Canadian Immigration Application Process FAQ

As a general rule, you must submit your Canadian Immigration Application to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office outside Canada that is responsible for:

• 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.

There are exceptions to this general rule. For example, if you are sponsoring, or being sponsored by, a close family member, the application starts off at an immigration centre located in Canada and then may or may not be forwarded to a Canadian Immigration Visa Office outside of Canada, depending on the circumstances.

If your destination is the Province of Quebec, you must submit an application for a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa and an application for a Quebec Certificate of Selection to the Quebec Immigration Visa Office responsible for your region. This procedure is required because Quebec has exclusive jurisdiction to select immigrants who intend to reside in that province.

If you are applying under one of the Provincial Nomination Programs, you must initially submit your application to the nominating province.

That depends upon the category of Canadian Immigration under which you are applying.

Under the Skilled Worker category, supporting documents usually include evidence of civil status, employment, education, language ability and assets. 

Under the Family Sponsorship category, 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, supporting documents usually include evidence of civil status, business management/ownership experience and a sufficient amount of assets, legally obtained.

Under the Provincial Nomination Program or if you are intending to reside in the Province of Quebec, you will have to submit additional documents in support of your application, as per the province's specific requirements.

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.

This depends upon the category of Canadian immigration under which you are applying and the Canadian Immigration Visa Office to which you are submitting your application. Under the Skilled Worker/Professional and Business categories of Canadian immigration, most, but not all, visa offices do not require supporting documents until approximately four months before the assessment of your application. A notable exception is the Canadian Immigration Visa Office located in Buffalo, U.S.A. which requires some of the supporting documents with the initial submission of your application and the rest of your documentation to follow shortly thereafter.

Unless otherwise indicated by a particular Canadian Immigration Visa Office, all supporting documentation in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by an English or French translation, as translated by a certified translator.

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.

Many factors affect Immigration application processing times, including the following:

• 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 and Family Sponsorships. However, those published times are not current and are so vague as to be of little assistance. 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.

A locked-in date is the date on which the Canadian Immigration Visa Office receives completed application forms and proper payment of the processing fees. The Federal Court of Canada has determined the locked-in date to be the date on which certain selection factors must be assessed.