There are three classes:
The family class -- you must have a close relative
living in Canada who has legally promised
to give you financial
help.
The refugee and humanitarian class -- applicants
in this class are admitted under special
rules.
The independent and other class -- you can apply
on your own, with or without the financial
help of relatives in
Canada.
Everyone who applies is assessed and chosen by
the same standards.
TOP
These standards show how well a person can adjust to Canadian
life and settle successfully.
Except for refugees and members of the Family Class, everyone is assessed
on a point
system.
Points are given for various things: education; job training;
work experience; occupation;
arranged employment; age; demographic factor;
ability to communicate in either English or
French; personal suitability;
having a relative living in Canada.
You also must have a medical examination and your background
checked.
This is to see if there are health or legal reasons that
would stop you from being admitted to
Canada as a permanent resident.
TOP
Canada's immigration policy is both a federal and a provincial
responsibility.
Whether or not you are selected may be affected by the immigration priorities
of the province
in which you wish to settle.
For example, the province of Quebec employs immigration
officers abroad to interview
potential immigrants to Quebec and to assess
applications from those who want to settle in
that province as independent
immigrants.
Family Class applicants must be sponsored by a close relative
If you wish to come to
Canada under the family
class, you must be sponsored by a close relative. This
relative must
be at least 19 years old and must be living in Canada as a permanent
resident or citizen.
As a Family Class applicant you
will not be assessed by the point system. But you will have to
prove to the
visa officer that you meet Canada's health and character standards. To be
sponsored, your relative first submits a sponsorship to a Canada Immigration
Centre (CIC)
nearest his/her residence in Canada. Your relative will be asked
to establish that he/she is at
least 19, is a Canadian citizen or permanent
resident and, if necessary, is financially capable
of providing assistance
to you and your dependants for a specified period of time, up to ten
years.
If the sponsorship application is approved, the Canadian visa office in your
country will
be advised. This office will contact you with instructions on
what you must do to apply for an
immigration visa.
TOP
People who can apply in the Family
Class include the following relatives of a Canadian
sponsor: wife/husband;
dependent son or dependent daughter; fiancé(e); parents,
grandparents; brothers,
sisters, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, who are orphans, unmarried
and under
19; children under 19 you plan to adopt; any other relative, if you do not
have
anyof the above or any family in Canada. Dependent son or dependent
daughter There are
three ways sons or daughters can be "dependent" on their
parents.
Under age 19 and unmarried They
must be unmarried when they apply for a visa, and still
unmarried when the
visa is issued. Full-time students* must be studying at a college,
university,
or other educational institution since the age of 19; and must be studying
or
training when they apply for their visa and when the visa is issued; and
must have been
supported mainly by their parents from age 19 on. *Students
may interrupt their studies for up
to 12 months. Children with a disability
must be supported mainly by their parents; and be
unable to support themselves
because of the disability. Dependants must meet the same
visa requirements
as the principal applicant.
Some refugees are sponsored by
the government Refugees who wish to resettle in Canada
are assessed on three
basic factors: whether they meet the internationally recognized
definition
of "refugee"; their need for resettlement in Canada; their ability to settle
in Canada.
TOP
Canada also designates other groups
of people from time to time who may not fully meet the
definition of "refugee"
but who are in a similar position to refugees. There are presently two
designated
classes: Indochinese Designated Class and the Political Prisoners and
Oppressed
Persons Designated Class. Some refugees and members of the designated
classes
can be admitted and get financial help under the Canadian government's annual
refugee resettlement plan. The private sponsorship program allows volunteer
groups and
organizations in Canada to sponsor refugees in addition to those
accepted under government
assistance.
The Independent Class includes
investors, entrepreneurs and other immigrants Along with
investors and entrepreneurs,
this class includes self-employed persons, assisted relatives,
and any others
who apply on their own at Canadian embassies, high commissions, or
consulates.
A point system is used to assess
applicants in this class. If you meet the definition of a
self-employed immigrant
or have a firm job offer from a Canadian employer, or relatives in
Canada
who are willing to help you resettle, you will get more points. The factors
assessed
and the total number of points required depend on the category within
the independent class.
Assisted relatives are people who
are not members of the Family Class but they have
relatives in Canada willing
to help them get established. People who can apply in the Assisted
Relative
Class include a Canadian resident's brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren,
aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and any dependants accompanying them.
Investors,
entrepreneurs, and self-employed people.
TOP
Canada welcomes qualified immigrants
with the ability, experience, and money to set up or
invest in a business.
Investors and entrepreneurs are people who have the ability and intend
to operate commercial ventures which will create or maintain jobs for Canadians.
These
businesses must also contribute to Canada's economic development. A
self-employed
person is someone who intends and has the ability to establish
a business that will create
employment for that person, and will contribute
significantly to the economy or the cultural
and artistic life of Canada.
Other independents -- The point
system, which is based mostly on Canada's labour market
needs, is used to
assess other independent applicants. Points are given for such things as
education,
specific job skills, job experience, occupation, arranged employment, age,
and
ability to communicate in one or both of Canada's official languages.
Arranged employment
means you have a firm job offer from an employer in Canada
that has been validated by a
Canada Employment Centre. Applicants applying
under the independent criteria who wish to
go to Quebec should submit their
application to the nearest Quebec Immigration office
abroad.
The address of this office can
be obtained from any Canadian embassy or consulate.
TOP
How we process applications Every
effort is made to process applications as quickly as
possible. But every year
the number of qualified persons who want to immigrate to Canada is
much greater
than the number of persons the government plans to admit. The speed with
which
your application will be processed will depend upon the priorities in effect
at the time
you apply. The priorities are listed in the Immigration Regulations.
Unnecessary inquiries on
the status of your application may slow the process.
Please contact the visa officer only when
you have been asked to do so, unless
you have new information, such as a change of
address or marital status.
You should also wait until you
have been issued your immigrant visa before quitting your job
and selling
or giving away your possessions.
Documents should be given when
the visa officer asks for them When asked, you should give
the visa officer
all the documents he or she requests. These may include: birth or baptismal
certificates for each member of your family, separation or divorce papers,
educational
transcripts, technical or professional certificates and, if possible,
letters of reference.
If your application is approved,
you will need these papers when you get to Canada. You
should get them translated
into English or French before you leave your homeland.
TOP
Canada is a bilingual country Canada
has two official languages -- English and French. An
understanding of one
of the official languages will greatly improve your ability to integrate
successfully
in Canada. Before you leave for Canada, try to learn one or both of the
languages,
depending on where you plan to live. The visa officer will tell you which
language
is used most in the area you have chosen. Settlement and integration
services and programs
Settlement assistance is available to all immigrants
(including refugees) through a variety of
programs and services designated
to help newly arrived immigrants become self-supporting
and participating
members of Canadian society as soon as possible.
Eligibility criteria apply to some
of the programs and services. Overseas, these services may
include counselling
and cultural orientation, and loans to help with transportation to Canada.
Services in Canada may include
information and orientation, referral to community resources,
language training,
translation and interpretation, and help in finding a job.
Settlement programs and services
are delivered through a network of regional settlement
units, Canada Immigration
Centres (CICs) and Canada Employment Centres (CECs), and
non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). You will need money when you get to Canada.
When you get to Canada, you will
need money for expenses while you get settled.
You
should research the cost of living in the region to which you intend
to move. Daily living
costs can be quite high, particularly
in large cities.
