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Can I visit Canada while my Application for Permanent Residence is in process?

Your temporary entry to Canada is subject to the discretion of the immigration officer at the Canadian port of entry and they may refuse you entry if they know that you have applied for Permanent Residence in Canada and are, thus, an intending immigrant and not merely a visitor. If questioned whether you have an Application for Permanent Residence in progress, you must answer this question, truthfully; however, you should emphasize that your visit to Canada is merely temporary in nature and that it is your full intention to leave Canada upon the completion of your visit. Generally speaking, most of our clients in your situation have never experienced any difficulties, attempting to enter Canada as visitors while their Applications for Permanent Residence were in process although entry is NEVER guaranteed.

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How do I prove English/French language abilities?

If you have any documents to demonstrate your proficiency in the English/French language (i.e. academic transcripts, diplomas, certificates, etc.), we shall ask you to provide these documents to us for presentation to Citizenship and Immigration Canada officials when we file your Application package. Otherwise, you must take an approved language test if you are claiming abilities in a language that is not your native language.

Approved English Tests

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) http://www.ielts.org
• Canadian International Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP ) http://www.lpi.ubc.ca/celpip.htm

Approved French Tests

• Test d’evaluation de Fracais (TEF) http://www.fda.ccip.fr/default.asp?metaid=4

PLEASE NOTE: Notwithstanding the above information, a Canadian visa officer can insist upon IELTS/TEF test results if he/she is not satisfied with an applicant’s proof of English/French language ability, in which case IELTS/TEF test results become OBLIGATORY.

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I would like to retain/engage your services. How do I do so?

You have filled out our free assessment form and we have provided you with our assessment and our Agreement.

If you would like to retain/engage our services, you need only print your name and insert your signature on the Agreement, where indicated, and return the document to our office with your initial payment of our legal fees.

If remitting the first installment of our legal fees, via wire transfer or credit card, the signed Agreement can be faxed or scanned and e-mailed to our office.

If remitting the first installment of our legal fees, via money order/bank draft/cashier’s cheque/traveller’s cheque, the signed Agreement can be sent to our office, via mail or courier, in the same envelope as that in which you enclose your payment.

Just as soon as your initial payment has been received by our office, we shall prepare our preliminary package to send to you, via e-mail, which contains all of the necessary forms, document checklists, instructions and information so as to enable you to commence the Immigration Application process with our assistance.

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How can I determine if I am eligible to become a permanent resident of Canada?

If you are interested in immigrating to Canada, we invite you to visit our Free Online Assessment Questionnaire, which is designed to enable us to assess your qualifications for immigration to Canada in accordance with Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s selection criteria, at no charge to you, usually within a few hours but no more than one (1) business day from the time that your Questionnaire is received. Business days in Canada are from 09:00 to 17:00, Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.

A member of our team will provide you with a detailed breakdown of our fees and services, via e-mail once you;ve submitted the free assessment form.

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I would like to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa. Can you help me?

If you plan to visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• be in good health
• convince a visa officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin
• convince a visa officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit and
• have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region.

You may also need:

• a Temporary Resident Visa, depending on your citizenship
• a medical examination and
• a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

Inadmissibility

Some people are inadmissible-they are not allowed to come to Canada. Several things can make you inadmissible, including involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime. You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.
Criminal inadmissibility

If you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, you may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Criminal offences include both minor and serious offences, such as theft, assault, manslaughter, dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For a complete list of criminal offences in Canada, consult the Canadian Criminal Code.

If you were convicted of a crime when you were under the age of 18, you can probably still enter Canada.
How can we help?

We can assist by preparing an affidavit that will serve as your letter of invitation. You must have a relative or friend who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who will sign the affidavit to invite you to come to Canada for the visit.

We can also prepare the application forms for the Temporary Resident (Visitor) Visa Application and provide advice concerning the supporting documents necessary to increase the chance for a successful application.

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I would like to obtain a Study Permit. Can you help me?

Before you can apply for a Study Permit, you must have been accepted at a recognized school, university or college in Canada. To be eligible to study in Canada:

• You must have been accepted by a school, college, university or other educational institution in Canada.
• You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your:
• Tuition fees
• living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and
• return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
• You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may have to provide a police certificate.
• You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.
• You must satisfy a visa officer that you will leave Canada when you have completed your studies.

Exceptions - In some cases, you do not require a Study Permit to go to school in Canada.

