Hi everyone,
I'm posting this topic as I found it hard to find information/forums on non-standard WHP Canada applications. I hope that this information might help someone else with their application process, or help answer some questions. For reference, I am an Australian citizen, 28 years old.
I recently applied for a working holiday visa for Canada through the WHP website and a couple of weeks ago I was informed my application was successful, however it wasn't without a few bumps along the way!
On my application form I had to admit that in 2004 I was caught shoplifting, even though it was 6 years ago and I thought that chapter of my life was now closed, it came back to haunt me when filling out the online application because of the wording "have you ever committed an offence" - even though I was not convicted and was given a 12 month good behaviour bond I had committed an offence.
I was honest and said "yes" because the way I saw it, was that I can be truthful and hope that the fact that I was not convicted and it happened 6 years ago would be a good enough reason for the embassy to grant me a visa rather than lie (as a lot of people advise to do in various forums) and be caught and not given a visa (or even if I was successful I would feel guilty for lying). Upon submitting the online application, I was sent an automatic email explaining the next step (submitting paperwork etc) and as I had stated that I committed an offence, I also needed to provide details of the offence.
So here's what I did;
I applied for a National Police Check - which costs around $50 and you can download an application form from the AFP website and submit it to your local police station. The website states that it can take up to 15 business days, I received mine within 10. Do this step first as it takes the longest amount of time. Keep in mind that a police check is only valid for submission for 6 months - so don't bother photocopying it for future use as on the police check it states the purpose as Canadian Visa - basically you need a new police check done each time.
I then sent an email to the court in which my case was heard. I found a general email address on their website (the reason I sent an email rather than call was so that I had everything in writing just in case - you never know). I received a reply that same day providing me with contact details for the appropriate department which deals with previous cases and contacted them asking for any paperwork they may be able to provide me to assist with my visa - I explained the whole situation in an email. Later that day I received a very nice response saying that they would happily post me a letter which has been notorised stating that I received no conviction and the general details of the case. This arrived in the post the next day.
Once I had received the police check, I sent all my documents to the Canadian Embassy in Sydney along with my printed application form and passport photos and payment (the WHP website provides a list of which order the documents should be in when posting).
I strongly recommend reading all the information provided on the website, there are very few questions I had which the website could not answer, and if in doubt you can email them (again so everything is in writing) I usually received a response within one to two days although the responses are usually very brief and to the point. Remeber that no matter what your opinion is on the application process - you have no control over it, just do as they ask and hope for the best!
Once they had received my application I was sent an email asking for further documents. They now required a traffic history report. On their website it states that only applicants from Queensland, Victoria or Western Australia are required to do so, being from South Australia I did not submit one so my suggestion is, no matter where you are from, apply for a traffic history report and send it in. It was rather frustrating that they asked me for this after I had sent everything off as I would now have to wait for the report to be sent to me. I went to my local Transport office and submitted my traffic history report application, I think it cost around $26 and I received it within a week. The only thing that came up on the report was that in 2002 I was caught driving on my Learner's Permit without a fully licenced person in the vehicle with me - again no conviction.
The embassy also requested that I write a brief statement outlining the circumstances of my shoplifting offence - I sent them an email and explained that as it was 6 years ago and not something I wished to remember - I was not able to provide a detailed account. However, I gave them a brief outline and explained that I realise it was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do and I am now a very different person. I should mention here that I had previously spent 5 years living in the UK and obtained a working holiday and an ancestry visa with no issues - as I stated this on my application I have no idea if this influenced their decision or not.
All in all, from the time I submitted the initial documents and then the subsequent documents and then received my Letter of Introduction from the embassy I think it was about a month. I was surprised how quick it was as I had read that non-standard (meaning if you answered yes to any of the online application questions) applications could take up to several months to be processed.
I hope that this helps someone, especially if they have a not so fantastic past like I do - I believe honesty is the best policy, don't lie on your application because you never know what ramifications it may have or when it might come back to haunt you.
