Canada welcomes visitors from all countries. This visa allows an individual to stay in the country for a maximum of 6 months. Visa holders can travel across Canada with this visa and enjoy all the sights Canada has to offer but cannot work or study with this visa. Except for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, all other individuals require permission to enter Canada as a visitor and require either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an eTA (electronic Travel Authorization), unless they are US Citizens. There are two types of Canadian visitor visas: single entry visas and multiple entry visas. Individuals transiting through Canada can also apply for a transit visa. This allows the individual to stay in Canada for up to 48 hours. To be eligible for any of these visas the applicant must meet the below conditions.
There are many desperate family members who would like to visit Canada to be with their children or parents or sibling'sbut have been denied/refused visitor visas due to any single or multiple reasons.
GIMVS has the expertise and experience of helping numerous families / individuals overcome their refusals / inadmissibility and successfully visit their family members in Canada.
VISIT AND WORK (AGE 18-35)
Citizens of specific countries with a bilateral youth mobility arrangement with Canada who are between 18 and 35 years old can get an Open Work Permit to work in Canada. See the list of countries here
The IEC program is composed of three categories:
Working Holiday
Young Professionals
International Co-op
Participants in this program can receive an open work permit, valid for one to two years. Open work permits allow participants to work anywhere in Canada for almost any Canadian employer. Nationals of some countries may be allowed to stay in Canada for more or less than one year.
Under this program, citizens of participating countries can gain valuable international experience by working for a Canadian company. A signed job offer letter or contract of employment with a Canadian employer related to the applicant's professional development is required before applying. The job offered must be classified as a National Occupation Code (NOC) Skill Type Level 0, A, or B.
This program allows citizens of participating countries who are enrolled at a post-secondary institution in their country of citizenship to spend a period of time interning for Canadian companies. Participants must arrange co-op placements with Canadian employers before applying. Applicants must be registered students for the duration of the internship.
Eligibility requirements for the IEC program:
• be a citizen (passport holder) of one of the 33 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada;
• have a valid passport for the duration of their stay in Canada (the work permit issued will not be longer than the validity of the passport),
• be between the ages of 18 and 30 or 35 at the time of application (the upper age limit depends on the applicant's country of citizenship);
• have the equivalent of $2,500 CAN upon landing to help cover initial expenses;
• be able to take out health insurance for the duration of their stay (participants may have to present evidence of this insurance at the point of entry in Canada);
• be admissible to Canada;
• have, prior to departure, a round-trip ticket or the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket for the end of their authorized stay in Canada,
• not be accompanied by dependents; and
• pay the appropriate fees.
Please note that specific age and eligibility requirements may vary by country.
Application Process:
Eligible candidates must submit an IEC profile to express interest in the IEC program under one (or more) of the three categories, if they are eligible. All profiles are placed into the appropriate category pool(s) and candidates are randomly selected during scheduled "Rounds" of invitations. Each country has a specific schedule of when Invitation Rounds are being held.
Invitations to Apply (ITA) are issued in the following order of priority:
1. International Internship (Co-op)
2. Young Professionals
3. Working Holiday
When a candidate is selected, they are given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) at which point they have 10 days to accept the invitation. Once a candidate accepts an ITA, they have 20 days to apply for a work permit. It is important to submit a duly completed application with all accompanying evidence as required. Failure to do so will result in refusal, and you must start the whole process over again. When an application is refused, you will have to wait to the following year to be selected again. Retain our firm to ensure your application is prepared properly and not refused. We help candidates in 90+ countries with their immigration applications.
If the application is successful, a letter of introduction (LOI) will be issued. This letter is to be presented upon arrival at a Port of Entry (such as an international airport) in Canada, whereupon a work permit will be issued.
Although no work permit extensions are authorized under the IEC program, there are certain scenarios that allow participants to increase the validity of an IEC work permit.
TRV EXTENSION
If you want to extend your stay in Canada as a visitor, student or as a temporary work permit holder, you must complete the application to do so. Check the expiry date on your study permit, and make sure you apply before that date. You should apply for renewal at least 30 days before your current permit expires.
If a visitor, student, or foreign worker applies to extend their status before that status expires, they can legally remain in Canada until a decision is made on the application. In this situation, the person has implied status.
Temporary residents wishing to extend their stay in Canada must apply to extend their permit at least 30 days before the permit expires. However, if their application is still processing when the previous permit expires, they can still remain in Canada under the same conditions of their previous permit until they receive a decision on their application.
For example, a temporary worker who submits an application to extend his or work permit before it expires can remain in Canada working in the same job for the same employer, while awaiting a decision.
However, if the temporary worker has applied for a different type of permit — for example, a work permit for a different employer, or a study permit — he or she must cease working on the date his or her current permit expires.
If the application is approved, the individual (and his or her family, if applicable) may remain in Canada under the conditions of the new permit. The new permit will state the date of issue. This may mean that there is a period between the expiry of one permit and the issue of the next permit. However, this should not pose a problem if the individual should later apply for permanent residence as it is accepted by immigration officers that this period is covered by implied status. The permit will generally also state that the holder maintained their status until the new permit was issued.
Leaving Canada while on implied status
It is important to note that implied status applies only as long as the applicant remains in Canada. If a temporary resident in Canada on implied status leaves the country, he or she may be permitted to re-enter as a temporary resident Canada if:
• He or she is exempt from the requirement for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)
• He or she has a TRV.
However, an individual with implied status would not be able to resume his or her work or studies (as applicable) until a decision is made on the application for the extension of status. Additionally, he or she may have to provide evidence to the officer at the Port of Entry of sufficient means of financial support while awaiting the decision. It is strongly recommended that anyone under implied status who leaves Canada brings proof of application for an extension of his or her permit.
In effect, an individual with implied status (either to work or study) gives up his or her right to work or study upon leaving Canada, until a decision is made on the application to work or study in Canada.
For example, if a student who has applied to extend his or her study permit leaves Canada, he or she may be able to re-enter the country. However, he or she would then not be able to resume his or her studies until a decision is made on the application. If he or she had remained in Canada on implied status, he or she could have continued to study in Canada legally.
Citizens of visa-exempt countries intending to travel to Canada by air are expected to have applied for an obtained an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before their departure to Canada. The authorization is electronically linked to your passport and is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Exception: Citizens of the United States do not require a TRV or an eTA, but Green Card holders in the United States, require an eTA to come to Canada, regardless of their nationality.
If you are NOT a citizen from a visa-exempt country, you WILL need a TRV to enter Canada.
• To visit Canada for the purpose of Tourism
• To visit Canada for meeting family members or friends
• To be in Canada for only a short period of time (6 months or less)
• To visit Canada for the purpose of an exploratory trip if applying for business immigration and
• To visit Canada for the purpose of business meeting(s)
Parents and siblings who would like to visit their family members, must first apply for visitor visa (depending on their nationality) to travel to Canada.
