Overview

Are you visiting Canada in near future?

If yes you may need visa to enter Canada. Whether you are visiting for a few days or for several months, you need a proper visa. There are various types of visas. Visas, which are for categories other than international students, temporary workers, business visitors, entertainers etc. generally come under temporary resident visa and are given for a maximum period of 6 months. You need to go through some important guidelines and procedures to meet the CIC requirements in this regard.

There are countries which do not require passport and or visa. Please click here to find out if you belong to a country which may or may not require passport and or visa.

General Requirements:

To visit Canada as a temporary resident, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• be in good health
• convince an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin
• convince an immigration 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.

Apart from the above, you may also be required to get:

• a Temporary Resident Visa, depending on your citizenship, click here to find out more
• a medical examination and
• a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

Inadmissibility

There are two main grounds of inadmissibility:

1.  If you were involved in activities including involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime, you can be inadmissible to Canada.
2.  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.

If you were convicted of a crime when you were under the age of 18, you can probably still enter Canada. Please check with us to find out ways to get around your inadmissibility. We can apply for pardon or rehabilitation to cover your inadmissibility grounds.

Tips on Visa Documents Preparation

• You must get any visa or authorization you need before you leave for Canada. If you want to work or study, apply early because it will take time to receive all the papers and certificates you will need, especially for those which you may have to get from Canada. A student or worker authorization can be processed in a matter of days or up to six months, depending on how quickly you can provide the necessary supporting documents.
• Buy a good health insurance for travel needs while in Canada. Doctor visits and hospitals can be very expensive for non resident Canadians.
• Be prepared to be examined by an immigration official on arrival.

Visa extensions:

The terms and conditions set on your visa are to be followed. These are specified clearly on your visitor record. However there could be some situations where you may need extensions or status change.

• You may get visa extensions. If you have a valid reason for extension, it is advisable to apply at least three weeks in advance with us so that we can have the extensions processed well in time.
• You are not normally allowed to change your status once you are in Canada. A tourist for instance cannot work or study. Similarly work visas are generally job specific.

How can We Help

Visa refusals are very common these days particularly from certain countries where there is heavy traffic coming from and also high cases of misrepresentation on documents. Visa officers are very strict about norms and are very careful in screening through the documents. We understand that once your visa is refused your chances of getting it the next time are not enhanced in any way. Our expert and experienced staff handles visitor visas from various countries. CIC office in each country has different requirements in terms of documentation, police verification and visa requirements. We deal with a whole array of countries to support your application.

Each case is different, so we carefully assess and advise the right list of documents and then go through its validity before we send it for processing. We cross check all the relevant info provided on the documents to make sure there are no contradictions. Our emphasis on right documentation may in fact reduce your chances to be interviewed by the CIC office which not only expedites the process but also enhances your chance of success.

If for some reason your visa is refused or it was refused before you approached us, we seek CAIPS notes from the CIC office in your country, which helps us in understanding what transpired at the time of interview. It also gives us a clear picture of how the decision was arrived at. This helps us in preparing the response more effectively.