MetroVan Independent News September 2015 | Page 11
MetroVanIndependent.com
September 2015
11
Feature
Learning the Hard Way
The Pitfalls of Preparing an Immigration Application
IMMIGRATION HUB
By Lalaine Austero
Committing a seemingly minor mistake
in preparing and completing an immigration
application can turn out to be not so minor,
but very costly in effort, fees and time.
These may cause temporary or even a
permanent stop to one’s immigration plans,
in effect, jeopardizing a person’s chance
of obtaining a residency status in Canada.
Applications are returned, refused
or delayed, caused by an oversight,
incomprehension of immigration definition,
process and requirements, and intentional
or unintentional error. This can be very
emotional and stressful for most expecting
applicants.
What are the common mistakes to
be aware of to avoid the pitfalls when
preparing an immigration application?
Here are a few common mistakes
committed before one finds out the
unfortunate fate of their application,
affecting family and personal life plans.
Misinterpreting the immigration terms
and definition. Canada Immigration may
use terms with a different application
of meaning and interpretation from the
terms used by other government agencies,
organizations, other countries’ immigration
terms, and even personal nuances. At
times, Canada immigration would also
change the definition of terms from time to
time depending on program eligibility and
current labor market requirements.
One example of a commonly
misinterpreted term is “dependents”.
For some, a dependent means someone
one supports financially regardless of
relationship or blood relation. If one
supported their parents, this for him means
that they are his dependents. If an aunt has
been living in an applicant’s house for the
longest period of time, his aunt for him
means that she is his dependent. And so
applicants tend to declare and expect that
process.
So what must one do to avoid
delays and refusals in processing your
application?
• Carefully read the application
guide and instructions;
• Completely and properly fill
out, sign and date the application
forms;
• Include all the required documents
as indicated on the application
checklist;
• Pay the right fee with the correct
method of payment;
• Double-check your application
before submitting it.
Canada Immigration may use
terms with a different application
of meaning and interpretation
from the terms used by other
government agencies, organizations, other countries’ immigration terms, and even personal
nuances.
these kinds of relationships are defined as
dependents for immigration purposes.
They are not eligible dependents.
Another common mistake that is
detrimental to ones future application in
Canada would be children that are in the
custody of a previous spouse or partner.
It is a mistake to exclude these children
from their application. The consequence they can no longer sponsor their children
in the future should their circumstances
change, separating them permanently. It
can also be grounds for misrepresentation
if one did not fully disclose these family
members, barring the applicant to apply
for immigration for 5 years.
A serious mistake one can ever do to
send his own application to its demise is
submitting false or altered information and
documents and lying at an interview with
an immigration officer. When dealing with
Canada immigration, this is considered
as a serious crime. Your application will
be refused and could have a permanent
record of fraud, a 5-year ban, have your
permanent residence or citizenship taken
away, criminal charges and removal from
Canada.
Providing incomplete information,
documents and fees causes lengthy delays
in the processing of an application, or even
the return of the application. If you are
trying to meet a deadline such as maximum
points for your age, avoiding future change
in immigration program eligibility or
timeframe given to submit an additional
requirement, incomplete information and
documents will be the definite cause of
application refusal or return if not yet in
To reduce or eliminate the risk
of mistakes that will save time and
disappointment, you may choose to hire a
credible Registered Canadian Immigration
Consultant or an Immigration lawyer who
can assist you throughout the preparation
and process of your application. You will be
able to clarify your personal circumstances,
seek advice, receive counsel, consultation,
and representation before immigration
officers. You not have to second guess if
you have provided the correct, sufficient
information and documents.
Lalaine Austero is a Registered Canadian
Immigration Consultant helping her global
clients achieve practical solutions to their
immigration dreams and providing ethical
advice. She has 17 years of extensive
hands-on experience in facilitating
immigration applications from clients all
over the world. She successfully completed
the Immigration Practitioner Program
at Humber College with Honors and a
registered member of the Immigration
Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.
Her membership registration can be found
at www.iccrc-crcic.ca. You can reach
Lalaine at [email protected].
Featured Association
The Filipino Canadian Association
Of Prince Rupert Moves Forward
By Fidez Sotto Melegrito
In 1973, from the thoughtful vision of a
handful of new Filipino immigrants to Prince
Rupert, the Filipino Canadian Association
(FCA) was formed.
The objectives of the FCA were to
promote the Filipino culture including
mutual interest and harmonious relationship
among members, and to participate in civic
activities of the community. Through the
legacy and hard work of its founders, the
Filipino community continued what was
started then and added “giving back to the
community” as its new objective.
For many years, due to various
fundraising events such as selling the
famous ‘Filipino shish-kebob’ during
‘Seafest’ and proceeds from the annual
‘Filipino Night Dinner and Dance’,
the Assoc