Frequently Asked Questions

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada IRCC (formerly Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC) says that you do not need counsel. What they do not tell you is that their philosophy has changed over the years as the volume of applications increased: if you make any small mistake, they will not help you. They say they are no longer in the counseling business. Calls to their Hotline will yield different and often conflicting replies, adding to the confusion.

You will want to make a good application the first time, especially in the highly competitive Express Entry program, where small misunderstandings can rob you of essential ranking points to improve your visibility, and prevent you from being accused by IRCC of misrepresentation, barring you for five full years! You will have wasted years of your life waiting and good money doing anything else. It is always best advised to work with an expert.

We encourage you to read the Seven Secrets, as it explains many of the problems and pitfalls that you may encounter. Even meeting the passmark in the Skilled Worker Category, and knowing your Ranking Score for the new Express Entry program, is no guarantee that you will be seen among the pool of a hundred thousand applicants competing for the few precious invitations to apply for immigration.

We have intelligent and qualified candidates come into our office every day with failed applications, and we can see that they missed critical points. The forms, Act and Regulations may be there, but there is no explanation as to how to interpret the law, and no guidance to provide help on your personal circumstances.

An Immigration Consultant (CICC member) and an immigration specialist lawyer who have equal experience and background in the specific area of immigration that you need should serve you equally well. You need to find out if they have in-depth knowledge and experience working in the specific area of immigration law that concerns you. Almost all types of appeals can be handled effectively by a consultant. However, certain categories of failed applications can only be appealed in Federal Court, and only a lawyer may represent you.

For Federal Court appeals, it is best to hire a lawyer who is an immigration specialist and who has handled your type of appeal before. That may mean switching from the lawyer (or consultant) who submitted your first application. Immigration Consultants work in Immigration matters all day long, and no other area, much like lawyers that are Immigration specialists. Many lawyers have little or no experience working in Immigration law. Whoever you decide on, ask lots of questions, and choose someone you feel comfortable with.

CICC was created to protect you as a consumer, as its members must adhere to a strict code of ethics and professional conduct and meet standards of knowledge and competency. Non-CICC consultants are not allowed to represent you in any matter with Canada Immigration, and any application prepared by a paid representative that is not a CICC member will be returned by Canada Immigration. We have two members of CICC on staff to represent you.

No. Competent professional help is never free, and the adage that you get what you pay for rings especially true in the sensitive area of immigration. You should be interested in the best possible application the first time round, and not gamble with your future.

No. Canada Immigration will want to see substantial documentation to prove beyond reasonable doubt that your relationship is both genuine and ongoing. A poorly documented application will be delayed, and may face needless challenges. We make sure that your relationship is very well documented, so that you aren’t challenged by Canada Immigration by relying on the proof of one document alone.

If you have good reason to believe that you are in danger, and are afraid to return home, then the refugee claim was intended for you and you have been given sound advice. If you have been ‘encouraged’ to file as refugee because you don’t qualify in other ways, and someone has offered to embellish or create a story for you, and you have been promised an easy work permit and social assistance, then that is not in your best interest, and you will have lost all your fees in the end, and damaged your credibility for any future application that you may qualify for. The latest changes also have most applicants from a long list of designated countries ineligible for work permits or welfare.

There has been talk about the potential of a special program to ‘legalize’ those who are working without the proper Work Permits, but as of now there has been no program put in place. There may be some merit to a Humanitarian and Compassionate application, if your personal circumstances warrant it. It’s always best to ask someone who has lots of experience working with these unique applications, and will treat your inquiry with care and respect.

You have 6 months from your arrival as a visitor if you only have the stamp in your passport with no special notations to the contrary, and will need to leave Canada or apply to extend your status before the expiry date.

You may apply for a reinstatement within 90 days of a lapsed visa, and pay a special higher fee if you have a valid reason to stay on.

Unfortunately, those visas are issued only once. You may wish to investigate if you qualify for a Work Permit under the usual criteria, or there may be reasons to extend your stay as a Visitor.

