I was referred to you by one of your staff in Montreal (Jack), who has full details of our telephone conversations.

I have invited a close friend of mine to come visit me in Canada. She lives in Siberia Russia, is employed as an Architect, owns a home and has a 10 yr old son. She is a fine person with no criminal record or other blemishes on her personal history.

I have read through your discussion boards as well as information presented on the CIC site. She has contacted a few firms in Moscow about obtaining a Visitor Visa, and has been informed that she must:

1. Have at least $10,000.00 USD on deposit in a Russian bank.
2. Travel to Moscow for an interview with an immigration officer. She lives in the far east of Russia 10,000 km, $1000.00 USD flight from Moscow.
3. Needs a written letter of invitation from me including a full current financial statement.
4. Full documentation of her apartment ownership, employment status and her son's school records.
5. A return ticket to Russia and sufficient funds for the vacation.

My questions for you are...

All of this seems extremely excessive for a three week vacation in Canada. I am wondering if this information is correct. From all that I have read here and at the CIC site, it seems that all she must provide is item 4 at most item 5. If the officer requires an interview number 2; although there is an Embassy in Vladivostok which is only a 300km flight rather than travelling to Moscow.

She and her son will be staying with me in Ottawa and we are intending to share expenses.

We are both wondering if it may be simpler for me to go to Russia or that we vacation in Europe. When I travelled to Russia in the fall, I received my visa within 2 weeks of application and was not even required to show that I had either airline tickets, a place to stay or sufficient funds.

Could you please tell us if she is being mislead by these 'experts' in Moscow or that what she has been is in fact correct.

Thank you for any assistance or advice you are able to provide me.

Jamesr

Of the Visitor Visas that are issued, they are usually issued to individuals whose sole intent upon entering Canada is that of a tourist, or to visit friends and/or family.

If an applicant for a Visitor Visa applies in person at the processing center, the decision is usually made the same day. If the person applies by mail, the decision is usually granted within 2-6 weeks.

One of the fears of an Immigration Officer is that someone will apply for a Visitor Visa to Canada, in order to attempt to gain entry to Canada, to live, or work out of status. There are also other obvious concerns about individuals trying to gain access to the North America region for other illegal purposes. (Such concerns have only increased as a result of September 11th tragedy in the USA, with increased pressure being placed upon Canada, from the USA, to further guard against illicit entry to the North America region, as Canada can serve as an access point to the USA.) And thus, in short, an Immigration Officer's primary goal is to guard Canada against such illicit entries, and thereby take a cautious and conservative towards applications for visitor visas.

To more directly address your situation, we can say that it is not absolutely necessary for your friend to show Points 1,2, and 3 mentioned in your original message. She can indeed apply for the Visitor Visa, demonstrating only points 4 and 5. An Immigration Officer will then assess her application, and make a decision. However, the more ties she can demonstrate to her home country, the more the officer's fears of someone entering Canada, and then not exiting, will be alleviated.

Because the decision of whether or not to issue a Visitor Visa, is highly at the discretion of each individual Immigration Officer, it is difficult for us to predict her chances of being granted a Visitor Visa.