FAQ’S - AGREEMENT & CONSULTANCY FEES
1. I live outside of Canada. How do I work with you?
The majority of our clients live outside of Canada. We use e-mail, phone and fax to communicate with our clients. E-mail is free and international calls are very cheap. We are often available on weekends as well.
2. What is a retainer agreement?
A retainer agreement is signed between the Agent/Consultant or a Lawyer with the applicant or his adversaries seeking their services. The retainer agreement outlines the Terms, Conditions, payment schedules and types of services rendered by the consultant and any other legal implications.
3. Why do I need to sign a retainer agreement?
A retainer agreement needs to be signed so that there is a Client Agent relationship. This will also enable the consultant/lawyer or it’s agent to represent the immigration application on the client’s behalf to the Canadian Consulate and it’s offices
4.What is the retainer amount?
Retainer amount is a signing amount to be paid at the time the agreement has been signed.
5.Is there any other amount that I will have to bear besides the amount stipulated in the agreement for my immigration?
The agreement covers only the consultancy service charges towards the services rendered to the client. Any other charges for eg: Government Processing charges, Right of Landing Fees, Acquiring supporting documents and certificate, Police Clearance certificates, medicals, courier/mailing charges to mail the application to the Consultant’s office, Language proficiency testing etc. have to be borne by the client.
6.What is Government processing charges and how much is it?
The Canadian government charges a certain amount of administrative charges they incur towards processing an application. The fees have been posted on www.visatube.com
7. What is Right of Permanent Residence Fees (RPRF)?
It is the amount charged by the Government once the permanent application for immigration has been approved and this fee is payable before landing in Canada. These fees are charged by the government only to Permanent Residence visa holders. The fees have been posted on www.visatube.com
FAQ’S FOR CANADIAN IMMIGRATION:
1. What is a Canadian Immigrant Visa?
An Immigrant Visa is a document which allows a person to live and work anywhere in Canada, and confers upon that person permanent resident status. It comes with certain responsibilities and can be revoked if the holder is out of the country for too long, or is guilty of some criminal activity. A person who is a Canadian permanent resident may apply for Canadian Citizenship after 3 years.
2. How is an Employment Authorization different from an Immigrant Visa?
An Employment Authorization permits an eligible visitor to reside and work in Canada for a limited period of time, and restrictions are usually placed on the type of employment which can be pursued. It will not, by itself, lead to Canadian permanent resident status. By contrast, a Canadian Immigrant Visa entitles its holder to live and work anywhere in Canada, enjoy many of the privileges of Canadian Citizenship, apply for Canadian Citizenship after 3 years and sponsor family members for Canadian permanent resident status.
3. Is there a benefit to using a representative for immigration to Canada?
Statistically, your chances of succeeding are increased if you are represented by a qualified representative. But expert representation is not demanded by the Canadian immigration authorities.
4. 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.
5. Will I be interviewed by an immigration officer?
Most Skilled Worker applicants for permanent resident status 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, to test language ability, and to help applicants relocate to Canada.
Visa offices may grant certain Skilled Worker candidates an interview waiver, depending on the qualifications of the applicant, the quality of the supporting documentation, and the overall credibility of the applicant. The likelihood of an interview waiver varies from one visa office to another.
Almost all applicants under the Business Immigration Program will be required to attend a selection interview.
6. Is there anything I can do to obtain an interview waiver?
Applications which are complete in every detail increase the chances of an interview waiver. However, interview waivers are granted at the discretion of the immigration officials. It is not possible to apply specifically for a waiver. Even if an interview is waived, you may still be called to an interview, generally for quality assurance purposes
7. How do I find out if I qualify for immigration to Canada?
We recommend that you complete and submit an on-line contact form, and someone from our firm will evaluate your case at no charge to determine your eligibility for immigration. You may qualify either as a skilled worker applicant, a business applicant, or a family class applicant.
8. What does “Federal Skilled Worker” mean?
Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada.
The term “federal skilled worker” refers to the category under which skilled workers apply if they want to live in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec.
Skilled workers who want to live in Quebec apply under a separate category. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers and therefore applicants going to Quebec through that program are known as “Quebec-selected” skilled workers.
Q: I don't have enough points. What can I do to improve my points?
You can improve your points by:
- obtaining a higher education
- working more years in an occupation under NOC (National Occupational Classification)
- improving your English and/or French language proficiency
- working in Canada on a HRSDC, NAFTA/CCFTA or GATS work permit
- obtaining an AEO (Arranged Employment Opinion) - if you are outside of Canada
9. What is Arranged Employment?
“Arranged employment” is where a skilled worker applicant has a certain kind of job offer in place before applying to immigrate to Canada. Find out more about arranged employment.
10. I am an international student or a temporary foreign worker living legally in Canada. Should I apply under the Canadian Experience class or under the Federal skilled worker category? What is the difference?
Some international students and temporary foreign workers living legally in Canada are eligible to apply to stay permanently in Canada under either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The main differences between eligibility for the two categories are the length of time you’ve spent in Canada and the way you’ll be assessed.
For example:
- federal skilled worker applicants must be assessed against the points system for factors like education, language, work experience, age and adaptability; and
- CEC applicants must meet specific minimum requirements for language ability, Canadian work experience and, in some cases, Canadian education.
11. Will I have to take a medical exam?
All prospective immigrants to Canada are required to undergo medical examinations. These examinations are intended to detect any 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.
The medical examination includes a standard physical examination, blood tests, urine tests, and X-Rays.
