The submission of a Canadian permanent resident application will be the first step in a journey of immigration. Although it is the Canadian immigration official that will evaluate the case and make the final decision, it is you – the applicant – that is in control of the application process. That is because only you have the ability to present your case in such a way as to ensure that all elements of your case are given the proper attention and are presented appropriately.
By considering some important points in the preparation of your application, you will give your case the highest chance of success in the Canadian immigration application process:
Application Forms
Your completed permanent resident application forms and schedules are the basis of an immigration officer’s evaluation of your case. The complete and accurate entry of all relevant information in these forms will be critical to your success and to the expedition of the application process. Some important factors to consider are:
- Be thorough in the completion of the necessary fields. Do not leave blanks where information is required, even if no relevant information exists. In such cases, enter “Not Applicable” or “N/A” for clarity and to eliminate the need of your case being placed on hold while blank fields are verified.
- Be sure to account for all positions of employment, education, or other occupations (i.e., military) in the applicable application Schedules. Do not omit information which would otherwise create empty spaces in your history.
- If gaps in your personal history do exist, be sure to account for this time with an explanation of what did take place. This may include hospitalization, vacations, being a homemaker, or anything else that you were doing during a period of time of greater than one month.
- Select the appropriate educational credential when providing details of your personal history. Differences in the academic systems worldwide can create differences between those of your home country and Canada, so take the time to verify the degree or diploma that you should enter for your case.
- Select the appropriate National Occupational Classification (NOC) designation for your case. The NOC is used by immigration officials to classify the occupations in which applicants are assessed. This can have a significant bearing, as only occupations which are considered higher than a clerical level (occupations which require college education or apprenticeship training) are considered eligible in Canada’s skilled worker program.
- Be sure the NOC definitions of the occupations that you enter are consistent with the work that you have done. Do not select an occupation on the basis of its title alone, as differences in such titles between regions can create significant differences.
Evidence of Employment
The documents attesting to your employment history are very important. They should clearly state your occupational title, the duties that you performed, the duration of your employment, and your remuneration (salary and benefits). Letters of reference from present and past employers are the most common means of documenting past and present work experience. These letters need not make personal comments about the quality of your work, but must clearly define your role.
Use the available NOC definitions as a guide in drafting these letters if possible, but do not copy them identically – nothing creates the impression that you did not actually work in a stated position as a reference letter with an identical copy of the NOC definition. Instead, note the points that are emphasized in the NOC, consider how your role was consistent with such a point, and describe in your own words that aspect of your role. It is not necessarily the case that you will have performed every point defined in the NOC. As long as you had performed a significant component of the occupation, as defined, that should suffice.
If you do not have the ability to obtain letters of reference for any reason, then substitution with alternate documentation is generally acceptable, as long as you can evidence the same information. Examples of commonly accepted substitutes include taxation documents, employment contracts, performance appraisals, and letters from colleagues. The latter document is least desirable, as it is highly subjective whereas the others are more official. If a letter of reference is not available, consider submitting more than one substitute document in order to be sure that you document all aspects of your employment in a specific position.
Evidence of Education
Documentation of your education should include copies (or certified copies depending on the visa office that you are using) of your education credential (i.e., the degree, diploma, or certificate). Whenever possible, copies (or certified) of academic transcripts should be included as well; these are sometimes referred to as “marksheets” and refer to the summary of your courses and grades.
Academic evaluations are not a general requirement of the Canadian immigration process. However, in some cases, it may be to the advantage of the applicant to include such an evaluation in order to support the score claimed for a specific academic credential. Many Post-Graduate Diplomas may not be awarded the points for a Master’s degree under the present Canadian selection system. However, an applicant might seek an objective assessment in order to support a claim for a Master’s level degree. An example of an organization which conducts this type of evaluation is the International Credential Assessment Service.
Evidence of Language Skills
All applicants for immigration to Canada in the skilled worker program are presently required to provide evidence of language skills in once of Canada’s official languages (English or French). For applicants who have extensive history of education in one of these as a native language, objective evidence of such study may be considered sufficient by an immigration official.
Those who can not objectively demonstrate that language abilities may be required to provide objective language test scores such as the Test d'Evaluation du Français or those provided by the IELTS or CELPIP. It is important to note that any applicant who does not include a score from one of these tests will have a score on the Language Factor determined at the discretion of an immigration official.
Evidence of Funds
Applicants are required to have a certain amount of settlement funds in order to be eligible to immigrate to Canada in the skilled worker program. These funds should belong to the applicant or spouse, and should be transferable to Canada at the time of landing as a permanent resident.
Examples of assets that may be considered valid for the purpose of evaluating settlement funds include bank accounts, liquid investments such as publicly traded shares, and retirement funds. A non-liquid asset such as property can be included if it will be liquidated at the time of relocation to Canada, but should not include any debt which may remain on such. Some assets such as jewelry and vehicles may not be considered valid until such time as they have been liquidated.
Documentation of available funds should include bank statements, brokerage statements, property evaluations, etc. Some immigration offices or individual officials may request that applicants provide enough documentation to create a history of the funds, for example bank statements for 6 months.
Covering Letter
It is a good idea to include a summary of your case in the form of a covering letter. This would help to explain the case to the immigration official, and especially any issues which may otherwise appear unclear.
This letter should not be too extensive, perhaps limited to two pages. This gives you the opportunity to explain your own scoring of your case in order to highlight your qualifications. Rationale for your assessment for your score on each of the factors could be provided, including reference to NOC designations, academic credentials, language abilities, and any other factor that could benefit by clarification. It provides an easy means of expediting your application by explaining any issues which could have otherwise resulted in delays associated with questions about the application.
Next time, we will describe other means of benefiting your Canadian immigration application through strategies such as using available information about Canada’s labour market to benefit your case, communication with prospective employers in Canada, academic evaluations and more.
Discuss this article in our public forum. Registered members can always get personal information about their cases in the Private Member’s Forum.
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