Visiting for Medical Treatment

[jannat123]

I want to visit Canada for medical treatment (Gender Correction Surgeries). I know what the general requirements are for this purpose (e.g. ties to home country, proof of funds and letters from doctors from my home country, Pakistan, as well as from Canada etc.) I have everything other than medical letters.

Unfortunately, there is no medical facility in Pakistan for this particular treatment. SO, i don't have any Diagnosis Report and Letter of Recommendation from a Pakistani doctor. And the Canadian doctors also cannot provide me with any letters without seeing a diagnosis report.

It will be a two step procedure: 1. *HRT 2. Surgeries.
What I shall be doing is visit Canada, get diagnosis done, see a doctor, get a prescription for HRT and return to Pakistan. The HRT will last for about 1 year. Then I shall visit Canada again for surgeries.

If I really NEED this treatment? Yes, it is causing me severe depression and I have been suicidal because of it. I need to get the surgeries done in order to survive.

* Hormone Replacement Therapy. Basically, these are just medicines which prepare one's body for the surgeries.

If I attach a Letter of Explanation, will that be enough?

 

[scylla]

It's hard for any of us to say if the letter will be enough. You can certainly try.

You are also going to have to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to pay for this treatment (both the HRT and the surgeries). How much are you able to show as an available bank balance? I would make sure you can show a bank balance that is the equivalent of at least $50K Canadian.

 

[scylla]

Just to add - you'll need to show you've researched the process in Canada and explain why you have selected Canada for this procedure. It would be far far simpler for you to get this surgery in a place like Thailand for example. Canada has very long waiting times for this kind of treatment and surgery.

Since there are many other options available, CIC will quite likely have concerns that you are using this surgery as a means of trying to come to Canada long term. You will need to explain why you have specifically selected Canada for this surgery. If the surgery is a big priority in your life, it would make far more sense to go to a country like Thailand. Is there a reason why you aren't considering that route? That doesn't make sense to me and it most likely won't make sense to CIC either. So you will have to explain this in your application.

 

[Bryanna]

Gender reassignment surgery involves mental health assessment and considerable psychological counselling over a period of time..... before HRT is initiated.

If you have no medical evidence/psychological reports to confirm that you require this treatment/surgery then the purpose of your visit for your TRV application will not hold good.

Secondly, there are legal implications post this surgery.... for example, you will need to change the gender marker on your passport. Does Pakistan recognize such treatment/surgery? Will you be able to get a new passport later?

You may want to consider the option of first getting legal advice.... including the possibility of obtaining a court order from a Pakistan court allowing you to undergo such a surgery.

And then when you apply for a TRV - as Scylla has mentioned - you must have adequate evidence to prove to CIC that it is not possible for you to undergo this treatment/surgery in countries that are closer to Pakistan

 

[scylla]

Gender reassignment surgery involves mental health assessment and considerable psychological counselling over a period of time..... before HRT is initiated.

100% correct. It typically takes years for Canadians just to get to the point where they can even start HRT. Many Canadians choose to go to places like Thailand (rather than going through the procedures in Canada) due to the insane wait times in Canada. It really makes absolutely no sense for you to come to Canada for this treatment. 10-15 years ago you could have argued that Thailand's medical facilities were substandard - but you certainly can't now. There are excellent, world-class facilitices there. So here are the barriers you will face in convincing CIC to grant you a TRV for this purpose:

- It will cost you less to have this done in Thailand than in Canada.
- The wait times are far far longer in Canada than in Thailand.
- The process to be approved for this procedures is far more complicated in Canada.

So it begs the question, if gender reassignment is really your priority - why are you picking such a difficult route? There are really only two answers: (1) you haven't done your research and you should go for a place like Thailand instead; (2) You have other motives for coming to Canada.