12. Do I have to give a test for proficiency in language?
Although it is not mandatory, but most often it is recommended that the principal applicant takes IELTS (International English Language Testing System), CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) and/or TEF (Test d'Evaluation de Francais) if their native languages are not English or French.
13. How much funds do I have to show during our Immigration process?
Yes you will have to show the following level of funds: These funds are not required to be shown if you have an Arranged Employment in Canada.
Number of
Family
Members |
Funds Required
(in Canadian dollars) |
EXCEPTION |
1 |
$10,833 |
If the applicant has arranged employment as defined in R82,they do not have to meet these financial requirements |
2 |
$13,486 |
|
3 |
$16,580 |
|
4 |
$20,130 |
|
5 |
$22,831 |
|
6 |
$25,749 |
|
7 or more |
$28,668 |
|
14. Do I have to get a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)?
All applicants over the age of 18 years and lived in a country for 6months and over from age 18, will have to acquire PCC from the respective countries
15. How long is the processing time?
Although there is an average timeline at each visa office, each and every application is different and unique so there is no fixed processing time. The application processing time depends on many different factors such as current workload and backlog at a visa office, how organized your application package is, if your application is error-free, if your application package has appropriate supporting documents, if you are invited for the interview, how fast CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) conclude your security/background check, if you need to re-take the medical exam, etc. If your application package is not organized or has errors and/or incorrect documents, it might get returned or your visa officer might request that you come in for an interview (if your application is not rejected). Resubmitting an application and attending the interview will delay an application processing time.
FAQ’S FOR CANADIAN EXPERIENCE CLASS (CEC):
1. Can I get points for experience gained in Canada if I do not have a valid work or study permit under the CEC category?
No.
2. Can a skilled worker from a lower NOC apply to stay permanently under this class?
No. Only Provincial Nominee Programs are available for lower skilled workers. These are workers under National Occupation Classification (NOC) C & D levels. Applying for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class is restricted to Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) in the NOC.
3. I'm a skilled temporary foreign worker and want to apply to stay permanently. Is there an education requirement?
No.
4. I meet the requirements to apply under the Canadian Experience Class but have since returned to my home country. Am I eligible to apply under the Canadian Experience Class?
Yes, but you must apply within one year of leaving your job in Canada. If you left your job more than one year ago, your work experience is not recent and does not meet the requirement.
5. Does part-time work experience count toward meeting the requirements for work experience?
Yes, but it will take you longer to accumulate the amount of hours necessary to apply than an applicant who has worked full-time.
6. I want to apply as a graduate. Can part-time work experience during my full-time studies in Canada be counted toward the one-year requirement?
No. Your work experience must be gained after graduation.
7. I want to apply as a graduate. Does work experience that was part of my educational program’s requirements (such as Co-op terms and apprenticeships) count toward the one-year requirement?
No. Co-op terms and apprenticeships completed before graduating do not count as skilled work experience as they are considered part of an educational program. For this reason, co-op terms and apprenticeships are counted as part of the minimum two-year educational program requirement.
8. It says that English- or French-as-a-second-language courses do not count toward education requirements under the Canadian Experience Class. Can my education be counted if there is a second language component?
Yes, but the second language component must account for less than half of the course load.
9. I have a one-year master’s degree (or one-year certificate) from a Canadian post-secondary educational institution. Am I eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class?
Anyone accepted as a permanent resident under the Canadian Experience Class (based on their studies) has to have studied in Canada for at least two years.
Normally, this means you graduated with a Canadian post-secondary credential that requires at least two academic years of study, but there is one exception.
If you completed a one-year master’s (certificates and diplomas do not count with this exception), you would be eligible if you earned it after completing another program of at least one academic year in Canada. Both credentials must be obtained from a post-secondary institution recognized by the province. Each program must be completed within two years of each other.
10. If I don’t have a total of two years of Canadian post-secondary education, are there any other options to apply to stay permanently under the Canadian Experience Class?
No. However, if you do not meet the requirements to apply as a graduate, you can position yourself to apply as a skilled temporary foreign worker. To do this, you must gain two years of skilled work experience.
Having completed a one-year post-secondary educational program in Canada, you qualify for a one-year open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit program. You may use this permit to gain your firstyear of skilled work experience. This may lead to other employment opportunities toward gaining your second year. An employer may need to sponsor you for employment beyond your first year.
11. When I applied for temporary residence, I needed to have a medical exam to get my work or study permit. Why do I have to have another medical exam to apply for permanent residence from within Canada?
Since the reasons for medical exams for temporary and permanent residence are different, and because of the amount of time in between tests, you may haveto undergo two medical exams—one for each application.
Some applicants, depending on where they lived, may have needed a medical exam to come to Canada temporarily. This medical exam would have verified that they pose no health risk to the Canadian public.
All applicants for permanent residence in economic categories must go through medical screening for the reason above in addition to verifying that neither they nor a family member would pose an excessive demand on Canada’s health, education and social systems.
12. Is the Canadian Experience Class open to temporary residents of Quebec?
Yes, experience in Quebec can be counted—but only if you plan to live outside that province. Quebec selects its own immigrants.
13. Can I apply to stay permanently under the Canadian Experience Class if I plan to live in the province of Quebec?
No. Quebec selects its own immigrants. If you plan to live in Quebec, you must apply to be selected at the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles du Québec.
14. Canada has agreements with several countries to allow their citizens to work in Canada temporarily as working holiday-makers. If part or all of my work experience in Canada was gained under such working holiday-maker programs, can it be counted toward the work experience requirement in the Canadian Experience Class?
Yes – However, your work experience must still be classified as NOC 0, A or B under the National Occupation Classification system.
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