lose your permanent residence or Canadian citizenship, may be charged with a crime and may be removed from Canada.

The important thing to keep in mind is that it does not make a difference if you provided the false information or documents yourself or someone provided them on your behalf. You are responsible for your application, even if you have a representative or someone who helps you prepare the application. Unfortunately, I have been increasingly contacted by people who have applied for Canadian visas with the help of agencies or other unauthorized representatives but then found out that they are now inadmissible to Canada because of misrepresentation in their application.

So whether you are applying yourself or using the services of a representative make sure that you check every single answer and document before you submit your application.

2.Record keeping
One tool that will be extremely helpful to ensure you are able to provide honest and accurate disclosure is to keep copies of all your forms and documents that you provide for future reference. It is difficult to remember details of your application if you do not have a copy of it and without a track record you may inadvertently make a mistake in future applications. IRCC keeps copies of all your applications and so you should also keep print or electronic copies of all your applications as well.

3. Know the Law - Ignorance is not an excuse
Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable excuse. Make sure that you fully understand the law and requirements before you submit an application or undertake any course of action. The excuse that you did not know the law will not help you when IRCC determines that have acted illegally. An example is the length of time you are permitted to remain in Canada with a visitor visa or the limitations on the amount of time you may work while you are a student. Make sure you understand the legal requirements and if necessary seek out professional legal advice.

And remember that while friends and family may have the best of intentions their advice and experiences in dealing with a situation will not necessarily apply to your case and may land you in trouble if you do not verify the information yourself or with a professional.

4. Make sure you are dealing with Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC)
Be very careful of scams and sources of information that are not directly from the government or licenced legal professionals. Unfortunately, there are many scams that try to either get money from you or steal your information and identity.

Here are some important things to help guide you if you think you may be facing a scam:

No one can guarantee you a job or a visa to Canada
Only immigration officers can decide to issue a visa
Processing fees are the same for all of our services in Canada and around the world. Fees in local currencies are based on official exchange rates. They are the same amount as fees in Canadian dollars.
IRCC will never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account, transfer money through private money transfer service, threaten you or offer special deals to people who want to immigrate
IRCC never uses free email services, such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail to contact you
IRCC never calls people to demand payment by telephone

In addition, you should be very careful of scams asking for details of your credit card, bank account, passport number or social insurance number. If you are the victim of a scam you can report the information to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre but unfortunately your information and money are likely gone forever.

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Maintaining legal status as a temporary resident in Canada

18/10/2018

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Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals are admitted to Canada as “temporary residents”. These may be tourists who are visiting under a visitor visa or an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if they are from a visa-exempt country. They may be students or workers in Canada temporarily. While many applicants are most concerned about the eligibility requirements to obtain such temporary visas to enter Canada, it is extremely important for temporary residents to understand the legal nature of their stay in Canada in order to maintain their status and ensure that they do not become inadmissible to Canada by breaching any conditions on their type of visa.

Having legal status means you are authorized to enter and remain in Canada as a temporary or permanent resident under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, as a Canadian citizen under the Citizenship Act or as a Registered Indian under the Indian Act. In the case of temporary residents, your status is valid for a specific period of time that is set out in your visa, study or work permit.

Apply for an extension before you lose your status
Each type of temporary visa has a different duration. For example a study permit may be for the duration of your studies in Canada. A work permit may be for the duration of the contract of employment you have with your employer in Canada. In the case of visitors you are generally permitted to stay in Canada for up to 6 months from the date of your entry (unless the officer indicates at the time of your entry that you are permitted to remain in Canada for a shorter period of time).

Irrespective of the type of temporary status you hold, you should be careful of the duration and ensure that you take appropriate steps to extend you status before your status expires. For example, if your studies are taking longer than your original study permit, you can apply to extend your study permit. In the case of visitors, you will need to leave Canada before six months or, if there is a reason why you need to remain in Canada, it is possible to apply for an extension of your status before the six months is up.
What if you miss the deadline to extend you status?
In some situations you may not be able to apply to extend your visa or apply for a new visa in time. Depending on your circumstances this may create serious problems with regards to your ability to extend your study permit or work permit and may even impact your eligibility for future visas. However, if you have missed your deadline to apply for a renewal by only a few days, there is a window of opportunity to be able to apply to restore your status for up to 90 days from the date of expiration of your visa or permit

