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Contents:

* Family Class Category Application
* Skilled Worker Category Application

Family Class Category Application

1. What is the definition of a Family Class application ?
Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada, 18 years of age or older, may sponsor close relatives or family members who want to become permanent residents of Canada.

2. What are the application fees ?
All government processing fees must be submitted concurrently with the submission of the application for permanent residence. The processing fees are not refundable and must be paid for the principal applicant and any accompanying spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children. The processing fees are as follow:

3. How long does the immigration process take ?
The average processing time varies from a region to another. The average processing time is approximately 12 to 24 months for applications. Nonetheless, depending on the circumstances of the case, and the office at which the application is submitted, processing time may be shorter or be as long as 42 months.

4. What is the immigration selection interview ?
Most Family Class applicants are required to attend a selection interview with an immigration officer. Such interviews are held to ensure the information in the application is accurate, to verify documentation, and to help applicants relocate to Canada and to verify the legitimacy of the relationship. Interview waivers are granted at the discretion of the immigration officials.

5. Will I have to undertake a medical exam ?
All prospective immigrants to Canada are required to undergo medical examinations. These examinations are intended to detect any health conditions which may affect the health of the Canadian public, or which may result in excessive demands being placed upon the Canadian health care system. Your medical examination will be conducted in the country where your application is submitted, and your dependent children must also take a medical examination, even if they are not coming to Canada with you.

6. Can I sponsor my spouse from within Canada instead of going through the entire process from abroad ?
You may sponsor your spouse or common-law partner from within Canada if you have been living together in Canada. Your spouse and common-law partner must maintain legal status in Canada during the application process. To qualify as a common-law partner, you must have lived together for at least one (1) year in a conjugal relationship and show proof of this.

7. Do I have any obligations if i undertake a sponsorship process ?
When you sponsor a relative or family member to become a permanent resident of Canada, you promise to support that person and their accompanying family members for a period of three to 10 years, depending on their age and relationship to you.

8. Is there anyway to expedite the immigration process ?
There is no magic way to expedite the process. Beware of representatives who claim that you will receive a visa faster or benefit from special treatment from the Canadian government by using their services. You may be able to speed up the process by:

* making sure all the necessary information is included with your application;
* notifying the Visa Office of any changes to the information on your application;
* avoiding unnecessary enquiries to the Visa Office;
* making sure the documents you provide are clear, legible and meet the specific requirements;
* providing certified English or French translations of documents, where indicated; and
* applying from a country where you are a citizen or permanent resident.

9. Is there any document I could submit to confirm my common-law relationship is genuine?
You can include a copy of your lease, bills, bank statements, any documents with both names to establish length and the type of relationship. You can also include photos, letters, cards, any correspondence. The earlier, the better, as this will confirm the length of the relationship. You can also include two or more letters from friends and family to confirm the relationship is genuine.

10. I sponsored my spouse before June 28, 2002 and the undertaking is for 10 years. Will it be reduced to three years after June 28, 2002 ?
No. The length of the undertaking remains at 10 years and will not be reduced to three years.
This applies to all undertakings entered into prior to June 28, 2002 whether or not your spouse
has obtained permanent resident status or the sponsorship application and the immigrant
visa are still pending.

11. What is a permanent residence ?
When people apply for immigration to Canada, they are in fact applying for a permanent residence visa. Permanent residence is a status that allows an immigrant to legally reside and earn a living anywhere in Canada. Every year, Canada welcomes thousands of new residents. Upon acceptance as a permanent resident, you will receive your permanent resident card. After three years of proven permanent residence in Canada, you may apply for your Canadian citizenship.

12. How can I qualify for Canadian permanent residence? What are the application categories ?
There are a number of categories in which you may apply for Canadian permanent residence. Each category has various assessment requirements and conditions. We invite you to complete our free online assessment form to verify your eligibility to immigrate to Canada.

13. Where should I submit my application ?
Applicants in the Skilled Worker and Family Class categories will be required to submit applications for permanent resident status to the visa office responsible for the jurisdiction in which they have been lawfully admitted. For those residing outside of their home country, this would include the home country in addition to the country of residence as long as they had been lawfully admitted for a period of at least one year.

14. Can I apply for permanent resident status and temporary status at the same time ?
You can apply for permanent resident status and temporary status at the same time (dual intent). Doing so will not harm your application for permanent resident status. However, your application for temporary status may be affected because an impression will have been created that you do not intend to leave Canada upon the expiration of your temporary status. Therefore it is better to apply for temporary status before you apply for your permanent resident status.

15. Will my application be rejected if I have a certain disease or disorder ?
Each medical case is analyzed individually, taking into account your full medical history. If the disease or disorder poses health risks to Canadians or places excessive demands on the Canadian health care system, it may result in medical inadmissibility.

16. Do I become a permanent resident of Canada as soon as my landing documents are issued ?
No. You will only become a permanent resident when you cross a Canadian port-of-entry with your valid passport and your valid Canadian Immigrant Visa.

17. How long can I wait to come to Canada after my Immigrant Visa is issued ?
You must arrive in Canada before the expiry date which appears on your Immigrant Visa. Usually, it is one year from the time medical examinations were completed. As this is not always the case, be sure to verify the expiry date as soon as you receive your Immigrant Visa.

Skilled Worker Category Application

1. What is the definition of a skilled worker ?
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) defines skilled workers as "people who may become permanent residents because they are able to become economically established in Canada".

