Under the Federal Skilled Worker category of Canadian immigration, applications must be submitted to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney Nova Scotia.
Under the Family Sponsorship category of Canadian immigration, applications should initially be submitted to the Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Vegreville, Alberta in the case of an inland Canada sponsorship, or to CPC Mississauga, Ontario in the case of a sponsorship to be processed outside of Canada.
Under the Business category of Canadian immigration, applications should be submitted to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office that serves the country where you are residing, if you have been lawfully admitted to that country for a period of at least one year, or the country of your nationality.
Under the Provincial Nomination Program category of Canadian immigration or if you intend to reside in the Province of Quebec, you must initially submit an application to the province in which you intend to reside.
For the Canadian Experience Class category of Canadian immigration, there are two scenarios:
1. If you are residing in Canada at the time of your application, you can submit your application to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office in Buffalo, New York.
2. If you are no longer residing in Canada, applications should be submitted to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office that serves the country where you are residing, if you have been lawfully admitted to that country for a period of at least one year, or the country of your nationality.
Under the Skilled Worker category of Canadian immigration, your initial submission to the Central Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia should include application forms, copy of your passport bio-data page and appropriate Canadian government processing fees in Canadian dollars payable to the Receiver General for Canada. If you are in Canada on a Work Permit and claiming points for Arranged Employment, you must also include a copy of your Work Permit and a letter from your employer indicating that you will be employed indeterminately upon receiving your Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa or alternatively you should include a photocopy of the Arranged Employment Opinion (AEO) issued by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) in relation to a permanent job offer that you have received from a genuine Canadian employer. In addition, all applications must include supporting documents in relation to your civil status, education, work experience and language proficiency (IELTS and/or TEF results) as well as proof of sufficiant settlement funds. Proof that you have applied for police clearance certificate(s) should also be included with the initial application.
Under the Family Sponsorship category of Canadian immigration, supporting documents usually include evidence of civil status, the genuine nature of the relationship between the parties and the ability to commit to an undertaking of support.
Under the Business category of Canadian immigration, supporting documents usually include evidence of civil status, business management/ownership experience and documents that indicate a sufficient amount of assets, legally obtained.
Under the Provincial Nomination Program of Canadian immigration or if you are intending to reside in the Province of Quebec, you will have to submit forms and documents as per the province's specific requirements.
Under the Canadian Experience Class category of Canadian immigration, supporting documents will include proof of your language proficiency (IELTS and/or TEF results), proof of your having worked in Canada and, if applicable, proof of your post-secondary studies in Canada.
Under all categories of Canadian Immigration, Citizenship and Immigration Canada requires Police Clearance Certificates from all countries that you have resided in for more than six months since your 18th birthday.
Canadian Immigration Visa Offices may, in addition, have specific requirements regarding supporting documentation. It is advisable to seek expert guidance or instructions from the Canadian Immigration Visa Office to which your application will be submitted.
Under the Skilled Worker/Professional category of Canadian immigration, all documents need to be submitted along with your initial application to the Central Intake Office (CIO) in order to be considered.
Under the Family Sponsorship category of Canadian immigration, all supporting documents including Police Clearance Certificates and proof that a medical examination has been undergone by the sponsored person(s) must be submitted with the initial application.
Under the Entrepeneur and Self-Employed Persons business categories of Canadian immigration, as a general rule you submit only a basic application form and Canadian government processing fees to the Canadian Visa Office responsible for your country of citizenship or for the country in which you are currently residing if you were lawfully admitted to that country for at least one year. Approximatley four months prior to the assessment of your application you will be requested to submit supporting documents in relation to your civil status and business management experience. The Canadian Visa Office in Buffalo, New York is an exception to this general rule and requires all supporting documents at the time that the application is initially submitted.
Under the Investor business category of Canadian immigration, all supporting documents must be submitted to the appropriate Canadian Immigration Visa Office at the time that the application is initially submitted.
Under the Provincial Nomination Program of Canadian immigration or if you are intending to reside in the Province of Quebec, all supporting documents in relation to the provincial nomination must be submitted with the initial application to the province.
Under the Canadian Experience Class category of Canadian immigration, all supporting documents must be submitted to the appropriate Canadian Immigration Visa Office at the time that the application is initially submitted.
Under any category of Canadian immigration, a request to transfer your application to another Canadian Immigration Visa Office may be made to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office processing your application. The latter will decide, based upon "program integrity", whether or not to transfer your application. In certain circumstances, the Canadian Immigration Visa Office processing your file may decide on its own to transfer your file to a different, more appropriate Canadian Immigration Visa Office, even without a request.
- the particular Canadian Immigration Visa Office processing your application;
- the category of Canadian Immigration under which you apply;
- whether you can find work in Canada;
- the way in which your application and supporting documents have been prepared;
- whether or not you are required to attend a personal interview; and,
- events beyond your control.
It is difficult to find a reliable source to provide you with an accurate indication of just how long it will take for you to receive your Canada Immigration Visa. Citizenship and Immigration Canada publishes all Canadian Immigration Visa Offices' application processing times for Skilled Workers, Business Applicants, Provincial Nominees and Family Sponsorships. However, those published times are not always current and are also vague. Information you may find on newsgroups and forums is even less trustworthy as there is no accountability for the messages posted on them. Be suspect of anyone who tells you that there is a way to get your Canada Immigration Visa quicker for a fee; it is not true.
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has announced that the government's goal is to complete the processing of all applications submitted after February 27, 2008 under the Skilled Worker category of Canadian immigration within 6 to 12 months.
