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Canadian Immigration overview
Canadian immigration law, just like in every other country, is prone
to changes to accommodate changing political climates, so if you
are seeking the definitive word on a particular visa or Canadian
immigration policy you should turn to professional advice. You can
get this in the first instance from your local Canadian Embassy
or Canadian Consul, or you can turn to a third party immigration
consultant. Whatever course you decide on, the information in this
article is presented to you for information purposes only, and we
hope as a good foundation for you to explore the possibilities open
for you to travel, work or live in Canada. |
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In general there are four categories that people wishing to enter
Canada can fall under –
Visitors
Students
Temporary workers
Permanent Migrants
Visitors
Visitors are defined as those persons wishing to visit Canada on
a temporary basis. A visitor will have to satisfy Canadian immigration
officials that they have a permanent attachment to their own homeland,
that they are in good health, have sufficient funds for the duration
of their stay in Canada, and that the purpose of their stay in Canada
is lawful and temporary. A Visitors Visa is required for all those
persons otherwise not exempt from such a visa before entering Canada.
The visa will need to be shown at the Port of Entry.
Single-entry Visitors Visas (meaning only one arrival in Canada
at a Port of Entry per visa) can be issued for a time period of
up to 6 months, whereby multiple-entry Visitors Visas can be issued
for a time period of up to 5 years. These visas can be changed in
terms of status and time period from within Canada. |
Many
countries have a reciprocal agreement with Canada meaning that
the citizens from those countries do not need to apply for a visa
to visit Canada. Currently, those countries are:
Andorra,
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium,
Botswana, Brunei, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel
(National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Republic of Korea,
St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Saudi
Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden,
Slovenia, Switzerland, Tuvalu, United Kingdom and it’s dependencies,
United States (and Green Card Holders), Vanuatu, Western Samoa
and Zimbabwe.
This
list of countries can change from time to time and there are other
exceptions to the visa requirement to enter Canada. Contact your
local Canadian Embassy or Consulate for the latest up-to-date
information.
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