20 myths and facts about the Canadian visa: who do I believe?

It is very common to ask family, friends or acquaintances how their experience was when applying for a Canadian visa in order to get an idea of what their own application process will be like, however, at Immiland we believe that this is not very convenient, since each profile is different and what worked for a family member or friend will not necessarily work for you. This practice has created a misconception about the process of applying for a visa to Canada. 

The following are myths and facts about the Canadian visa that will surely help you clear your doubts, as each answer is based on Canadian law.

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Is it a myth or a reality?

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1. Nationality does not matter

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It's a myth. Although it is hard to believe, for many, nationality does matter when applying for a Canadian visa. There are nationalities that are judged more harshly than others, this is due to the political or economic stance that country has in the international community. However, all is not lost, in fact, at Immiland Canada, we have had visa approvals from almost every country in the Americas, including some European nationalities.

Our best recommendation is to focus on presenting and documenting your application correctly and not on your nationality.    

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2. It is important to have traveled to other countries before applying for a temporary visa with Canada.

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It is a fact of life. When you apply for a visa with Canada, the officer will review the travel history in your passport and will look at the entry and exit stamps of your last trips, in order to interpret that you were in another country and respected the length of stay; therefore, if you have never traveled outside your country and your passport has no stamps or your last trip was more than a year ago and you did it close to your country, then you have a high possibility of having your visa rejected. So, if you want to increase your chances of having a better profile for Canada, it is advisable to travel outside your country and try not to travel to a neighboring nation.

As for the American visa/greencard, it is not necessary to have it. It is a myth to affirm that Canada takes into account this visa in a determinant way, in fact, the Canadian government can approve it, even if you have not traveled to the United States. However, if you do not have a very good profile to apply for the American visa, do not do this procedure. There are many educational advisors who recommend applying for a tourist visa in the United States, but understand that if you are denied your profile will be affected with Canada, since you will have to declare this rejection for your Canadian visa and this can be a point that can put you at a disadvantage. If you do not have an American visa, you have never been to the United States and your profile is not so good to go to that country, do not apply and avoid knocking on that door because it can be negative to apply with Canada. However, having an American visa will earn you extra points with the Canadian government, this is a fact of life . While having an American visa does not assure you approval to come to Canada, having made previous trips to the United States and having complied with American immigration laws gives you extra points, since both countries share information constantly. 

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3. Your friend was approved in four weeks, so you will also be approved in that time.

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This is a myth. Each profile is different and the only one that controls the waiting times on a visa to Canada is the IRCC, therefore, the approval time for your friend's visa will not necessarily be the same time for you. Keep in mind that each immigration profile is different, even if they are applying for the same visa. 

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4. Only adults may apply for a Canadian visa.

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It is a myth. Canada does not discriminate on the basis of age. While it is true that a minor must meet more additional requirements than an adult, they are not at risk of being barred from applying for a visa or rejected. 

Remember that each applicant plans his or her own immigration path and comparing yourself to other applicants is not very helpful. What is really important is the content of your documentation and how you present your Canadian visa application.

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5. I can easily withdraw the money I demonstrated for financial solvency before arriving in Canada.

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It is a myth. When you apply for a visa, you have to send, previously, the last three statements of your account or that of your sponsors. There are applicants who send their account statements and after applying for the visa they withdraw the money, don't do it! because it doesn't work that way. Know that when you enter the country, the immigration officer has the power to ask you for all the elements that you showed to apply for the visa, including the economic solvency, and he will realize that this money was used, which implies that these funds are not exactly stable for you to cover your stay and the officer may determine that there is a risk that you become a public charge for the state and refuse you entry to Canada.

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6. All immigration processes require the presentation of financial solvency, except for family/sponsorship sponsors.

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This is a reality. When applying for a visa with Canada, except for sponsorship of immediate family members such as a partner, financial solvency is required. Therefore, anyone who wants to come for study, work, tourism, fast track entry, provincial, Atlantic or rural nomination must have financial solvency. In Immiland, we always recommend that you open a bank account from your country of origin and start saving, this will benefit you when you have to show evidence and, in addition, when you arrive in Canada you will have money in the country. 

Visit our web page in the Establishment section, there you will find several services, among them the bank account opening, this step will be of great help in your process.

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7. I must demonstrate roots for visa approval.

