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| Subject: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months |
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Hi there,
I arrived in Canada on 21st Aug and was greeted by customs with major hassle. The customs guy was an ass to say the least. I was asked a million questions although I had $3000 in cash and a return ticket dated for 28th October.
I had read that as a british citizen I could stay in Canada for up to 6 months without a visa and had planned to stay for 4 months whilst contactin the airline and extending the date on my return flight. The customs officer only gave me 2 months and told me I had to leave canada by the return date on my ticket. When I booked the flight, had I been given the option to chose a later return flight date, the customs officer no doubt would have put that date (4-5 months).
The questions I have are this:
1. What are good valid reasons for staying in canada that would not be a guranteed refusal. My main reason for wanting to stay is that I have been sick for 4 weeks on my inital stay here but have not saought medical advice (so no proof I was sick). I only have another month left here. I am in a relationship with a canadian citizen and have been for the last year, although actually living together here in canada since 21/08. I am self emplopyed and have various business ventures in the UK as a means to support myself, so would not be relying on welfare or my partner for financial support. My parnter is thinking of relocating to the UK with me, but we would like to have another 3-4 months living together to make SURE its going to work before taking the final plunge and applying in the UK for her immigration.
2. If I extend the date on my return flight to the UK to 31st January, what do you think are the chances of them granting me the extension for 3 months (this would still only be 5 months total in canda - less than the ´usual´ 6 months allowed)
3. How would immigration know I have or have not left the country?
4. When I apply for an extension, if it has not been processed by the time my current satus expires, am i allowed to stay in canda untill a decision has been made and then action their decision (stay or leave asap)
5. How long does it "usually" take to process a visa extension application. I have read - " to apply for an extension 1 month before existing visa expires. From esxperience, most government agencies of any country take 4-8 weeks for a final decision.
Sorry if it seems so many questions, just we have looked in the net and cant find the answers.. any help you would be able to provide would be most appreciated.
Thank you for your time
[20-09-2006,00:32]
[***.221.81.99]
C&C |
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(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
Hello C&C
Prior to gaining my landed immigrant status I used to travel to Canada to be with my Canadian partner. In the length of stay box i just used to put a month, sometimes the full six. It may help if next time you get a letter from your partner with her address etc on it stating that they will provide for you whilst in Canada. As I never knew how long I would stay each time I visited I used to get a one way ticket, with a little explanation in the letter that my partner would ensure I left by the last possible date I was allowed to stay i.e. more than often the full 6-months.
As for the extension you do have to leave the country if you do not get approved in time - I played mine right to the last second one time and was lucky to have got it in time. If you do stay on after the date without your extnsion you may very well fool up any future application you and your partner may want to submit if you ever wnt to live in canada together.
My visa extension by the way took just over 4-weeks but to be on the safe side I would give them 2-months.
[20-09-2006,04:17]
[***.162.236.191]
mn |
(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
C&C
You have to accept some of the blame for what has happened so far. First you told the CBSA officer you wanted to stay longer then your return ticket date so why did you buy the ticket in the first place or not change it before your arrival. That is why they quyestionned you so hard.
1.There are not plenty of real good valid reasons to extend a visitor visa if the person has been in Canada for six months already. A visitor being someone here for a temporary period of time.
2. Your chances of approval or extending your CVV are not good if you and the CBSA officer had words and he/she wrote something about you into foss. They may have thought you are coming here to apply for PR based on a spousal type application.
3. There are no exit visa requirements in Canada and they would never know if you left or your still here as long as you behave yourself.
4. Its called implied status and you or any applicant is to consider themselves approved unless otherwise told so.
5. Current processing times can be found on the main site www.cic.gc.ca then on the right side click on application processing times--In Canada--Temporary and up it will come.
Dr. Rietz a Immigration Professor at the U of T claims that there could be as many as 600,000 undocumented workers in Canada so do you think they will find you?
Enjoy your time in Canada with your partner and relax.
Roy
www.cvimmigration.com
[20-09-2006,08:03]
[**.52.216.81]
Roy |
(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
mn - "It may help if next time you get a letter from your partner with her address etc on it stating that they will provide for you whilst in Canada."
