F.A.Q.

Who should be included into a permanent residence application?

If you are married or have a common-law partner — then the person who would earn the most points should apply as a principal applicant and indicate all his/her family members as dependants regardless of the fact if they accompany him/her to Canada or no. Family members are: husband, wife, children under 22 years of age or children over 22 who are full-time students.

What if my minor children do not come with me to Canada?

All of your children, disregarding if they plan to accompany you to Canada or not, should take a medical examination. If they fail to do so, they will be excluded from the Family Members Class and you will not be able to sponsor them to Canada at any time in the future.

Does it assist with the application to have relatives in Canada?

If a principal applicant or his/her accompanying spouse or common-law partner have a relative (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew) who is residing in Canada and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, it brings additional selection points.

Will I and my family members be invited for an immigration interview?

After reviewing your application an immigration officer will make a decision if you should attend an interview. If an interview is required, you will be informed about the date and place. All family members over 18 years of age must attend the interview.

When an interview is waived?

If you earned enough selection points and submitted all the documents which satisfy an immigration officer and do not require checking, then an immigration interview is usually waived.

What is the validity of my immigration visa?

An immigration visa is valid for 12 months from the date of the medical examination. Also its validity depends on the expiry date of passports. An immigration visa cannot be extended. If an applicant has not used it during the period of its validity, he/she must apply for permanent residence in Canada once again.

May I go to my family doctor for the medical examination?

Medical tests are done only by medical practitioners designated by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

My children study abroad and cannot return home to take a medical examination. I would not like to delay reviewing of my permanent residence application. What should I do in this case?

Your children may take medical examinations in the country where they study. An immigration officer will provide you with a list of designated medical practitioners in that country.

If the application to sponsor my parents is in process, can they get Canadian visitor visas?

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration ordered visa posts to simplify the process of issuing visitor visas to parents whose documents are in process. Multiple visas are also issued.

Will it delay the processing of my application for permanent residence in Canada as a Convention Refugee if I include in the application my family members?

Family members must be included into all applications, especially when applying for permanent residence as Convention Refugees. Applications are processed separately, first a visa is issued to the refugee within Canada and only after that the application of family members is submitted in the country of their residence. This program is called “one year window”. It means that within one year after the refugee receives the permanent residence status, his/her family may submit the application to a Canadian visa post, then take medical examinations and be issued visas.

In case the family members are not included into the refugee’s permanent residence application, the applicant will have to sponsor them later, and even submit proof of income if his/her dependent child has a child of his/her own.

Does a previous refusal of a visitor visa affect a future immigration process?

No previous refusals either of visitor or permanent resident visas affect new applications.

I live in Canada and some time ago I received a letter informing me about the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment Program. I married last week. Will the marriage stop the deportation?

Regrettably, it is already late to do something within Canada. However, it is not late to review some alternatives. There is no sense in applying for in-Canada spousal sponsorship. Even if you are absolutely sure that you will be accepted, you will simply have no time for it. In these cases the sponsorship application should be submitted in the country of citizenship or residence. Previous refusals will not affect your application, an immigration officer will probably examine the circumstances of your marriage more attentively.