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Frequently Asked Questions
What is permanent residence? When people apply for immigration to Canada, they are in fact applying for a permanent residence visa. Permanent residence is a status that allows an immigrant to legally reside and earn a living anywhere in Canada while abiding by the country’s constitutional laws. In the U.S., such status is granted with what is known informally as Green Card. All individuals who are not eligible to apply directly for citizenship must first apply for permanent residence. After meeting minimum residency requirements (i.e. 3 years), individuals can then apply for citizenship, which entitles them to a Canadian passport. Although not able to vote in elections, permanent residents enjoy many of the same privileges as Canadian citizens, including the right to education, health and social services, and protection under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Can I retain a representative outside of Canada to assist me with my application to CIC? CIC can deal only with outside representatives who are either (1) Canadian citizens, or (2) permanent residents of Canada AND who are members in good standing of CSIC. Representatives who live
outside Canada and who are
neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents
or who arent members of CSIC might be trying
to take your money and run.
What are the different categories of immigrants? The rules for the admission of immigrants deal with three basic categories. The family class, independent/Skilled Worker class, and the Business/Investor Category. Family class Category: immigrants sponsored by close family members already living in Canada. Independent Category: immigrants who qualify for certain types of jobs or have other important assets to bring to Canada. They apply on their own or have more distant elatives living in Canada. Business Category: Canada welcomes business immigrants who have the ability and resources to invest in or establish businesses in Canada. During 1998, business immigrants invested more than $437 million in Canada. Business immigrants, who represent nearly 8% of total immigrants, include investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed immigrants. Selection criteria vary for each category. Investor Category: Investors must invest a minimum amount in approved projects in Canada. All investors must provide a minimum investment of $400,000 and have a minimum net worth of $800,000. Provinces and territories secure the investment against loss. You may finance your investment in the Immigrant Investor Program without having to deposit the whole amount of 400,000C$ but just 120,000C$ and borrow the rest thru us via a Bank or Financial Institution. Write to us for details.
Who can I include in my application for an Immigrant Visa?
Your spouse and any dependent children may be included in the application.
Children must be under the age of 19 years. If they are 19 and older,
they must not have had an interruption of more than 12 months in their
schooling. Your accompanying dependents will be subject to medical and
security clearance requirements. Other family members, such as your
parents, generally cannot be included in the application but you may be able
to sponsor them as part of the family class after you land in Canada.
Who must attend an interview? Interviews for the principal applicant and his/her adult dependants are generally required; however, they can be occasionally waived. If the applicant either shows that they have sufficient units to pass, or insufficient units with no chance of accumulating more in an interview, they are not likely to be interviewed. The interview is used to verify the information provided in the application, to assess the applicants' command of English/French languages, and to determine the personal suitability of applicants to successfully settle in Canada.
Is there any advantage to having relatives in Canada? Yes, having relatives in Canada can improve your potential for meeting the minimum criteria for immigration. Only close family are acceptable. Your relative can be your or your spouse's brother, sister, mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew. An established relative is seen to facilitate your adaptability into Canadian society.
Are there any other fees associated with the immigration process outside of your consultation fees? Yes, as stated above, there is a filing fee in the amount of CAD$550.00 for the principal applicant and each dependent aged 22 and above, and CAD$150.00 for dependents under the age of 22. Unlike your Right of Permanent Residence Fee, this ( Cost of Recovery Fee or Processing Fee as detailed above) is NOT refundable in the event that your application is not accepted, as it goes to the Canadian Government. There is also a Right of Landing fee (which is paid at the end of the application) in the amount of CAD$975.00 which applies to you and each dependent 22 years of age and above. This fee is refundable in the event that you are not able to land in Canada for any reason.
What is the Right of Landing Fee or Right of Permanent Residence Fee? The Right of Landing Fee (ROLF) or RPRF is paid for the right to obtain permanent resident status in Canada. The fee is partial compensation for the many benefits and privileges that permanent resident status confers. Every person aged 19 and over who applies for permanent resident status, whether at a post abroad or in Canada, must pay the fee. Every person who applies to sponsor a family member aged 19 or over must also pay the Right of Landing Fee on behalf of that dependent family member. The Immigrant Loans Program allows persons in genuine need of assistance, who can demonstrate an ability to repay, to obtain a loan to pay the Right of Landing Fee. The applicant normally pays the ROLF along with the application processing fee at the time of application, but may have the option of deferring payment of the ROLF to any other time during the process. The amount of the Right of Landing Fee is $975 per adult aged 19 or over. The fee is refundable if permanent residence status is not granted. Are there any other fees or costs? The application process may include other costs such as those related to medical examinations and police clearances; translating documents into French or English; and business and real estate valuations in certain cases.