Well to be honest I dont need providing for, I have a few business ventures in operation within the UK all which have other business partners involved. I have freinds and family who would more than be able to help out financially should i ever need it (I doubt I will ever need it). She is currently on welfare (temporary) so isnt in the position to anyway.
Thanks for your info though, very helpful
-------------------------------------
ROY -
1.First you told the CBSA officer you wanted to stay longer then your return ticket date - Actually no I didnt. I didnt know what to put on the declaration thing. I knew I could stay for up to 3-6 months, had a ticket for 2 months time. At this time I didnt know how long I would be staying for. So I just put a month on the declaration. Understandly they questioned me and I told them exactly what Ive put here.
2. buy the ticket in the first place or not change it before your arrival. - I wanted to see canada, I wanted to see many freinds I have made in canada via business ventures and internet etc,with the main one being seeing my girl. Thats why I bought the ticket ;) as for not changing the date on the ticket.. I wasnt aware that I could change the date on the return flight untill now. I mean I knew I could when I was here, just not before I had made the inital outgoing flight to canada.
3. There are not plenty of real good valid reasons to extend a visitor visa if the person has been in Canada for six months already - As I say Ive only been here 1 month so far with another 5 weeks to go :(
4. Your chances of approval or extending your CVV are not good if you and the CBSA officer had words - NOt really. I didnt give him any hassle back. I played it cool, gave him ALL the info he needed. If was that much on an ass back he wouldnt have let me through.
5. They may have thought you are coming here to apply for PR based on a spousal type application - Well again, no he wouldnt, as he didnt know I was here to see my girl. All I told as my reasons for visiting were to see freinds and visit the great country. My reasons for staying so long were that I had freinds in various Provinces, so would take time to get round to them all. This is not lies. this is very true, just I did leave out the girl i would staying with - I am in a relationship with. He didnt ask if I was in a relationshbip with her, so again I didnt Lie.(Flattery gets you nowhere, i see that now :P)
6. There are no exit visa requirements in Canada and they would never know if you left or your still here as long as you behave yourself - Tempting to say the least, but should I be caught, im very much screwed. Thanks for the answer though, I was just curious.
7. Its called implied status and you or any applicant is to consider themselves approved unless otherwise told so. Right thanks, but that doesnt really answer my question. Well i guess it kinda does. its as if your saying Im allowed to stay here untill Im told I cant, but then I also assume that my current visa should be acted upon (i.e leavin on 28th oct) untill I know it has been extended. Sorry , just want it in plain english as I dont want to screw up any chances of returning again.
Enjoy your time in Canada with your partner and relax. - Im trying ;) just this visa business is gettint tome a bit and Im worried all I´ll be able to have here is 2 months , when the "usual" time allowed is 6.. it sux :(
Thanks to both replies, been more than helpful.
[20-09-2006,12:58]
[***.221.81.99]
C&C |
(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
Just to add some key points:
1. I have a return plane ticket back to the UK - So I have means to leave the country- already paid for.
2. I have enough money here with me to support myself. I have means to make aliving whilst in canda (not working in canada) and have family and freinds who can help out financially if needed.
3. Ive only got 2 months to be here. Yet MOST people are given 4-6 months.
I can prove beyond a doubt I do not intend to LIVE here permmantly. From a customs offificals point of view when viewing my application.. Is there really a reason WHY they wouldnt extend it for 3 months? All Im after is a 3 month extension.
Thanks
[20-09-2006,13:05]
[***.221.81.99]
C&C |
(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
C&C,
Just curious but you seem a little touchy with the replies, maybe the customs officer detected something that we don´t quite see here over the internet.
[20-09-2006,23:08]
[***.162.238.28]
visa |
(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
Nah not touchy at all, just givin as much info as I can based on the responses is all. Would rather give the info than repliers "assuming" this and that.. apologies if my replies seem touchy.. but its hard to give emotion and expression in text.
Thanks
[21-09-2006,01:56]
[***.221.81.99]
C&C |
(in reply to: HELP! : Extending Visitors Visa After 2 months)
Since ur a british citizen u do not need a visa, so goto USA for couple of days and return bak to Canada and they will giv u a 6 mnths visa on entrance
[24-09-2006,17:22]
[**.150.55.170]
Bob |
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