Most international students need a Study Permit to enjoy the diverse and vibrant education offered in Canadian Institutions of Learning. Each permit has an expiration date depending on your conditions for studies and tenure of the program as you Study in Canada.

You should apply for an extension of your Study Permit, at least 30 days before its expiration if:

• You complete your education program earlier than expected and want to continue with your studies. All study permits have an additional 90 days validity after completion of studies. The days start when you receive notification of the finalization of learning from the respective institution or upon receipt of your diploma, certificate or degree.
• The program takes longer to complete than the days covered by your Study Permit

Once the permit expires, you lose your status, if you stay in Canada. However, you can restore your status by applying within 90 days of the expiry date.

By ensuring that delays do not occur in the processing of your application by:.

 

• insufficient postage;
• incomplete or unsigned application forms;
• incorrect or missing fees;
• incorrect, incomplete address or failure to notify the visa office of a change of address;
• missing documents;
• unclear photocopies of documents;
• documents not accompanied by a certified English or French translation;
• verification of information and documents provided;
• a medical condition that may require additional tests or consultations;
• a criminal or security problem;
• family situations such as impending divorce, or custody or maintenance issues;
• completion of legal adoption;
• consultation is required with other offices in Canada and abroad;
• inquiring about the status of your application before the standard processing time has elapsed;
• you are not a permanent resident of the country in which you currently reside.

There are two main categories of work permit that those who want to Work in Canada can apply for, i.e., Open Work Permit and the Employer-Specific Work Permit.

An Open Work Permit doesn’t restrict the holder to providing their services to a particular employer. To be eligible for this permit, you could be:

• Spouse or common-law partner of an international student or worker in Canada
• Permanent Resident applicant who has also applied for work in an office in Canada
• Refugee, protected persons, refugee claimants and their family members.

Dependent family members of a permanent resident applicant, holders of a temporary resident permit, and young workers who are working in a unique program can also apply.

It depends on the type of application being submitted, and the processing time taken at a particular Visa Post or Case Processing Center. Visitor visas can take from one day up to 4 months. Applications for permanent residency can take from one year up to two years (however, there have been some cases with horrific delays of 3-4 years, by visa offices). The following should normally be the service standards and time frames that Citizenship and Immigration Canada usually takes, depending upon different visa posts. It should give you some idea of processing times. Complex cases take longer to process.

 

• Student applications: 80% processed within 4 weeks
• Routine family class applications by spouses: 6 months
• Approval in principle for applications for landing in Canada sent to Vegreville: 90 days
• Granting of landing through Vegreville: 12 to 18 months
• Visitor extensions: 25 days
• Citizenship applications: 8 to 12 months

Yes, there is a selection interview for the principal applicant as well his dependents above 18 years of age. However, in some cases, the interview can be waived off.

The eligibility criterion used to obtain a PR Card (Permanent Resident Card) include:

• One who lives in Canada
• One who is not a Canadian Citizen. A Canadian citizen does not need to have a PR Card.
• If you have the status of a permanent resident
• If the government of Canada has not asked you to leave the country

No, it is not a compulsion to land in the intended destination mentioned in the application. One can land anywhere in Canada except in cases of Provincial Nominee like Quebec.

Spouse and children below 22 years of age are included in the application with the principal applicant. A child above 21 years of age and not having a single break between studies and who is not married can also accompany his/her parents.

Yes, there are special procedures for immigration to some provinces like Quebec, Manitoba etc under the Provincial Nominee Program. Under these programs there is a separate set of selection criteria and it is usually for few occupations in demand in that province. If a person is interested for Quebec, he must satisfy selection criteria of Quebec Immigration. After selection by the province, you become their Provincial nominee. A visa is, however, issued by Federal Immigration authorities.

A Canadian Landed Immigrant/Permanent Resident Visa holder can reside and earn a livelihood while working anywhere within Canada. A landed immigrant is entitled to several rights and privileges enjoyed by a Canadian citizen under the “Charter of Rights and Freedom”. He/she can do any job with any employer, do any business or buy any property.