Will my dependents and I be required to undergo a medical examination? Yes, you and any dependent will be required to undergo a medical examination by a physician designated by the Canadian Government.
Can I use my own doctor to do the medical examination? No. The examination must be done by an approved doctor on Canada’s list of Designated Medical Physicians.
Tell me more about the Medical Examination Procedure please? Sure, you must pass a medical examination before coming to Canada. Your dependants must also pass a medical examination even if they are not coming with you. Applications for permanent residence will not be accepted if that person's health:
Medical Examination
Instructions Validity Authorized Doctors Medical Report Procedures The doctor will not tell you the results of the medical examination. The doctor will let you know if you have a health-related problem. The DMP does not make the final decision. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will make the final decision on whether or not your medical examination has been passed for immigration purposes.
Do I have to submit a police clearance? Yes. You must submit a police clearance for you and your dependants from every country where you have resided for more than six months in the last ten years.
What medical conditions require surveillance? Applicants will be placed under medical surveillance if the results of their immigration medical examination for entry to Canada show that they have:
Medical surveillance helps people with certain conditions maintain their own health, and protects their family members and people in Canada.
There are specialized clinics in Canada for treating people who are HIV positive. All HIV positive migrants granted entry to Canada will receive a Health Follow-up Handout: HIV Infection to assist them in obtaining medical care in Canada.
Am I required to have a certain amount of assets? The Government of Canada does not provide financial support to new skilled worker immigrants. You must show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada. You cannot borrow this money from another person. You must be able to use this money to support your family. You will need to provide proof of your funds when you submit your application for immigration. The amount of money that you need to have to support your family is determined by the size of your family. While these are the lowest possible sums of money required to qualify we suggest you should have much more than the required minimum mentioned here.
You do not have to show that you have these funds if you have arranged employment in Canada.
How Much Money Should I bring into Canada when I land? Find out how much it costs to live where you are planning to settle in Canada.
Disclosure of funds: If you are carrying more than CDN $10,000, tell a Canadian official when you arrive in Canada. If you do not tell an official you may be fined or put in prison. These funds could be in the form of:
Will my application benefit if I have a close relative in Canada? Skilled Worker applicants will be awarded bonus points if the close relative is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and over the age of 19 years. The applicant is then referred to as an "assisted relative". To qualify as a close relative, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident must be the applicant's uncle, aunt, brother, sister, parent, nephew or niece.
Where do I submit my application for a Canadian Immigrant Visa? You submit your application for a Canadian Immigrant Visa to a Canadian visa office. Canadian Visa offices are located around the world. Each visa office specializes in the examination of documents from its region. To enhance program integrity it was decreed that as of May 2003 all applications would be submitted to the Visa Office allocated for a particular country. For eg: In the past if you lived in China, or Pakistan or India you could jump the queue if you submitted your application to Paris or Rome where the line up was much shorter. This unfortunately is no longer possible. Even if there is no Canadian visa office located in your country of residence, nonetheless your area is the responsibility of a particular Canadian visa office. For example, the Canadian visa office in London, England, is not only responsible for applications from the United Kingdom, but is also responsible for applications from other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Applicants under the Business Immigration Program must submit their applications to one of nine designated Visa Offices, which specialize in the evaluation of these files.
If your destination is the
Province of Quebec, you must submit an application for a Canadian Immigrant
Visa and an application for a Quebec Certificate of Selection to a Quebec
Delegation in your region. This procedure is required because Quebec has
exclusive jurisdiction to select immigrants who intend to reside in that
Province.
Can I apply to a Canadian visa office which is not responsible for the area in which I reside?
No you cannot do so anymore. As
of May 1 2003, applicants are required to submit applications to the visa
office responsible for the jurisdiction of their permanent residence, or the
region to which they had been legally admitted for a period of at least 1
year.
What documents should be submitted in support of my application for permanent residence? It would be very foolish to assume that each case that goes into a Visa office would require the same set of supporting documents. Each case is unique. Here is where you can count on our expertise. Usually such documents include but are not limited to the following, evidence of employment, education, assets, civil status, and an absence of criminal convictions. Each visa office has specific requirements regarding the submission of supporting documentation. It is advisable to seek expert guidance or instructions from your Immigration Representative or the Visa Office with regard to the submission of supporting documentation.
