Jane Katkova & Associates

The number of international students in Canada recently topped 245,895. This number accounts for 12.5% of all higher education enrollments. This being the case, applications to study in Canada are commonplace. As a result, visa application processes are relatively straightforward.

To qualify for a student visa, applicants must provide evidence of a genuine letter of acceptance from a Canadian school or higher education institution. Visa applicants must then also show evidence of having sufficient funds to pay tuition fees and living expenses while studying.

Typically, study visas are only issued to international students who can provide evidence that they have $10,000 (or more) available after tuition fees are paid per year of study. However, in Quebec, fund requirements are higher, with students being required to have at least $11,000 at their disposal.

Temporary resident visas in Canada are designed to allow third-country nationals to live temporarily in Canada while attending to business. Also suitable for prolonged vacations, a temporary resident visa allows holders to reside in Canada for up to 6-months. However, successful visa applications are dependant on several key factors.

• Visa applicants need to show proof of having funds equivocal to $1,230 per month of indented stay.
• Applications for temporary resident permits are only successful when visa officers can be satisfied that applicants do not intend to stay in Canada longer than the duration of their visa.
• Visa officers will always check the stated purpose of a visit, before making sure this aligns with the provisions of a temporary resident visa.

If visiting Canada on business, a tourist visa will not be sufficient to cover the purpose of your visit. Immigration officials can deny you entry to Canada if they feel that this is the case. Thankfully, we can help secure business-specific Canadian visitor visas.

Business visitor visas are suitable for anyone planning to come to Canada to participate in work training, business meetings, and similar activities. All that a business visa doesn’t do is allow holders to formally participate in the labour market.

Are you a parent or grandparent of someone already residing in Canada? If so, you may be eligible for a Canadian Super Visa. This is a long-term visitor visa which can be used to reside in Canada for up to 10-years. There is just one caveat.

• To be eligible for a super visa, applicants must prove that they have sufficient funds to last the duration of their intended stay in Canada.
• Super visa applicants must be sponsored by adult children who ave already acquired permanent residency in Canada.

When applications are successful, super visas allow holders to enter and exit Canada as many times as they like. However, super visas can not be used as part of a path toward permanent residency.

Most Canadian businesses who wish to hire foreign employees, need to demonstrate that they have no alternative option. To do this, employers must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

LIMAs demonstrate that there is a shortage of skilled and/or unskilled workers in a specific area. Businesses are then able to hire foreign workers and sponsor employee work permit applications.

If you have already applied for and been granted permanent residency in Canada, it will be possible to eventually apply for full Canadian citizenship. Sadly, citizenship applications can be confusing and take considerable time to process. The good news is that we can expedite the process by advising applicants on their eligibility and the application process itself.

Permanent residents of Canada who have fulfilled the requirements to apply for citizenship will benefit from expert guidance to ensure the success of their application. We have several years of experience dealing with complex citizenship matters and offer an unparalleled level of support to those applying for citizenship.

If you are a permanent resident of Canada and have spent at least 1,095 days in Canada over the past 5-years, it is possible to apply for full citizenship. We can start this process for you by explaining applications and helping you gather all the documentation you will need to support your application.

To qualify for Canadian citizenship, some applicants are obligated to complete a residence questionnaire to support applications. In many cases, questionnaires can add up to 1-year to the processing time of a citizenship application. This is because the questionnaire is designed to investigate possible discrepancies in original applications.

Because residency questionnaires can make or break a citizenship application, it is always advisable to seek professional legal assistance. When this is the case, we help make sure that all information returned on questionnaires is factually correct. We can also identify potential problems and advise on how to remedy these.

Citizenship interviews are not a standard part of Canadian citizenship applications. However, applicants may be obligated to attend an interview if immigration officials doubt the legitimacy of an application.

We help permanent residents of Canada prepare for citizenship interviews. This is important as interviews may take place in front of a judge and other Canadian officials.

Canadian citizenship applications can be refused for several reasons. However, applicants can appeal decisions. We help do this by lodging official appeals in Federal Court within 30-days of citizenship applications being rejected.

If you were born in Canada after February 15, 1977, it is not possible to have your Canadian citizenship revoked. However, it is possible to have citizenship revoked if you are a naturalized citizen. Typically, this happens if naturalized citizens are found to have secured citizenship fraudulently. However, revocations can be appealed. This being the case, if you are at risk of losing your Canadian citizenship, make sure to reach out to us for assistance as soon as possible.

During work visa, residency, and citizenship applications, mistakes can be made and important circumstances can fail to be taken into consideration. When this is the case, our immigration law expertise can help successfully appeal immigration decisions. Our legal team can also help individuals respond to immigration officials when concerns are raised over the validity of their current work permit or residency application.