Canadian Visas: Approval and denial? A game of Russian Roulette

The following is an email recieved from Wilberforce with respect to Visa applications that were rejected. The Applicants were performers who obviously were applying abroad. To cut to the chase, when applying for a Canadian Visa, the onus falls on the applicant to meet the following criteria: ¤ satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada ¤ show that you have enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home; ¤ not intend to work or study in Canada unless authorized to do so; ¤ be law abiding and have no record of criminal activity (you may be asked to provide a Police Clearance Certificate); ¤ not be a risk to the security of Canada; ¤ produce any additional documents requested by the officer to establish your admissibility; ¤ be in good health (complete a medical examination, if required). Failure to meet the above criteria will result in a negative decision. Bruce, an Immigration Consultant in good standing with CSIC, provides his opinion as well. Kevin RODRIGUES

Dear Bruce,
I am trying to organize an event this year and I had wanted to invited several performers to come from abroad. When they went to the interview, only one of them was given the visa. All these performers were genuinely coming to perform with no strings attached. This one performer cannot perform on his own without the rest. May I know why the rest because I simply can’t comprehend why they were not given the visa?

The only clue I have is that the rest were refused because they had never traveled abroad. Is that a genuine ground to refuse someone to enter the country? And if they were not given the visa, when will they ever have the chance to make their first trip in order to get a second chance?

Wilberforce

Sponsoring wife and child - Request for Additional Information

This email was recieved from Joan who forwarded a query with respect to an ongoing sponsorship file. As mentioned in a previous entry, when a Immigration officer suspects foul play, he or she may request additional documents to determine the true merits of the case. In the following scenario, the officer reviewing Joan's file is asking for her passport to verify whether he has been visiting his spouse who is abroad.

Since the applicant was previously married, the officer is also requesting a copy of the death certificate. In this way, the officer can proceed with the file. If Joan lied on his application and he is still married to his wife who in reality is still alive and well, he MUST provide a divorce judgement. In reality, the officer is trying to determine if Joan is still married to his ex-wife. If he is, he is not eligible to sponsor his wife abroad.

Also worth noting is the fact that there is a son who is also being sponsored by Joan. The officer has also requested Joan to provide a DNA test. This is not unusual. Again, the officer is simply trying to determine if Joan is the father. Even though Joan might have provided a copy of his son's birth certificate which lists him as the father, documents can always be forged. The officer is simply verifying the facts of the case.

Bruce, an Immigration Consultant in good standing with CSIC, provides his opinion as well

Kevin RODRIGUES

Dear Bruce,
When I was sponsoring my wife, they asked me to submit my
passport as evidence of visiting her in my home country. There is every evidence
that my passport is lost in the process centre because they can’t find it.

Secondly, they had asked me to submit a death certificate of my
deceased wife who was dead more than two decades ago. Simply, if I have to give
them something like that, then it will be a new one, which they will not accept.
I am still waiting for the result because I keep calling to ask about my
passport which seem to been lost again and again they are asking me to do a DNA
to proof my blood relation with my son who I am sponsoring in addition to my
second wife.
Please Bruce, tell me why immigration will ask me to submit a
death certificate of someone who was dead twenty years ago? Tell me why they
need a DNA done even as I have all the documents to proof that the boy is my
real son. And again do you think it is right for them to loose my Passport? Is
there any one over and above Immigration Canada so I can report all these to
them?

Joan

Sponsoring Children: Application rejected

The following is an email our office recieved from an individual named Lam. She had filed a Sponsorship application at the Canadian embassy in Tehran, Iran. Her application for sponsoring her 3 children was rejected.

Bruce, an Immigration Consultant in good standing with CSIC, provides his opinion as well

Kevin RODRIGUES

Dear Bruce,
My application has been rejected and I don’t think it is
right. The story is, I sponsored my three children to join me from Iran last
year. The reply I received after submitting the application was positive.
Nonetheless, when they went for the interview in Iran, the entire application
has been rejected simply because my eldest daughter was independent. She is of
age and she is doing her own thing. I did not expect the embassy at the foreign
country to come up with something like this. My
daughter is not twenty-two
years yet. She will soon be but at the moment she is not and plus she is not
married. Do you think Immigration has the right to reject this application even
though the Canadian Immigration have approved of my sponsoring all my three
children?

Lam

Sponsoring Spouse

The following is an email recieved from Isa who is looking to sponsor a spouse. She had filed previous sponsorship applications and was asked to appear for an interview before a Citizenship and Immigration Officer. It should be noted that if a CIC officer suspects that false or misleading information was provided on the application or on any previous applications, they are free to proceed with an investigation to determine whether the person is indeed in a bona fide relationship. Any information gathered during the interview could impact the sponsorship application.

Bruce, an Immigration Consultant in good standing with CSIC, provides his opinion as well

Kevin RODRIGUES

Dear Bruce,
My background is of South East Asian community and I have come a long way to find you. Hope all will be at rest by the time you answer my questions. A few months ago I went to an interview at Immigration Canada. I was sponsoring my wife to join me here in Toronto. When I went, they asked me if I had previously been married. Of course I did not tell them about my previous relationships when I filed the forms because none of my previous affairs with those of the opposite sex were a real marriage. We never were ever wedded. We never had the chance to get a blessing from a priest, nor did we ever have any children. That means, at my age (Forty aomething), I have been in several relationships but have never been really married to any one of them.

Secondly, in my country, my mom will vehemently disagree to me marrying a woman from the tribe I want to marry if they get to know about the mere friendships I have had with those of the opposite sex before my real marriage. Of course civilization and the changing times permits anyone to make sure of the woman they want to marry in future. So there was no need for me to inform anyone about my previous elationships. After all none of them were registered. Now, my real marriage was of a proxy type and that is how I filled the forms.

When I submitted the application, little did I know that immigration would call one of my previous fiancées for questioning? Well that is what they did. So my application is on the verge of collapsing. Even as I need you to tell me about what steps I can take to fight this good fight, I will do everything possible to proof them wrong.

My question is, does Immigration expect each and every individual to be a virgin before they marry? Also do you think there was any need for me to tell immigration about my personal stories that have no relation to my real marriage? The woman they called will definitely say something negative to sabotage my real marriage because she expected me to marry her. However I did not marry her because it is to the best interest of both of us not to marry. But do you think it is fair for Immigration to ask her any questions pertinent to my sponsoring another woman? And again, do you think I will not win this war? If so, then how could I win?

Thank you.

Isa.