When must I submit the supporting documentation? Each visa office has specific timing requirements, but usually, supporting documents are submitted at the same time as your completed application forms and processing fees.
Some
Visa Offices insist that the
entire file be submitted at once, and
may even return incomplete files
without acknowledging receipt.
In what language must my supporting documentation be submitted?
All supporting documentation in
a language other than English or French must be accompanied by an English or
French translation, as translated by a certified translator. There are no
exceptions except in one or possibly two instances.
Can I transfer my application to a different visa office after it has been submitted? No you can no longer fill up a form and pay a fee or request to have your file transferred. In the past many applicants used this as a ploy to delay the processing and finalization of their cases. Immigration officials are now required to transfer applications only in those cases which in doing so would enhance Program integrity. Visa offices can always refuse to transfer a case.
How long does the immigration process take?
The average processing time of
all world-wide visa offices is approximately 12-18 months or more for
applications where a selection interview is required. Since each case is
unique and based on the circumstances of the case, and the office at which
the application is submitted, processing time may be as short as 7 months or
as long as 40 months or more.
What is a lock in date? A lock-in date is the date on which a visa office receives a completed application form, with full payment of the processing fees. The Canadian Courts have deemed the lock-in date to be the date on which factors such as age must be assessed. Thus, no points will be lost if the applicant's age changes during the processing of the application.
Could you say a few words about Permanent Residents Visa vs. the Visitor class Visa?
Permanent residents Persons who have been admitted to Canada as permanent residents have the right to come to the country and remain here, provided they have not surrendered or lost that status or it has not been established that they have engaged in activities, such as criminal acts, that would otherwise subject them to removal. Permanent residents who are not Canadian citizens may lose their permanent resident status if they abandon Canada as their place of permanent residence. All permanent residents have the right to apply for a Returning Resident Permit and should exercise this right if they plan to make frequent or extended visits outside the country or to engage in activities that might create a false impression that they intend to make their home elsewhere. On their return, this permit will assist in identifying them as persons who have travelled abroad but did not intend to abandon their home in Canada. Permits are available from Citizenship and Immigration centers in Canada or from Canadian visa offices abroad. Those who lose their permanent resident status by abandoning Canada may reapply to immigrate in the normal way at a Canadian visa office abroad. Those who lose their status through deportation are permanently barred from re-entering Canada unless they have obtained ministerial consent to be readmitted and have paid the related fees Entering Canada as a visitor is not a right but a privilege provided for under the Immigration Act. To be admitted, visitors may need a visa, which may be obtained at a visa office abroad, as well as a valid passport or travel document. Persons coming to Canada to work or study must have an authorization to do so. Once admitted, visitors are permitted to stay in the country for the period of time specified by immigration officers. Visitors lose their status and privileges if they:
I have often heard of the word "Ministers Permit" but do not understand what is meant by it? The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration may grant an inadmissible person the privilege of coming to or remaining in Canada by issuing a Minister's Permit. This permit may be cancelled at any time. If a person's permit is cancelled, he or she may be required to leave or be directed to attend an immigration inquiry.
What are removal orders? Immigration inquiries may result in one of the following: a departure order (which has no further effect if the person leaves Canada within the required time); an exclusion order (which bars the person from returning within one year unless ministerial consent is obtained); a deportation order (which permanently bars the person from returning to Canada unless ministerial consent is obtained); or a decision to allow the person to come to or remain in Canada. Persons who receive a departure order and who do not obtain a certificate of departure and do not leave Canada within the prescribed period will be deemed to have been ordered deported. In all cases involving removal orders, the persons and their counsel are informed of the reasons for, and given a copy of, the orders. Family members in Canada dependent on the person receiving a removal order may be included in the order. However, before being included, dependants have the right to be heard at the immigration inquiry. Family members who are Canadian citizens and family members who are permanent residents aged 19 or over cannot be included in a removal order. What are the five criteria on which the medical officer would base his assessment of admissibility?