There are some professions that are regulated in Canada, i.e., you need to be licensed by provincial authorities to practice. Engineers, engineering technicians and technologists and physicians are among these. In some occupations, you have to get your qualifications assessed for immigration purposes by the relevant accreditation body before your immigration request could be processed.

According to Canada’s Citizenship Act, Canadian citizens are allowed to hold dual citizenship. This means that they will not lose their Canadian citizenship if they become a citizenof another country or all countries of the world.

Yes. All of your dependents who are not already permanent residents or Canadian citizens, whether they will accompany you to Canada or not, must undergo a medical examination.

Individuals may be denied admittance to Canada due to the high costs of their care. The factors considered during the medical assessment include whether or not hospitalization or medical, social or institutional care is required and whether potential employability or productivity could be affected. For example, a person with a serious disease or psychiatric disorder requiring ongoing care or hospitalization may be inadmissible because their requirements would place “excessive demand” on the Canadian health-care system.

Your immigrant visa will state how long it will be valid for. Usually, it is valid for one year from the date of the medical examination or date of acceptance or the date of expiry of passports. Immigrant visas cannot be extended once issued. If applicants do not use the visas within their validity, they will have to reapply for immigration to Canada.

By ensuring that your documents are all complete and proper and that you have tallied with the checklist for all your supporting documents. A new division has been put in the new Regulations that talks about the contents of application. This means that now the onus and responsibility is on the applicant to study and research properly before filing and the application should be complete in all respects. Otherwise, it can be returned.

Provided that your daughter has been in school from the time she turned 22 until the date that the visa is issued, the daughter may be able to qualify as a dependent child and immigrate with the rest of the family. Royal Canadian Immigration understands that the Canadian immigration process is complicated and confusing. We have made every attempt possible to simplify the process. However, we realize that you might still have some questions. By providing this list we hope to clarify some the questions that you may have.

In order to sponsor your parents to immigrate, you will need to prove that in the 12 months prior to submitting your application, your family’s total income was more than a certain amount, called the “Low Income Cut Off” (“LICO”) Level. This will vary depending upon the number of members in your family. For example, for a family of four to sponsor either of the spouse’s parents, the family would need to prove that it earned approximately $44,000 CDN in the 12 month’s prior to the sponsorship application.

The Canadian government has a program to “fast track” the approval for work permits for software professionals with eight certain types of experience. Also, if your skill set is in demand, your employer may be able to have your job approved by Human Resources Development Canada so that you can get a work permit.

In order to qualify as an independent skilled worker, you need to have at least one year of work experience in an admissible skilled occupation. If you are just graduating and have no prior work experience, this will be difficult. In many cases, however, graduates from publicly funded educational institutions in Canada can qualify for a one-year work permit after their studies and they can do a job related to their studies. After that time, you may have the work experience and required points in order to qualify.

In most cases, if more than five years have gone by since the end of your sentence (or payment of any fine), you can apply for a declaration of rehabilitation, which means your conviction would no longer prohibit you from entering Canada. Immigration officers would consider factors like:

• accepting responsibility for the offence
• showing remorse for any harm done
• evidence of restitution for victims of your crime
• evidence of a change in lifestyle
• stability in employment and family life
• continuing education and skills training programs to better yourself
• involvement in community work
• reference letters from community leaders, or business or professional people

The Federal and Provincial governments in Canada, allow for investors to immigrate into the country through the Business Class Visa. A foreign national planning to immigrate to Canada can fall into the Self-employed category if: They have two years of relevant experience within five years which include the day of application and ends on the day you receive a decision on your application.
They can contribute to the Canadian economy in a required area
Are planning and can continue in their self-employment in Canada
Relevant experience covers cultural activities, athletics and farm management. Applicants are graded based on a five selection criteria, i.e., experience, language proficiency in English or French, age, education, and adaptability. Feel free to fill in our Free Assessment Application Form to determine your eligibility.

In June 2014, a change was made on the criteria of the description of a dependent child. He or she should be:

• Below 19 years of age
• Dependent on their parents financially, despite the age, due to physical or mental condition
• Those children that fall into the Dependent Children category, at the initial stage of a multi-step permanent resident immigration program, will be locked in throughout the possibly multi-year process.