How long does it take to process a case?
This depends upon a number of factors including the following:
- Location where the case is being processed. Some Canadian Embassies, High Commissions
and Consulates are faster and others are much slower. The reason is that in some locations
there are a huge number of cases, e.g. China, India.
- Type of case, e.g. sponsorship of spouse vs. sponsorship of parents. The spouse sponsorship
case is generally processed faster than other types of sponsorships because Canada puts a premium on
spousal unification and gives these types of cases a higher priority.
- The adequacy and completeness of the documentation provided to us. If certain
documentation is missing and not accessible, this could delay the time taken to finalize
the case.
Which station is the best to file the case in?
At this time there are restrictions as to where a case can be processed. Now only the country
of origin or the country of residence is viewed as possible processing location for most cases.
The freedom to file at any location has been revoked.
Another lawyer previously filed our case but it was refused. Could you file it again?
Yes, this can be done. We have to review the previous file to check it for accuracy, completeness and
the reasons for the refusal. Then we will prepare our own file according to our very high standards
and re-submit it according to the current rules and regulations.
Can you get us a waiver of the interview?
We can try to get a waiver but this cannot be promised. It all depends upon the strength of the case
in terms of points (based upon the applicant's work experience, educational background, language
fluency, etc.) and the availability of all required documentation.
My case is not finalized yet but my friend has already received
his visa and our cases were filed at the same time. How come?
No two cases are alike in terms of the background of the applicant and
the provision of the required documentation by the client. Similarly,
different processing locations take different amounts of time to process
cases. Finally, different immigration officers might not necessarily make
the same judgmental decisions about the same case. An analogy is that
when you arrive at an airport in a different country, sometimes the immigration
and customs officers wave you through while at other times they might
ask 10 questions. Some officers are tougher than others just like in any
other profession.
We have just received our visas, should we move right away to
Canada? What is the best time of year to move?
The most important thing is to look at the date of the expiration of the
visa which is usually but not always, one year from the date of the medical
tests. This date of expiration has to be respected. Many families prefer
to move in the summer months because of two reasons. First, the weather
is great so that it is easy to settle down and secondly, they can register
the kids in school or university, which start in September
Note: Please check out our
Online Discussion Forums section; you will find
answers to lots of questions there.