2. What are the required funds to establish in Canada ?
You must have enough money or liquidable assets to support your family for an estimated period of six (6) months after you arrive in Canada. These funds cannot be borrowed from another person. The amount of money or liquidable assets you require is determined by the size of your family. Please find below the table used by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to determine if you have enough money or liquidable assets to support yourself and your family upon your arrival to Canada:

You must provide documented evidence that you will have access to your money or liquidable assets upon your arrival to Canada. You do not have to provide proof of these funds if you have arranged employment in Canada. Please note that these figures do not apply to applicants
whose destination is to the Province of Quebec.

3. What are the application fees ?
All government processing fees must be submitted concurrently with the submission of the application for permanent residence. The processing fees are not refundable and must be paid for the principal applicant and any accompanying spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children. The processing fees are as follow:

Applicants whose destination is the province of Quebec must pay additional processing fees to the Quebec government.

Upon acceptance, applicants must pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) ($975 CDN). The RPRF is payable by principal applicants and accompanying spouses or common-law
partners and each accompanying dependants aged 22 or over. It must be paid before the
immigrant visa is issued overseas or before the applicant becomes a permanent
resident in Canada. Quebec applicants are also subject to this fee.

4. How long does the immigration process take ?
The average processing time varies from a region to another. The average processing time is approximately 24 months for applications. Nonetheless, depending on the circumstances of the case, and the office at which the application is submitted, processing time may be shorter or be as long as 42 months

5. What is the immigration selection interview ?
Most skilled worker applicants are required to attend a selection interview with an immigration officer. Such interviews are held to ensure the information in the application is accurate, to verify documentation, and to help applicants relocate to Canada. Interview waivers are granted at the discretion of the immigration officials.

6. Will I have to undertake a medical exam ?
All prospective immigrants to Canada are required to undergo medical examinations. These examinations are intended to detect any health conditions which may affect the health of the Canadian public, or which may result in excessive demands being placed upon the Canadian health care system. Your medical examination will be conducted in the country where your application is submitted, and your dependent children must also take a medical examination, even if they are not coming to Canada with you.

7. Do I have to find a job before applying for a permanent resident visa to Canada ?
You do not have to obtain a job offer before applying.

8. Is there anyway to expedite the immigration process ?
There is no magic way to expedite the process. Beware of representatives who claim that you will receive a visa faster or benefit from special treatment from the Canadian government by using their services. You may be able to speed up the process by:

* making sure all the necessary information is included with your application;
* notifying the Visa Office of any changes to the information on your application;
* avoiding unnecessary enquiries to the Visa Office;
* making sure the documents you provide are clear, legible and meet the specific requirements;
* providing certified English or French translations of documents, where indicated; and
* applying from a country where you are a citizen or permanent resident.

9. What is a permanent residence ?
When people apply for immigration to Canada, they are in fact applying for a permanent residence visa. Permanent residence is a status that allows an immigrant to legally reside and earn a living anywhere in Canada. Every year, Canada welcomes thousands of new residents. Upon acceptance as a permanent resident, you will receive your permanent resident card. After three years of proven permanent residence in Canada, you may apply for your Canadian citizenship.

10. How can I qualify for Canadian permanent residence ? What are the application categories ?
There are a number of categories in which you may apply for Canadian permanent residence. Each category has various assessment requirements and conditions. We invite you to complete our free online assessment form to verify your eligibility to immigrate to Canada.

11. Where should I submit my application ?
Applicants in the Skilled Worker and Family Class categories will be required to submit applications for permanent resident status to the visa office responsible for the jurisdiction in which they have been lawfully admitted. For those residing outside of their home country, this would include the home country in addition to the country of residence as long as they had been lawfully admitted for a period of at least one year.

12. Can I apply for permanent resident status and temporary status at the same time ?
You can apply for permanent resident status and temporary status at the same time (dual intent). Doing so will not harm your application for permanent resident status. However, your application for temporary status may be affected because an impression will have been created that you do not intend to leave Canada upon the expiration of your temporary status. Therefore it is better to apply for temporary status before you apply for your permanent resident status.

13. Will my application be rejected if I have a certain disease or disorder ?
Each medical case is analyzed individually, taking into account your full medical history. If the disease or disorder poses health risks to Canadians or places excessive demands on the Canadian health care system, it may result in medical inadmissibility.

14. Do I become a permanent resident of Canada as soon as my landing documents are issued ?
No. You will only become a permanent resident when you cross a Canadian port-of-entry with your valid passport and your valid Canadian Immigrant Visa.

15. How long can I wait to come to Canada after my Immigrant Visa is issued ?
You must arrive in Canada before the expiry date which appears on your Immigrant Visa. Usually, it is one year from the time medical examinations were completed. As this is not always the case, be sure to verify the expiry date as soon as you receive your Immigrant Visa.

16. Can I qualify even if I score lower than 75 points ?
Yes, you could qualify. Under the proposed new Regulations, applicants who fail to score the minimum points required, may still be approved on the basis of "Positive Discretion". This means that visa officers have the power to approve applicants with less points than the Pass Mark, if there are good reasons to believe they will be able to successfully establish themselves in Canada. The same guidelines apply for applicants who make the minimum score. Visa Officers may refuse such applicants if they feel that they are not suitable and will not successfully establish themselves in Canada (despite achieving the required pass mark).