You do not need a Study Permit if you plan to take a course or program in Canada that lasts six months or less. You must complete the course or program within the period authorized for your stay in Canada.

Even if you do not need a Study Permit, it is a good idea to apply for a permit before you come to Canada. If you decide that you want to continue your studies in another program after you complete your short-term course or program, you must apply through a Canadian visa office outside Canada for a Study Permit if you do not already have one.

If you are a family member or staff member of a foreign representative to Canada accredited by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, you may not need a permit to study in Canada. You should contact your embassy in Canada. Your embassy can contact the Office of Protocol at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada to find out whether you need a Study Permit.

If you are a member of a foreign armed force under the Visiting Forces Act, you do not need a permit to study in Canada. If your family members, including minor children, want to study in Canada, they must meet the requirements.

How can we help?

Once you have received your offer of acceptance from a recognized school, university or college, we can assist you by preparing the Application for Study Permit and advise you regarding the supporting documents required to increase the chance for a successful application.

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I would like to obtain a Work Permit. Can you help me?

A Work Permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessary. If you want to work in Canada, you must understand the following important information:

• Your employer helps determine if you are eligible. Your employer may need to get a labour market opinion from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). A labour market opinion confirms that the employer can fill the job with a foreign worker.
• To work in Canada, you must meet the general requirements for entering the country and for staying here, in addition to those for getting a Work Permit. This means you may need a Temporary Resident Visa.
• A Work Permit is not an immigration document. It does not allow you to live in Canada permanently. To live here permanently, you must qualify under an immigration category, such as skilled worker. Live-in caregivers can stay in Canada permanently if they meet certain requirements.
• If you want your spouse or common-law partner and your dependent children to come with you to Canada, they must apply to do so.

Eligibility to apply from outside Canada

To apply for a Work Permit from outside Canada, you must submit the following documents:

• a job offer from a Canadian employer
• a completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, and
• written confirmation from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.
• In most cases, it is up to your employer to get that written confirmation. In some cases, you do not need a labour market opinion.

You must also do the following:

• Satisfy a visa officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your Work Permit.
• Show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family while you are in Canada.
• Respect the law and have no criminal record. You may have to provide a police clearance certificate.
• Show that you are not a risk to the security of Canada.
• Be in good health. You may have to have a medical examination.

Eligibility to apply as you enter Canada

You can apply for a Work Permit as you enter Canada, but only if you meet the following requirements:

• You are from the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.
• You do not need a medical examination (or you already have a medical certificate).
• You do not need a temporary resident visa to visit Canada and your job does not need a labour market opinion from HRSDC.
• You hold a labour market opinion from HRSDC.

If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, we can assist you by advising whether or not a labour market opinion from HRSDC is required, by assisting your employer to obtain the labour market opinion if necessary, by preparing the Application for a Work Permit and advising you regarding the supporting documents required to increase the chance for a successful application. Contact Us for more information.

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Once I am a permanent resident of Canada, do I have to stay in Canada?

Within any five (5) year period, a permanent resident must be:

physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (two (2) years) in that five (5) year period
OR
outside of Canada, accompanying a Canadian citizen, who is his or her spouse or common-law partner or a child accompanying a parent
OR
outside of Canada, employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business
OR
an accompanying spouse, common-law partner or child of a permanent resident, who is outside Canada and is employed as a full-time basis by a Canadian business.

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What is permanent residence in Canada?

Obtaining “permanent residence” or “permanent resident status” in Canada is also known as “immigrating to Canada” or becoming a “landed immigrant.” The successful end result of the immigration process is the issuance of an immigrant visa. Persons to whom an immigrant visa has been issued must present themselves to an immigration officer at one of Canada’s official ports of entry in order to become landed immigrants.

Canadian permanent residents/landed immigrants and citizens enjoy all of the same rights and privileges (i.e. free health care, free elementary and secondary education, etc.) with three (3) exceptions:

1. Permanent residents cannot vote;
2. Permanent residents cannot hold a Canadian passport; and
3. Permanent residents can be deported for certain criminal convictions.

Within any five (5) year period, a permanent resident must be:

physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (two (2) years) in that five (5) year period OR outside of Canada, accompanying a Canadian citizen, who is his or her spouse or common-law partner or a child accompanying a parent OR
outside of Canada, employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business OR
an accompanying spouse, common-law partner or child of a permanent resident, who is outside Canada and is employed as a full-time basis by a Canadian business.