Can you say a few words about the Elementary and Secondary School Education for Newcomers or would be immigrants? Public education is run by the provincial governments and is paid for through taxes. Public education is free and available to every child in Canada. By law, children must attend school until the age of 15 or 16. In some provinces there are separate public school boards reflecting different religious and languages preferences. Generally, the language of instruction is either English or French. If a student has difficulty with the language, he or she is usually given extra language training. Boys and girls share classrooms and are taught together in almost all public schools. Teachers in all provinces must be qualified and licensed. All academic teachers have at least one university degree and special training in education. Most children in Canada attend public schools. About five per cent of students go to private schools, which charge school fees. In most provinces children start out in elementary school, which is usually kindergarten to grade 6 or 8. This is followed by secondary school also called high school. In some provinces this may be divided into junior high (grades 7 to 9) and senior high (grades 10-12). Students must complete certain academic courses in high school in order to be admitted to university. Parents must register children at the local school or school board office. School boards are listed in the blue pages of the telephone book. When you register your child, you must take with you:
Your children’s language and mathematical skills might be tested. Then your child will be placed in the program the school thinks is best for them. If you think that your children may have been incorrectly placed, talk to their teacher, guidance Counsellor or school principal. I would like to Visit Canada. Please tell me if I need a visitors Visa? Citizens of the following countries and territories require a Visa to VISIT or TRANSIT Canada:
Who is exempt from entering Canada without a Visitor Visa? VISITOR VISA EXEMPTIONS
I am a young person wanting to migrate to Canada. Can you tell me what sort of night life could I expect to find in major cities across Canada? Can you tell me something about Vancouver?
Oh, there are plenty of places to visit and dine out in Vancouver. Here is one particular website that you will find pretty interesting. http://www.clubvibes.com/events/tonight.asp?city=1
In addition you may click here to visit .
Are there any key organizations serving newly arrived immigrants in Vancouver and the State of British Columbia? There are many organizations which provide services designed for newcomers to Canada. In fact, your local immigrant serving organization should be your first point of contact. Many of these organizations are listed here. Also remember when you use the telephone, speak slowly and clearly, and have a pen or pencil and some paper to write down information. You may be referred to another phone number, or be given other useful information
Abbotsford Community
Services Mennonite Central
Committee of BC Burnaby Family Life
Institute Burnaby Multicultural
Society Immigrant and
Multicultural Services Richmond Multicultural
Concerns Society Family Services of
Greater Vancouver Richmond Connections Surrey Delta Immigrant
Services Society Options: Services to
Community Progressive
Intercultural Community Services Society Family Services of the
North Shore Immigrant Services
Society Collingwood
Neighbourhood House Jewish Family Service
Agency Kiwassa Neighbourhood
House Little Mountain
Neighbourhood House MOSAIC The People's Law
School Ray-Cam Cooperative
Centre Riley Park Community
Association South Vancouver
Neighbourhood House SUCCESS Frog Hollow
Neighbourhood House Hispanic Community
Centre Pacific Immigrant
Resources Society Vancouver Association
for the Survivors of Torture (VAST) West End Community
Centre Association Vernon and District
Immigrant Services Victoria Immigrant and
Refugee Centre Intercultural
Association of Victoria
Do you know of any such organizations that help newly arrived immigrants in say Toronto, Ontario?
Listed below are names and telephone numbers of organizations that actively help newly arrived immigrants.
Social Development Council
Ajax, Pickering Brampton Neighbourhood
Resource Centre Catholic
Cross-Cultural Services Immigrant Settlement
and YMCA of Cambridge Arab Community Centre Dejinta Beesha Rexdale Women's Centre Polycultural Immigrant
and Community Services Guelph and District
Multicultural Centre Settlement and
Integration Services Organization of Hamilton Tropicana Community
Services Organization South Asian Family
Support Services (SAFS) Catholic
Cross-Cultural Services Centre for Information
and Community Sudbury Multicultural
Folk Arts Association Thunder Bay
Multicultural Association Afghan Women's
Counseling and Integration Bloor Information and
Life Skills Centre Canadian Centre for
Victims of Torture Canadian Ukrainian
Immigrant Aid Services Catholic
Cross-Cultural Services Harriet Tubman
Community Organization Inc. Centre for
Spanish-Speaking Peoples COFTM Centre
Francophone COSTI-IIAS Immigrant
Services CultureLink Ethiopian Association
in Toronto, Inc. Jamaican Canadian
Association Kababayan Community
Service Centre Mennonite New Life
Centre MIDAYNTA Tropicana Community
Services Organization Riverdale Immigrant
Women's Centre Scadding Court
Community Centre South Asian Women's
Centre Tamil Eelam Society of
Canada Thorncliffe Park
Neighbourhood Services Toronto Chinese
Community Services Association Toronto Organization
for Domestic Workers' Rights (INTERCEDE) Vietnamese Association
of Toronto
Could you tell me something about Free language training for newly arrived immigrants? Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program LINC offers both full- and part-time classes to suit your needs, and some centres offer free childcare while you attend classes. Most LINC centres can also refer you to other language training classes in your area. Remember, language classes are available for every adult in your family, not just the person who may be looking for work.
