Is it mandatory for an immigrant to participate in an interview with the visa office? Not necessarily. It is up to the appropriate Canadian immigration authority to decide whether they would like to interview you or not. The nature of the file and the credentials of the applicant will play a big role in the decision of the Canadian visa office abroad. For example, an immigrant showing a diploma from a very reputable school and work experience from a major firm will most likely be exempted from the interview. Entrepreneurs and Investors will have to do the interview every time because the Canadian visa officer will want to assess their ability to manage a business and see if they meet the requirements. Why should I engage an immigration lawyer to represent me?
Why should I engage an immigration lawyer to represent me? Although individuals can file their own immigration applications, it is not advisable to do so. The majority of immigrants use the services of Canadian immigration lawyers who are specialized in immigration matters to represent them, due to the complexity of the process and the obstacles that can be met. Canadian immigration lawyers are used to deal with the specific issues that may arise and maintain a high level of qualification and expertise. You must be wary of those who say “money back guarantee”, “no visa-no fee” or make other promises concerning the outcome of an application. Also nobody can really promise to get the visa in a shorter time. Only Canadian Visa officers can make the decision on your visa application.
Who is in charge of making the final decision on my acceptance to Canada? Some foreign Canadian offices around the world have on staff a visa officer. This officer is in charge of making the decision on whether you should be allowed entry into Canada. Those visa officers can be found in Embassies, Consulates or even Canadian High Commissions around the world. They will evaluate your file using the different grids of evaluation for each of the categories. For example, the visa officers will use a point system when grading the file of a skilled worker. They will want to meet the Entrepreneurs and Investors in order to evaluate their management experience and see if they could contribute in a positive way to the development of Canada.
Where are the immigration files processed? It depends on what country you are applying from. You need to check which Canadian Embassy or Consulate has jurisdiction over your region of the world. The candidate for immigration to Canada will need to apply either from this country of origin or the country in which he would have been lawfully been accepted as a resident. If you have a visitor’s visa to Canada that is valid you could even try to apply from within Canada during your next visit.
How much time can my file take? Every Canadian visa post has different processing times and different queues of pending files. It is known from experience that skilled workers can take 8 months up to 2 years in order to be processed depending on which part of the world they are applying from. There are no easy and transparent way to determine your waiting period. The only thing you can do is to make sure that the first time you apply for your residency you do not forget anything and that all your documents are in order. This is why working with an experienced lawyer will definitely help and avoid unnecessary delays.
Is it possible to immigrate to Canada if you have a medical condition? No, you can not immigrate to Canada if you have any form of chronic, contagious diseases that would require that an unfair burden be put on the Canadian health care system. This is why you need to pass a medical exam if you wish to be accepted to land into Canada as a permanent resident. In order to avoid spending your money on unnecessary fees, make sure you do not suffer from any of those unwanted conditions before you apply.
Can I still immigrate to Canada if I have a criminal record? It will seriously jeopardize your application to immigrate to Canada but you must look at all the details. For example, the nature of the offense, the sentence carried out and also the time at which the conviction was issued will all play a role in the decision of the visa officer. You will need to display all your police certificates and documents in order to prove that you have no serious criminal charges pending against you before you can land into Canada.
Can I delay my entry into Canada once I have been granted the permanent residency? Yes you can. Your medical examination results are valid for up to a year after your exam. You may enter Canada at any moment prior to the expiration of your visa. You will even be allowed if you do your landing into Canada to go out and back to your activities overseas just as long as you respect the minimum number of days spent in Canada