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It is a reality. If you have insufficient or weak evidence of roots in your country, the officer may deny you the visa thinking that you have no reason to respect the time indicated in your visa, remember that the temporary visa has a start and end date. As applicants, it is our obligation to demonstrate to Canada that we have reasons to return to our country of origin once the visa expires, otherwise, it is likely to be denied.

How is rootedness demonstrated? With a stable job, family, real estate and personal property, among others. See the following blog with video included: Without roots there is no visa in Canada, here are detailed the reasons that apply to demonstrate that you have solid roots that will make you return to your country of origin, which is a very convincing element for the immigration officer. You should also know that the only fact of demonstrating roots in your country will not give you the approval of the visa, there are other elements that the Canadian government considers when looking at your application.

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8. Canada is in need of residents and that is why the visa will be approved. 

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It is a myth. While it is true that Canada greatly appreciates the arrival of foreigners to study, work and live here, and it is a country that is made up of many migrants, it should not be taken for granted that everyone who applies will have their visa approved, in fact, the Canadian government is very careful in reviewing the profile of each applicant and will always give priority to those who have the best profile.

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9. To work or apply for a work visa in Canada, a job offer is required.

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It is a reality. Without a job offer there is no visa. No one can come to Canada on a closed visa, meaning that they are coming to work in a specific position and for a specific employer, if they do not first have a job offer. For example, if you want to work in Canada and you do not have a partner coming to study or your country does not have a Working Holiday visa, you need to come with a job offer. Once you get the job offer, you can apply for the work visa with Canada. If there is no secure job offer, there is no work visa to apply for.

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10. Changing your academic profile when you come to study in Canada is not recommended.

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This is a reality. First of all, Immiland recommends 100% to keep the logical thread of what you studied and worked in the past, however, this sequence is not enough, the applicant must also demonstrate that the new training obtained in Canada is linked to what you did in your country of origin and that, in addition, you will be able to apply it in your job with a higher profile when you return to your nation. This demonstration will help.

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11. Fulfilling all the requirements to study in Canada secures the visa.

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It is a myth. The immigration officer is the one who will always have the power to accept or refuse the visa. No one is guaranteed a visa in Canada. In the words of a wise Canadian immigration law educator, we quote: "travel to Canada is not a right but a privilege". A good documentation will give you a good appreciation by the immigration officer, who is the one who decides whether or not to enter the country.

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12. If I meet the 60 points for the provincial nomination or the 67 points for the fast-track entry, I get the residency.

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This is a myth. For fast track entry, for example, there are hundreds of thousands of people with 67 points, which is the minimum required to apply, but Canada is not going to give permanent residency to people with low or minimal scores, the Canadian government focuses on the best profiles and scores. In fact, there is a huge difference between being eligible and being admissible within the Canadian immigration process. In this case, having the 60 points for provincial nomination and/or the 67 points for fast track entry makes you eligible, but what makes you admissible for permanent residence through either of these programs is having a higher and more competitive score. 

At Immiland, we recommend always raising that minimum score and optimizing it, for example, if your English level is 5 or 7, then focus on improving it with some course or learning on your own, bring your level to an 8 or 9. If your French level is basic, take advantage of that element and seek to improve it so that it adds more points to your profile. If you started college and did not finish your master's degree, do your best to finish it. Don't stop with 2 years minimum work experience, do 2 more years and take it to 4 years. 

Visit our Plantea Immiland Education academy, there you will find information of your interest to start leveling your English or French. Here we share a free level evaluation test for you to take at your convenience.

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13. Language is a prerequisite for obtaining a Canadian visa.

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It's a fact of life. English is mandatory. Once you apply for residency, you must already speak English. If you are in Quebec, you must know French. If you want to come for any immigration plan, the language is always going to be an indispensable element.

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14. My partner in Canada, who is a resident or citizen, may be my sponsor/sponsorship.

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It is a reality. Your spouse, cohabitant, demonstrable partner automatically falls into the family sponsorship/sponsorship category and you can come to Canada. In case you are abroad and have children on your own with another relationship in the past, the current spouse/partner in Canada can give sponsorship to you and the child out of the relationship. This is very positive because at once you would arrive as a permanent resident along with your child. However, always keep in mind that every application has important elements to consider and all requirements must be fully met in order for your visa to be approved. Cohabitating couples do not necessarily have to be married, but they must prove with documents such as a 12-month lease, joint bank accounts or any other proof that they have a stable relationship.

