Immigration to Canada

Like its neighbor country, USA, Canada also welcomes travelers from all over the world to either arrive in Canada as temporary visitors for short-term basis or to immigrate to the country.

Like most countries, there are two categories of visas issued by the Canadian authorities. The first is known as the ‘Non-Immigrant Visas’. This type of visa is for those people who happen to be foreign nationals wishing to come into Canada for leisure/tourism, business/temporary work, study, medical treatment and other related grounds.While ‘Immigrant visas’ are offered to those foreign nationals who wish or intend to work or settle permanently in Canada. In majority of the cases, a relative (Canadian Citizen), can petition for his/her spouse, Son/daughter, Parents or brother or sister. Furthermore, an employer can also sponsor an individual or individuals who want to settle in Canada for work purposes. In many cases, an individual may petition for his own immigrant visa this type usually comes under the skilled worker immigrant visa.

To sponsor an individual, the relative or employer has to fill out application forms available on the Canadian Immigration website under the Family Class Immigration Program.

First, the sponsor needs to prove that he/she is eligible to sponsor. To prove his/her eligibility, the sponsor needs to be 18 years or older, has to be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. The sponsor further needs to prove that he can support the individual financially after the individual are granted a visa to reside in Canada. After this, the sponsor needs to apply to be a sponsor. The CPC – Case Processing Center in Canada reviews the sponsor’s application and confirms it, after which the sponsor can apply for permanent residence for the individual(s) they’re sponsoring to the CIC- Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The form can be downloaded online, via their website http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp

The application includes many forms asking for bio metrics, birth certificates, marriage/divorce certificates (if applicable), job postings, affidavits, etc. After filling the form, the application needs to be submitted to the address on the form, usually the CIC’s head office in Canada.

The CIC then reviews the application which generally takes quite a lot of months. If the application is approved by the CIC, forwards the relative’s visa to a Canadian embassy in their own country (so if you’ve applied from Pakistan, your immigrant visa will come to the Canadian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan or whichever country you’ve been residing in for the last one year). An interview might take place if it’s required. Additionally, an applicant may be required to get a medical screening done. However, if the application is rejected, the CIC will let you know the reasons as to why it was.

However, certain applicants can also appeal for an immigrant visa on their own behalf. This category includes investors or workers with extraordinary aptitude or talent. This category comes under the ‘Federal Skilled Worker Immigrant Visa’. The application process is almost the same. The form for the eligibility for the sponsor is not required because there is no sponsor, in this case, however; the applicants are assessed factors such as their English and/or French language skills, their education, work experience, and other factors such as their age and prove that they can support their family or themselves when they arrive in Canada. The individual furthermore, has to have one year work experience in one of the 50 suitable occupations listed on the Canadian Government’s Immigration website. Furthermore, the applicant has to score 67 to 100 points on the testing grids for a successful immigration. As of January 2015, the CIC has started an ‘Express Entry’ system for a worker, which is an electronic system, which manages applications for all those who want to enter Canada for work purposes. It’s quicker and much easier.

The time it takes for an application to be processed depends on a majority of factors, every application Is treated as a different case and the whole process usually takes time as people from all over the world apply for immigration to Canada.