A restoration application is very important as you must explain the circumstances that prevented you from complying with the conditions of your permit and you must meet all the conditions of your initial visa or permit. Applications are processed on a case-by-case basis and the 90 day deadline is very rigid. If you have missed your deadline you should immediately consult an experienced immigration lawyer to understand your options.
Application To Return to Canada (ARC)
In some cases, where a temporary resident has overstayed his or her authorized period to remain in Canada or did not comply with the conditions of his or her stay, the resident may be issued with a removal order. If you are issued with a removal order (which may be a departure order, deportation order or exclusion order) then you may no longer stay in Canada and it may also result in you becoming inadmissible for re-entry to Canada.
Depending on the reason you receive on the removal order you may be able to appeal the decision. However, once a removal order is final, in most cases you will need a special permission called an Authorization to Return to Canada (“ARC”) before you will be allowed to re-enter Canada.
ARC applications require that you demonstrate that there is a low possibility that you will repeat the behaviour that caused the order to be issued in the first place and your current situation as well as the reason you have for returning to Canada. The officer will also consider the reasons for which the removal order was issued and the amount of time that has passed since the order was issued. There is no guarantee that an ARC will be issued and by having the assistance of an experienced immigration lawyer you will be able to navigate the process and ensure that you submit the best application possible and have the highest chance of success.

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Immigration Pathways For Business Owners and Managers

6/9/2018

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As a country built on immigration, Canada has been attracting entrepreneurs and investors from the start of its immigration story. Many of those initial entrepreneurs helped shape the early history of the country that we know today. In more modern times, Canada has adopted various business immigration programs since 1978 to attract entrepreneurs and investors and these programs have evolved over the past four decades.

The needs of entrepreneurs and investors are often different from those of other immigrants and these present a set of unique challenges for Canada's politicians and policymakers. Canada wants to select applicants who have a proven track record of success but is past performance the most important determinant of future success? Can a successful entrepreneur or investor that has spent a decade (or several decades) working outside of Canada replicate the same success in Canada? Setting up a new business in a new country can be a difficult task. You need access to local knowledge and networks, not to mention the local language. And will a successful entrepreneur want to stay in Canada and give up all that he or she has built outside of Canada.

The challenge for Canada's immigration system is to find the right balance between attracting successful entrepreneurs and making sure that the applicants that apply can and will stay in Canada to bring their knowledge, expertise and resources to Canada. And this is a serious challenge as demonstrated by the recent history of business immigration to Canada. Canada closed its long standing federal entrepreneur immigration program and investor immigration in 2014. The two programs that have since been introduced by the federal government (the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program and the Start Up Program) have received only a couple of hundred applications in the past five years.

At the provincial level, with the exception of the province of Quebec that still has an immigrant investor program, applicants can only apply under entrepreneur programs. As the population of many provinces continue to decline, there is a heightened need for provinces to retain newcomers. Therefore these entrepreneur programs have evolved into a two-step process where applicants must first spend time in the province (at least 1-2 years) and demonstrate that they can be successful entrepreneurs (set up and manage their own business with a minimum investment of $150,000 to $200,000) in Canada before they are able to apply for permanent residence. This new approach helps alleviate some of the concerns about the ability to choose applicants who will be able to replicate their success in Canada and remain in Canada.

So what are the options available to entrepreneurs and investors looking to relocate to Canada? Next week I will begin to review the current programs available, their eligibility requirements and how you can best prepare yourself to become a successful entrepreneur.

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International Students Part 5 – Pathways to Permanent Residence Continued

23/8/2018

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Sometimes it feels like Canada's regulations and programs for Permanent Resident change on a weekly basis. In truth there are more than a dozen programs available at both the federal and provincial level and these programs are constantly changing and evolving. The answer to whether you qualify for permanent residence in Canada may change from month to month and is wholly dependent upon your individual circumstances. Therefore, it is impossible to summarize all the possible pathways to permanent residence but below are the highlights of the main programs currently available for skilled workers.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
You may qualify to apply for PR under CEC if:

You have strong English or French Skills
Have at least one year of Canadian work experience at a skilled or managerial level

This program is managed through the Express Entry system and therefore the applicants with the most points will qualify and be selected from the Express Entry pool. There is no specific requirement for a post-secondary degree or to have a job offer but these can increase your points and thereby increase your chance of having a successful CEC application.

Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW)
You may qualify to apply for PR under the FSW class if:

You have strong English or French Skills
Have at least one year full-time experience at a skilled or managerial level
Have completed at least secondary education

Again this program is managed through the Express Entry system and the higher your points the more likely you are to be successful. Given the minimum scores that have been selected over the past year, applicants who are younger, have extremely good language skills and have either worked or studied in Canada are the most likely to succeed in this category.

Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST)
You may qualify to apply for PR under the FST class if:

You have strong English or French Skills
Have at least 2 years full-time experience in a skilled trade in the past 5 years
You have an offer of employment for at least one year OR a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued in Canada

Similar to the FSW and CEC this program is managed through the Express Entry system and the higher your points the more likely you are to be successful.

Provincial Nominee Program
There are numerous programs to attract skilled worker in each province, and the province of Quebec has its own specific program for permanent residents. While the requirements of each of these programs differ they often require strong language skills as well as a connection to the province such as having completed studies there or having a job offer from a local employer.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is a partnership between the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) and the aim of the AIP is to attract and retain talent in these provinces by offering a faster path to permanent residence.

The AIP allows employers in these provinces to hire qualified candidates for jobs that they have not been able to fill locally. In order to qualify you must have a job offer from a local employer and fall under one of the three programs: High-skilled Program, Intermediate-skilled Program and International Graduate Program (for those who have studied in one of the provinces).

Each step that you take will impact your ability to qualify under any of these programs in the future. Therefore if you are interested in planning out your pathway to permanent residence you should speak with an experienced immigration lawyer as soon as possible.

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International Students Part 4 – Pathways to permanent residence for international students

16/8/2018

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Over the past few weeks I have written about the options available for students who choose to study in Canada as international students. What happens when you complete your studies? Do you have any option for working or becoming a permanent resident in Canada? The good news is that in many cases, depending on your circumstances, the answer to these questions is yes and you may be able to work and go on to become a permanent resident of Canada.

Canada's immigration policy has shifted from attracting and processing skilled worker applicants from outside of Canada to encouraging international students and foreign workers already in Canada to apply for permanent residence. These candidates have already spent time in Canada, having studied or gained Canadian work experience, which so often is a barrier for the successful establishment of new immigrants to Canada. Therefore, after you complete your studies in Canada there are a number of different programs that may put you on a pathway to Canadian permanent residence.

Post-graduate work permit
After you graduate, you may be able to work temporarily, depending on where, what program and how long you studied. To work in Canada after you graduate, you need a work permit. The work experience you gain while working may help you qualify for permanent residence.

If you graduated from a designated learning institution, you may be eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). Not all designated learning institutions make you eligible for a post-graduation work permit and therefore you must be careful in choosing where you study and the program you will enrol in.

To get a post-graduation work permit, you must:

be 18 or older when you apply
have continuously studied full-time in Canada in a study program at least eight months long
have a document from your school (transcript, official letter, certificate, etc.) that confirms you completed and passed all your program requirements
have graduated from a:
public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade/technical school or university, or CEGEP in Quebec or
private post-secondary school that operates under the same rules as public schools (currently applies only to certain private post-secondary institutions in Quebec) or
private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP) or
Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree) but only if you are enrolled in a study programs leading to a degree as authorized by the province
apply for a work permit within 90 days of when it was confirmed that you completed your program and
have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit.
If your program of study was less than eight months long or you studied for more than eight months but not continuously (for example, you took a semester off), or if you completed a study program by distance learning either from abroad or from within Canada you will not be eligible to obtain a PGWP. Also, recipients of certain scholarships, such as the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program, are not eligible for the PGWP. Finally, the PGWP is a one-time opportunity: if you have already had a post-graduation work permit following any other program of study you will not be eligible to receive a second PGWP.

With a PGWP you will be able to work legally in Canada for the duration of your work permit. Any employer that wants to hire you will not need to go through the bureaucratic process of demonstrating why they need to hire a non-Canadian employee. And most importantly you will build up your work experience to help you in qualifying for one of Canada's immigration programs such as the Canada Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program or one of the Provincial Nominee Programs. Therefore, it is extremely important that you ensure that your program of study qualifies you to receive a PGWP and that you apply in time and meet all the conditions in order to successfully obtain a PGWP if you wish to embark on a possible path to Canadian permanent residence.

What happens after you complete your studies and gain Canadian work experience? Next week I will be writing about the latest eligibility requirements of these pathways to permanent residence.

