Immigrate to Canada. Nick Noorani
chapters. What’s important to understand in this chapter is that every category has its own set of procedures and criteria; however, what is common to all types of applicants (together with their dependants) is that they must undergo a medical exam and a criminal record check.
1. Medical Exam
The purpose of the medical exam is to protect the public health of Canadians and to avoid putting too big a strain on the health-care system. You can find the list of the authorized medical practitioners (also known as “panel physicians”) for each country and territory on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website (http://www.cic.gc.ca/pp-md/pp-list.aspx).
It is important to note that the results of a medical exam are only eligible for one year, so if your visa isn’t issued within this time period, you will have to take another medical exam. You must arrive in Canada while your medical exam is still valid.
You do not take the medical exam prior to the application process. Once CIC has assessed your application for eligibility requirements, you will be sent medical examination forms for you and your family. You must go to a designated medical practitioner (DMP) to take the exam and the doctor will forward the results to CIC. A DMP is a doctor who has been designated and trained by CIC to complete its medical examinations.
2. Criminal Check
The criminal check (also known as a “police certificate”) ensures that an applicant does not have a criminal record and is not likely to pose a threat to Canadians.
You will need a criminal check document from each country or territory where you have lived for a period of six months or longer since the age of 18. Those who have worked or studied outside of their home country for longer periods of time, or those who are currently living away from their home country for whatever reason, must take special notice of this. If you cannot obtain a police certificate, you must provide a written explanation to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). As in the case of medical exams, criminal clearances are only valid for one year.
Police certificates that are not in English or French must be submitted together with a translation of the original certificate (not a photocopy) made by an accredited translator.
It is up to you to make all the necessary arrangements to obtain your police certificates and send them to CIC. It will also do a security check on your behalf directly with the countries you have lived in, but you will not have to do anything for this.
For US applicants, you will need to provide a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) check as well as a state police clearance for each state that you have lived in for more than six months since you were 18 years of age.
Note: If you have, or a family member has, a criminal record, you may not be eligible for permanent residence or you may have to apply for Criminal Rehabilitation.
3. Application Fees
All immigration applications require payments of proscribed fees to accompany the applications on submission. Be sure to follow the payment instructions for the type of application that you are making as set out in the Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) website. It does not accept personal cheques and, in many cases, does not yet accept credit card payments. Make sure you include the correct fees for you and your dependants with your application.
Note:If you fail to include the correct fee payment, your application will be considered incomplete and returned to you.
The immigration process has many expenses, some that are expected such as application and processing fees, while others are optional or unanticipated, such as hiring a representative or being required to attend an interview. The reality is that immigrating to Canada is expensive. There are considerable expenses that you need to be prepared for in the process of preparing your application. Here are some of the expenses:
• CIC application fees: These are the application-processing fees that the CIC charges for your application for permanent residence (or visitor, or student, or work permit). It is very important that you include the correct application fees when you submit your application. If you fail to include the appropriate fees with your application, it will be considered incomplete and returned to you. Under some classes of applications, fees can be paid online; in others they must be mailed with your application. Look for the addition of online filing options in the future.
• Right of Permanent Resident fee: CIC charges a fee for the permanent resident visa for you and your dependants. Generally, CIC asks for the fee payment at the end of the process when it is ready to issue your visas. However, it can be paid at any stage of the application process — at the time of submission or anytime thereafter. Paying the Right of Permanent Resident Fee at the outset of your application can save a few weeks or months of processing time. In the event that your application is refused, the fee is refunded to you.
• Hiring an immigration lawyer, consultant, or paralegal: You may wish to have a professional assist you with your application. This can cost several thousands of dollars. Many representatives charge flat-rate fees and others charge by the hour. Be sure that you have a clear idea of what this will cost and that it is set out in writing. (See Chapter 4.)
• Supporting documentation: The cost of obtaining the supporting documents to your application can be expensive as well. You will need to include a wide variety of supporting documents including transcripts, educational certificates or records, bank or financial documents, tax returns and financial statements, phone records, and photographs. There may be a cost to obtain this material in addition to the cost of photocopying.
• Medical examinations: You and your family members will need to undergo a medical exam by a designated medical practitioner (DMP). It costs a few hundred dollars. If your application takes several years to process, you may be required to undergo and pay for a second set of medical examinations.
• Criminal record checks: Every person included in your application that is 18 years of age or older will need to include a criminal record check or police clearance for each country that they have lived in for more than six months since they were 18 years of age. You may have to provide updated clearances if your case takes longer than a year to process.
• Interview costs: In some instances, CIC will want to interview you or your family members. You may be required to travel to the visa office responsible for your geographic region. This may require significant transportation costs as well as hotel expenses. You will also need to obtain a qualified independent interpreter if you are not able to communicate effectively in English or French.
• Moving expenses: Understandably the cost of moving to Canada is significant. You not only need to arrange for travel to Canada for yourself and your accompanying family members, but also for the transportation of your personal belongings and household effects. Be prepared for this significant expense!
Caution: Keep in mind that permanent resident visas cannot be extended. If you fail to enter Canada before the visa expires, you will have to begin again with the whole application process and pay the fees again! If you don’t have enough time to settle all your affairs in your country of origin before the expiration of your visa, you can always come to Canada and become a permanent resident and then go back to your country of origin to settle everything and then return to Canada later.
4. General Information about the Application Process
The application process may differ slightly between each category, so more information on how to apply will be included in the subsequent chapters. However, there are some commonalities in the process for all potential immigrants: download the forms, complete them, pay the fees, and mail the application.
4.1 Downloading and completing the forms
The forms for all classes can be downloaded from