| September 08, 2008 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Canadian and American Immigration |
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How the Immigration Process Works? |
Why choose when I can do it myself?
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Before making the decision to choose an
immigration representative, you may wonder whether or not you even need one.
After all you may know people who have successfully obtained their visas
without hiring an immigration lawyer or consultant. You may have heard stories
of people simply filling out the forms, paying the government fees and bingo
they have been issued their visa.
However, you may have also heard of cases where the adventurous have gone it
alone only to find that, for some strange reason, their visa application was
refused. These stories are just that: stories.
Our position on applying for a visa without the benefit of legal representation
is a risk that is not worth taking-especially if you and your family are
serious about successfully immigrating. While it is true that it is possible
for you to represent yourself in some simple immigration matters, the reality
is that in doing so you are taking a gamble.
Immigration laws are constantly changing and are very complex. You may have
some basic understanding about what is involved in applying for a visa, but
unless you are a full time immigration professional, you will not be aware of
all the issues which may impact on your case. Moreover, even if you apply on
your own and get your visa, you may have created some problems that could
impact on your status long after your visa has been issued. So what seemed like
a successful visa application, may turn out to be just the opposite.
Does this mean that we think you should leave it all up to the experts? No way.
We believe that it is important that applicants educate themselves about the
visa process and work with a professional as a team. Both applicants and
immigration professionals working together can maximize the applicant's chances
of success. Applicants know more about their personal circumstances than the
professional, whereas the professional knows more about immigration law.
Successful immigration cases result from bringing applicants and immigration
professionals together to work as a team.
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Which professional should I choose?
Lawyer or Consultant? |
Applicants should also know something about the
visa process to protect themselves from individuals representing themselves as
immigration professionals when they are really not. There is a great deal of
corruption in the immigration business. By having a basic understanding about
immigration, applicants can arm themselves against being victims of fraud.
There are essentially two types of immigration representatives offering their
services to clients: Lawyers and Consultants
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Is your representative a Canadian
Citizen or Permanent Resident? Does it Matter? |
Yes it matters. Before hiring a representative,
you should always ask whether he or she is a Canadian Citizen or Permanent
Resident. This is important because Citizenship and Immigration Canada has made
it a policy to deal only with representatives who are Canadians or Permanent
Residents. In it becoming more frequent for Canadian Consulates and High
Commissions to ask a representative to provide proof of their status in Canada
before dealing with them. You should therefore always ask to see your
representative's Canadian passport, Certificate of Citizenship or landing
document before hiring him or her. If your representative is not a Canadian or
Permanent Resident, he or she may not be able to effectively protect your
rights.
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Are You Well Documented? |
Many people mistakenly believe that all that is
involved in applying for immigration is completing some forms and paying a fee.
Nothing can be further from the truth. Completing your immigration forms
accurately and honestly is essential of course but what really may make the
difference between a successful application and one that is refused,, are the
documents that you include in your application that are in support of your
case.
Not only do your documents serve to substantiate the information that you have
filled in on your application, but they also tell the visa officer reviewing
the case, your story. The documents show the visa officer that not only do you
qualify for a visa but that there is a real live person behind the application
who really needs a visa.
Consider the case of an applicant who applies for Canadian permanent residence
under the Independent/skilled worker category. The Independent/Skilled Worker
Category is for people applying for immigration based on their own personal
credentials such as their education, employment experience etc. Applicant's
applying for immigration under this category are required to complete a
particular application form (Form IMM0008). This form asks the applicant to
provide some personal information including the applicants employment history
and educational background. These questions are very important and must be
completed properly.
Now it is clear that the applicant's own documents in such a case would go a
long way to substantiate the applicant's claims made on the application form.
For instance, employment references from previous and current employers would
help prove that the applicant really performed the duties of his or her
occupation and has worked in that occupation for the length of time that the
applicant claims. Not only this but such documents also often reveal personal
aspects of the applicant that the official immigration forms simply cannot
show. In the case of employment references, the letters often say something
nice about the applicant in terms of his or her performance at work. These
"personal touches" go a long way to make the applicant real in the minds of a
visa officer. Of course, what is most important is to provide credible and
trustworthy documents that are authentic and are relevant to your case.
However, documents are by nature personal items that do more than just prove
who you say you are; they tell the officer that you are a unique person and not
just a file with a number.
Proper presentation of your documents is also important. The more organized
your documents, the less risk there is of frustrating the visa officer by
making it difficult for him or her to find the relevant information. Your goal
as an applicant (or your lawyer's goal) should be to make the visa officer's
job as easy as possible. Nothing is worse than presenting a disorganized
application that annoys a visa officer.
What documents are you required to include with your application? The answer
depends on the nature of application that you are submitting. For example, the
documents that are required in support of a Study Permit application are much
different than those required for an independent/skilled worker application. In
most cases, the applications contain instructions on which documents are
required for a particular application. Generally, you are asked to include
documents proving your identity such as birth certificates or national identity
cards. If you are married, you should also include your marriage certificate.
Do you have to submit original documentation? In most cases, photocopies of
documents are acceptable but be prepared to submit original employment
references and police clearance certificates. Each application has specific
requirements for documents. It is important to carefully check what is
required.
Documents tell your story. Make sure to include all relevant documents in
support of your immigration case.
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Are you Canadian and wish to go to the U.S?
VisaPlace.com also has designed a special section just for Canadians who are
interested in working in the U.S. Check out our section on U.S Immigration for
Canadians and see what NAFTA can do for you!
View Details
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