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Frequently Asked Questions By Visitors to Canada

1/2/2018

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According to the latest information released by Tourism Toronto, the number of visitors to the Toronto region in 2017 exceeded all previous records and was an exceptional year for the tourism industry. The Toronto region alone hosted more than 40 million visitors in 2017 which resulted in more than $8 billion dollars generated in the local economy in 2017 and the creation of at least thousands of jobs in the region.

Where are these new visitors coming from and how has Canada's changing visa policies affected the growing tourism industry, not just in Toronto but across the whole country? In 2017 Canada introduced its New Tourism Vision with three clear goals:

to become one of the Top Ten most visited countries in the world by 2025.
Increase the number of international overnight visits to Canada by 30 per cent by 2021.
Double the number of tourists from China by 2021.

In order to achieve these goals, Canada has been increasing marketing efforts worldwide, including marketing programs aimed at Americans and millenials. In addition, there are focused efforts to attract visitors from China which is one of most lucrative source of visitors. In fact 2018 has been named as the “Canada-China Year of Tourism” in the hope of meeting the goal of doubling tourists from China over the next three years.

The other requirement in order to meet these goals is to increase access to the country. Canada has taken steps to lift visa requirements from more countries: for example as of 2017 Mexicans can travel to Canada without a visa. The electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) program has been expanded that allow easy processing and tracking of visitors from visa exempt countries. In addition Canada is growing its network of visa application centres (VACs) that take in visitor visa applications around the world: in China alone the they are opening 7 new VACs to process even more applications.

Increased access to Canada has also been made possible by Canada's decision to issue multiple-entry visas beginning in 2014 that are valid for the duration of your passport. In countries where passports are valid for 10 years that means the visitor can make repeat trips to Canada over the course of a decade. All of these visa measures have resulted in increased number of visitor visas being issued than ever before and in 2016 Canada issued 1,261,515 multiple entry visas. And while Chinese applicants received the most visas (350,949 in 2016), the other countries rounding out the top five are India (148,109), Brazil (61,546), Philipines (34,946) and Iran (16,754). It is also interesting to note that these figures have increased dramatically over the last few years: for example the number of visas issued to Iranians more than doubled from 7,780 in 2014 to 16,754 in 2016.

However, the increased number of visa applications has not gone unnoticed and Canada's immigration authorities are becoming aware of potential problems such as increased fraud in applying for a visitor visa or using your visitor visa to circumvent immigration laws. When a person applies for a visitor visa they have to demonstrate that they have the necessary financial means and that they have strong connections to their home country and will be leaving Canada after their short stay. While the number of investigations has not yet been released by Canada's Immigration authorities, the submission of fraudulent bank letters, title deeds and work documents has lead to a slowing of visa applications and a greater number of refusals. For example the current average processing time for a visitor application in the Ankara visa office is now more than 100 days where as it was previously only a few weeks. Therefore visa offices around the world are now taking extra precautions in reviewing applications and issuing visitor visas.

I am contacted everyday by people who have travelled to visit Canada with questions about what they are permitted to do as visitors and what options are available to them in order to apply for immigration and make Canada their home. Over the next few weeks I will be writing more about this topic and the important factors you have to consider in applying for a visitor visa, your duties, obligations and rights as a visitor, and whether you may be able to apply for immigration.

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NEWS

Visiting Canada: What can I do if my visitor visa application is refused?

Your Responsibilities When Dealing with Immigration and Citizenship Officials

Maintaining legal status as a temporary resident in Canada

Immigration Pathways For Business Owners and Managers

International Students Part 5 – Pathways to Permanent Residence Continued

International Students Part 4 – Pathways to permanent residence for international students

Frequently Asked Questions By Visitors to Canada

Authors:
Zeynab Ziaie
Zahra Ziaie

Archives

Categories

NEWS

Visiting Canada: What can I do if my visitor visa application is refused?

Your Responsibilities When Dealing with Immigration and Citizenship Officials

Maintaining legal status as a temporary resident in Canada

Immigration Pathways For Business Owners and Managers

International Students Part 5 – Pathways to Permanent Residence Continued

International Students Part 4 – Pathways to permanent residence for international students

Frequently Asked Questions By Visitors to Canada

Authors: Zeynab Ziaie Zahra Ziaie

Archives

Categories

Authors:
Zeynab Ziaie
Zahra Ziaie