Visitors can’t upgrade from visitor to worker from inside Canada. Any first initial visa must be applied for from outside the country prior to arrival. For highly skilled positions in the NOC levels O, A or B and where there is a labor shortage in Canada, there are processes that a foreign national can do to get a work permit, provided they have the right education and the approval of Service Canada ESDC. Only work in the NOC levels O, A or B qualify for LMIA’s and immigration, and bartenders and wait staff are C level NOCs.

Please refer to the Temporary Foreign Worker LMIA page of our website for more details on the LMIA process.

No. Short courses that start and end during your status as a visitor after your initial entry to Canada do not need Study Permits.

If you already have a work permit, please talk to us to see how you can apply for an Approval in Principal AIP work permit before the expiry of your current one, that will allow you to continue to work. If not, you may qualify for a Work Permit for a NOC O, A or B level position already under the normal LMIA criteria based on your education, work in a skilled profession and labour market shortage, and your employer’s willingness to sponsor an LMIA for you. Failing this, you will need to wait and apply for an open work permit only after you receive ‘approval in principle’.

You will need to sit one of the acceptable standard tests (currently IELTS (general, not academic) and CELPIP for English, TEF for French, and have the test results ready to include with your application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada IRCC (formerly Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC). There are also approved organizations designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada IRCC (formerly Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC) that will evaluate your education Credentials, the most prominent one being WES.

IELTS: http://www.ieltscanada.ca/

CELPIP: http://www.celpiptest.ca/about-celpip-g/

TEF: http://www.af.ca/ottawa/exam-centre/tef-tefaq/tef-canada/

WES: http://www.wes.org/ca/

Many factors are involved, with the most determining one being the volume of applications being handled by the Visa post in question. Other factors are the kind of application you are making, and how complete the application is, with all forms completed and all requested documentation attached at the outset. Your file may be selected for a detailed background security screening; this is done at random, and will add several months to completing your file.

If you don’t need to work, then you can wait. The completion process is usually another 60 to 120 days on average. However, if you need a status document, and also need to work, the added cost of the work permit is worth it, so that you are not gambling on unexpected delays in transferring the file to the local office, or any other unexpected turn of events

Best to resist the urge. Unnecessary frequent inquiries from the ‘worried well’ only serve to frustrate the staff, and they have a lot of influence on both the decision and the timely communication of the decision. If you have counsel, ask if the time you are waiting is within the expected norm of that visa post, and your category of application.

That all depends on what went wrong in the first application, and the reason that was given for the decline. Some applications cannot be repeated, like refugee claims. Others may qualify to be appealed within the prescribed periods set out by Canada Immigration. If there was no misrepresentation in the first application, and the grounds for the original application still exist, then a new application can be made, and is often successful.

If you are now coming back under the Express Entry program, you will need to know how the changes and ranking criteria impact your chances of being selected under the new EE protocol.

These are all serious matters that require expert guidance and individual assessment. You must not ignore any requests made of you or contemplate not appearing for the hearing. You should seek out expert help immediately.

Spouses are partners who are married to each other. If the foreign national is in Canada with current status (i.e. as a visitor or student) that has not expired, we can apply for you either inside Canada or overseas. (Status must be maintained at all times by applying for visa extensions while the application is in process.)

Common-law partners are partners who have lived together continually for at least one year. If the foreign national is in Canada with current status (i.e. as a visitor or student) that has not expired, we can apply for you either in Canada or overseas. (Status must be maintained at all times by applying for visa extensions while the application is in process.)

Conjugal partners are partners who are neither married and have not lived together continually for at least one year, and are involved in an intimate and exclusive marriage-like relationship. Typically this application must be filed overseas, as the foreign national is usually not in Canada. Conjugal partners will need to demonstrate that they have made every attempt to live together, and to marry if they are able to legally, and they are best advised to seek expert counsel and not attempt to apply on their own. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada IRCC (formerly Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC) will look to every reason to refuse this most misunderstood category.

You can be assured of getting honest and complete information, value added personal attention, the highest quality work, and skilled representation in any challenges from Canada Immigration. If you don’t qualify, we won’t accept your money.

Our fast-growing family of delighted clients refer their friends to us with confidence. We have been serving clients worldwide since 1995 in every visa office internationally. We hope to have the opportunity of working for you soon.