|
4.1 Where do I submit
my application for a Canadian Immigrant Visa?
You submit your application for a
Canadian Immigrant Visa to a Canadian visa office. Every geographic
region in the world has a Canadian visa office to which your
application forms and supporting documents, along with all applicable
fees, can be submitted. Each visa office specializes in the
examination of documents from its region.
Even if there is no Canadian visa
office located in your country of residence, nonetheless your area is
the responsibility of a particular Canadian visa office. For example,
the Canadian visa office in London, England, is not only responsible
for applications from the United Kingdom, but is also responsible for
applications from other countries such as Finland and Saudi Arabia.
Applicants under the Business
Immigration Program must submit their applications to one of nine
designated Visa Offices, which specialize in the evaluation of these
files.
If your destination is the Province
of Quebec, you must submit an application for a Canadian Immigrant
Visa and an application for a Quebec Certificate of Selection to a
Quebec Delegation in your region. This procedure is required because
Quebec has exclusive jurisdiction to select immigrants who intend to
reside in that Province.
4.2 Can I apply to a Canadian
visa office which is not responsible for the area in which I reside?
You may submit your application to
the Canadian visa office of your choice. However, applications from
outside the visa office's area of responsibility may take longer to
process than applications from within its territory. These delays are
often a result of the visa office's lack of familiarity with
documents or issues which are particular to a country outside the
visa office's territory.
4.3 What documents should
be submitted in support of my application for permanent residence?
Supporting documents usually include evidence of employment,
education, assets, civil status, and an absence of criminal convictions.
Each visa office has specific requirements regarding the submission
of supporting documentation. It is advisable to seek expert guidance or
instructions from your visa office regarding the submission of
supporting documentation.
4.4 When must I submit
the supporting documentation?
Each visa office has specific timing requirements, but usually,
supporting documents are submitted at the same time as your
completed application forms and processing fees. Some Visa
Offices insist that the entire file be submitted at once, and may
even return incomplete files without acknowledging receipt.
4.5 In what
language must my supporting documentation be submitted?
All supporting documentation in a language other than English or
French must be accompanied by an English or French translation, as
translated by a certified translator.
4.6 Can I
transfer my application to a different visa office after it has been
submitted?
You can transfer your application to a different visa
office after it has been submitted. The transfer of an
application to a different visa office takes 6-8 weeks to
occur. Processing of the file will start again from the
beginning at the new visa office. The fee for transferring an
application is presently CAD$100.
4.7 How long does
the immigration process take?
The average processing time of all world-wide visa offices is
approximately 18 months for applications where a selection interview
is required. Depending on the circumstances of the case, and
the office at which the application is submitted, processing time
may be as short as 6 months or as long as 42 months.
4.8 What is a lock
in date?
A lock-in date is the date on which a visa office receives a
completed application form, with full payment of the processing
fees. The Canadian Courts have deemed the lock-in date to be
the date on which factors such as age must be assessed. Thus,
no points will be lost if the applicant's age changes during the
processing of the application.
|
Back to the FAQ main
page