In the case of having an aunt (cousin, sister, child, other) in Canada, family sponsorship/sponsorship will depend on the following: when you have a relative in Canada, whether cousins, brothers, etc., the Canadian government allows family sponsorship/sponsorship, and if he/she is a Canadian resident and has no one in Canada (spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, children), that is, he/she is completely alone, that is when family sponsorship/sponsorship comes into play. Otherwise it does not apply, therefore, get good advice so that your visa is not rejected and then have unnecessary expenses. Check this official information about family sponsorship.

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15. School-age children can study for free in Canada.

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It is a reality. A student, worker or permanent resident in Canada can enroll his child in a public elementary or high school to study for free, but if he wants to enroll in a private school, he can also do it, but these are quite expensive. Visit the official website of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to learn more about education initiatives.

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16. In order to apply for a Canadian visa, I must hire an immigration consultant. 

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This is a myth. All immigration procedures in Canada are designed so that you can apply without requiring an immigration consultant. In fact, the official website of the Canadian government, https://www.canada.ca/en.html, explains very well the requirements and other elements that the applicant must have. If you understand English or French, know how to interpret the application process, can create your profile, know your eligibility positives and negatives, then you do not need to hire a consultant. The consultant appears when the person does not understand something of the process or does not handle the technology, does not know how to use the computer, etc., also comes into play when you have doubts about any requirement and prefer the advice of an expert in immigration matters.

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17. If a regulated consultant processes my application, my visa will be approved.

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It is a myth. Unfortunately, it is not. The consultant's job is focused on knowing your application elements to place them in the correct immigration plan, so that your application is well done and as complete as possible to explain everything necessary to the immigration officer, however, it is the officer who has the last word on the approval or not of the visa. The consultant is empowered to make a thorough evaluation of the requirements that the applicant has and those that must be improved, for example, his English, if he must create a more solid economic base to demonstrate his funds, etc., but he is not the one who decides if his visa is going to be approved, that is done only by the immigration officer.

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18. Regulated immigration consultants have direct contact with visa approving officials.

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It is a myth. Immigration consultants only have direct access to changes in the law and immigration news because we are always studying, but there is no direct communication to get a visa approved, let alone the possibility of money being given in exchange for favoritism with a certain client. That does not happen. When you hire an immigration consultant, you hire an immigration consultant, the last word in visa approval is with the immigration officer.

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About the evaluation process performed by Immiland Canada and its consultants

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We wanted to add this section to clarify doubts about the work we do with our clients and the times and ways to proceed with their respective applications. Below we share some direct questions that have been sent to us and we want you to know why we handle them:

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If I am denied a visa after applying with Immiland Canada, their consultants will stop answering messages because there is nothing more to process.

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It is a myth. Just because a person applies with Immiland or any immigration consulting firm does not mean that his or her visa will be approved. To better understand the process, if you are denied a visa, Immiland will evaluate the reason for denial and request an ATIP (Access to Information and Privacy), which is a tool that provides the opportunity to access the records of Canadian government institutions, then find out the exact reason why the visa was denied and understand what is needed to make the visa application successful the next time. 

The delay in answering the reason for a visa denial is due to the fact that the ATIP takes about 40 days to reach us, so in that period of time we do not communicate with clients, but once we have the letter, we give complete information with advice on how to apply again. The important thing about a denied visa is to understand the reason for the rejection, this way you can find the way to improve your profile and apply again.

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20. Eddy Ramirez, founder, consultant and CEO of Immiland, is the only one empowered to answer all the free evaluations of the people who contact her on a daily basis.

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It's a myth. As a consultant and CEO of Immiland, in addition to answering the free evaluations, serving a large number of clients on a daily basis, uploading explanatory videos on Immiland's YouTube channel and making visa applications, I run this company and make sure everything runs smoothly, so I work with a team of expert CICC consultants regulated by the Canadian government, many of them appointed in certain countries in order to be able to do the free evaluation.

Up to this point we have tried to clarify your doubts. At Immiland Canada, we offer a wide variety of immigration and employment services, we are certified translators, we help the immigrant to settle in this country and we offer study opportunities through our university agreements. You can send an email to Info@immilandcanada.com to get in touch with us and support you in whatever you need. You can also explore our website here.

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With love,

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Immiland