Good luck with your application!
I'm posting this topic as I found it hard to find information/forums on non-standard WHP Canada applications. I hope that this information might help someone else with their application process, or help answer some questions. For reference, I am an Australian citizen, 28 years old.
I recently applied for a working holiday visa for Canada through the WHP website and a couple of weeks ago I was informed my application was successful, however it wasn't without a few bumps along the way!
On my application form I had to admit that in 2004 I was caught shoplifting, even though it was 6 years ago and I thought that chapter of my life was now closed, it came back to haunt me when filling out the online application because of the wording "have you ever committed an offence" - even though I was not convicted and was given a 12 month good behaviour bond I had committed an offence.
I was honest and said "yes" because the way I saw it, was that I can be truthful and hope that the fact that I was not convicted and it happened 6 years ago would be a good enough reason for the embassy to grant me a visa rather than lie (as a lot of people advise to do in various forums) and be caught and not given a visa (or even if I was successful I would feel guilty for lying). Upon submitting the online application, I was sent an automatic email explaining the next step (submitting paperwork etc) and as I had stated that I committed an offence, I also needed to provide details of the offence.
So here's what I did;
I applied for a National Police Check - which costs around $50 and you can download an application form from the AFP website and submit it to your local police station. The website states that it can take up to 15 business days, I received mine within 10. Do this step first as it takes the longest amount of time. Keep in mind that a police check is only valid for submission for 6 months - so don't bother photocopying it for future use as on the police check it states the purpose as Canadian Visa - basically you need a new police check done each time.
I then sent an email to the court in which my case was heard. I found a general email address on their website (the reason I sent an email rather than call was so that I had everything in writing just in case - you never know). I received a reply that same day providing me with contact details for the appropriate department which deals with previous cases and contacted them asking for any paperwork they may be able to provide me to assist with my visa - I explained the whole situation in an email. Later that day I received a very nice response saying that they would happily post me a letter which has been notorised stating that I received no conviction and the general details of the case. This arrived in the post the next day.
Once I had received the police check, I sent all my documents to the Canadian Embassy in Sydney along with my printed application form and passport photos and payment (the WHP website provides a list of which order the documents should be in when posting).
I strongly recommend reading all the information provided on the website, there are very few questions I had which the website could not answer, and if in doubt you can email them (again so everything is in writing) I usually received a response within one to two days although the responses are usually very brief and to the point. Remeber that no matter what your opinion is on the application process - you have no control over it, just do as they ask and hope for the best!
Once they had received my application I was sent an email asking for further documents. They now required a traffic history report. On their website it states that only applicants from Queensland, Victoria or Western Australia are required to do so, being from South Australia I did not submit one so my suggestion is, no matter where you are from, apply for a traffic history report and send it in. It was rather frustrating that they asked me for this after I had sent everything off as I would now have to wait for the report to be sent to me. I went to my local Transport office and submitted my traffic history report application, I think it cost around $26 and I received it within a week. The only thing that came up on the report was that in 2002 I was caught driving on my Learner's Permit without a fully licenced person in the vehicle with me - again no conviction.
The embassy also requested that I write a brief statement outlining the circumstances of my shoplifting offence - I sent them an email and explained that as it was 6 years ago and not something I wished to remember - I was not able to provide a detailed account. However, I gave them a brief outline and explained that I realise it was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do and I am now a very different person. I should mention here that I had previously spent 5 years living in the UK and obtained a working holiday and an ancestry visa with no issues - as I stated this on my application I have no idea if this influenced their decision or not.
All in all, from the time I submitted the initial documents and then the subsequent documents and then received my Letter of Introduction from the embassy I think it was about a month. I was surprised how quick it was as I had read that non-standard (meaning if you answered yes to any of the online application questions) applications could take up to several months to be processed.
I hope that this helps someone, especially if they have a not so fantastic past like I do - I believe honesty is the best policy, don't lie on your application because you never know what ramifications it may have or when it might come back to haunt you.
Good luck with your application!