Contact your local immigrant serving organization or one of the LINC assessment centres listed below, depending on where you live.
Note: LINC is called ELSA in British Columbia. ELSA stands for English Language Services for Adults Gladwin Language
Centre College of New
Caledonia North Island College North Island College Cowichan Valley
Multicultural Association College of the Rockies Kamloops Immigrant
Services Society Multicultural Society
of Kelowna Central Vancouver
Island Multicultural Association Penticton and District
Immigrant Services North Island College College of New
Caledonia Continuing Education Okanagan University
College Okanagan University
College Timeline Data
Solutions Western ESL Services Vernon and District
Immigrant Services Society Intercultural
Association of Greater Victoria University College of the
Cariboo
Social Development Council
of Ajax, Pickering YMCA Immigrant
Services English Testing Centre Immigrant Settlement
and Counselling Services Guelph Multicultural
Centre Settlement and
Integration Services Organization (SISO) Halton English Testing
Centre for LINC and ESL Kitchener-Waterloo
YMCA Language Assessment Centre Cross Cultural Learner
and Kerry Reade Newcomers Centre London Cross Cultural
Learner Centre English Testing Centre
-- Malton Dufferin-Peel Roman
Catholic Separate YMCA Kingston and District
Immigrant Services YMCA of
Ottawa-Carleton New Canadians' Centre
-- Peterborough LINC Assessment and LINC Assessment Centre Sudbury
Multicultural/Folk Arts Association Thunder Bay
Multicultural Association YMCA of Greater
Toronto YMCA English Testing Centre The Career Foundation
Are there any special programmers that the BC Govt. has launched recently in addition to the existing Health Care provisions already in place for children? LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BENEFIT FROM HEALTHY KIDS CHANGES The program was introduced as part of BC Benefits in 1996 to provide children growing up in lower-income families with key health services not covered by the Medical Services Plan. Healthy Kids benefits are available to children in low-income families who are not already covered by federal or employer-sponsored insurance plans. "The government of British Columbia is committed to helping families make ends meet and to promoting the healthy development of all B.C. children," said Brewin. "Beginning this week we have expanded our successful Healthy Kids program so that more low-income children will have access to full coverage for the basic optical and dental care they need." April 12th, 2001
What is the BC Govt. doing especially for 'Business Migrants' to Canada? Over the last 10 years, more than 16,000 business immigrants and their families have come to B.C. Together, they have directly invested $3 billion in their businesses and created an estimated 75,000 jobs for B.C. residents. The Agreement for Canada-British Columbia Co-operation on Immigration, includes Annex B on the Realignment of Responsibilities for Immigrant Settlement Services. This annex will mean that in the future, the design and administration of general immigrant settlement services in B.C. will be the responsibility of the provincial government. Canada will continue to provide significant support for general settlement services through a transfer of funds to British Columbia ($45.8 million for each of the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 fiscal years). Mr. Dosanjh said the agreement is a major development for B.C. "It gives the province an unprecedented opportunity to have a greater hand in determining immigration policy to reflect B.C.'s economic and social circumstances," he said "Over the last ten years, immigration has been the leading component of B.C.'s labour force growth, making up about 40 percent of new entrants to the labour market," said Mr. Dosanjh. "And economic immigrants, such as entrepreneurs, investors and skilled workers, represent 65 percent of new arrivals. Immigrants contribute to the competitive skills of B.C.'s labour force, accounting for thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of investments."
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Avatar Immigration employs three fully Certified Canadian Immigration Consultants. Russell Monsurate M041198
Russell Monsurate is on the National Board of Directors of CAPIC and Ryan Monsurate is the Treasurer of the BC Chapter Board of Directors.
Russell Monsurate was the National Treasurer on the National Board of Directors of AICC and the Secretary of the BC Chapter of AICC. AICC was the Association of Immigration Counsel of Canada, which together with OICC have formed CAPIC |
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Questions? Please email us
Avatar Immigration Inc.
British Columbia: 604-925-9326
CSIC Members
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