Frequently Asked Questions by Skilled Worker Applicants

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. 

Common-law spouses and same-sex partners are not considered spouses for immigration purposes.  They will be assessed independently.  Where the common-law spouse or same-sex partner does not qualify as an independent immigrant, an Immigrant Visa may still be issued on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. 

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:

• is a danger to public health or safety; or
• would cause excessive demand on health or social services in Canada.

Medical Examination Instructions
Instructions on how to take the medical examination will normally be sent to you after you submit your application to the Visa Office.

Validity
You can only use your examination results in your application for 12 months from when you had the examination. If you are not admitted to Canada as a permanent resident within this time, you will be required to undergo another examination.

Authorized Doctors
Your own doctor cannot do the medical examination. You must see a physician on Canada's list of Designated Medical Practitioners.

Medical Report Procedures
Medical reports and x-rays for the medical examination become the property of the Canadian Immigration Medical Authorities and cannot be returned to you.

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:

• inactive tuberculosis (TB); or
• evidence of a previous syphilis infection that has been treated prior to entering Canada.

Why is medical surveillance necessary?

Medical surveillance helps people with certain conditions maintain their own health, and protects their family members and people in Canada.

How is medical surveillance carried out?

• People who require medical surveillance will receive a Medical Surveillance Undertaking form (IMM 0535) and a Medical Surveillance Handout that provides instructions and telephone numbers for contacting public health authorities. They must report to a public health authority within 30 days of entering Canada.
• If they are already living in Canada, people who require medical surveillance are required to report to a public health authority within 30 days of receiving the medical surveillance handout.
• Upon entry to Canada, Port of Entry staff will send copies of any IMM 0535 forms to the Medical Surveillance Unit (MSU) so that provincial and territorial health authorities are made aware of the arrival of individuals requiring medical surveillance.

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.

What are the five criteria on which the medical officer would base his assessment of admissibility?

The medical officer has five criteria on which to base his assessment of admissibility.

This medical profile consists of a coded series of letters and numbers based on the two principal criteria and the three supporting criteria mentioned above. The five criteria are:

H - Risk to Public Safety or Public Health

D - Expected Demand on Health or Social Services

T - Response to Medical Treatment

S - Surveillance

E - Potential Employability or Productivity

Under each criterion is a list of descriptive categories. Taken as a whole, the ratings assigned under each criterion form the basis for a legally binding medical opinion regarding admissibility. This opinion is expressed by the symbol "M" at the end of the profile and represents the combined significance of the five criteria. It is indicated symbolically as

M - Statement of Medical Status

Ml No health impairment sufficient to prevent admission

M2 Has a condition for which the degree of risk to public health or safety is not sufficient to exclude admission, but which risk should be considered in relation to other personal and social criteria.

M3 Has a condition for which the potential demand on health or social services is not sufficient to exclude admission, but which risk should be considered in relation to other personal and social criteria.

M4 Has a condition which is likely to endanger public health or safety to such an extent that the applicant is at present inadmissible, but for which the expected response to treatment is such that future admission could be considered.

M5 Has a condition which is likely to cause demand on health or social services to such an extent that the applicant is not at present admissible, but for which the expected response to treatment is such that future admission could be considered.

M6 Has a condition which is a danger to public health or safety and which is not likely to respond to treatment in such a way as to allow admission in the foreseeable future.

M7 Has a condition which could cause excessive demand on health or social services, and which is not likely to respond to treatment. Please note that medical assessment is done on a case by case basis, taking all aspects of an applicant's condition into account. The references below should be taken only as general guidelines, not as absolutely applicable in all cases.

The Visa Office will tell you in writing if there is a problem with your medical examination.

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.

• Bring as much money as possible to make moving and finding a home in Canada easier.
• You will not be taxed if you bring your money when you come in right away.
• Talk to a good Tax Consultant who will guide you accordingly.
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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:

• cash;
• securities in bearer form (for example: stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills); or
• negotiable instruments in bearer form (for example: bankers' drafts, cheques, travelers' cheques, money orders.)

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 16-24 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 9 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.