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| Subject: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr) |
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Hi there, I was wondering if anyone can help me here? I am a British citizen living and working in Switzerland (and have done for 3 years). I am planning to apply for a Skilled Worker immigration visa. According to CIC, the Paris embassy would be the one I should make my application at, as I am resident in Switzerland. This raises some questions:
1) Because I am a Brit living in Switz applying through the Paris embassy, is this likely to significantly increase my waiting time for the visa to come through (assuming it does)?
2) If I am invited to interview in Paris, will I be able to have my interview with an English-speaking official?
3) Will I need to get English-language certificates and documents translated into French? (I would imagine just the English originals would be OK, but one never knows!)
4) Would I be better off just applying throught the London embassy?
5) Had to ask this... :-) Does anyone have an idea of how long it might realistically take, based on experience, bearing in mind the conflicting info on the CIC site and the Paris embassy website...
Many thanks for any answers and advice you can give. BTW if any admins are reading this, this is a FANTASTIC resource. Thank you for providing this - it really helps in a process that can be very difficult to figure out! You guys rock! I am sorry to see that some idiot posters are trying to ruin the informative exchange of information this site allows... I guess it´s up to the rest of us to try and cancel that element out by contributing to this site in positive, helpful ways that everyone can benefit from.
Cheers!
BritSwitz
[15-01-2005,07:46]
BritSwitz |
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(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
apply through Paris. you have a choice of english or french. the wait is significantly less than london. If your file takes a little extra time... it still will be less than the wait in London. Check the Paris embassy website. they have their own application form. The instructions are very clear and straight forward. According to the CIC website - Paris is completing 80% of their files in less than 1 year. good luck
[15-01-2005,14:14]
Sharon |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
If I were you, I am for sure take Paris; it??s much faster than Buffalo, NY here.
Sorry, I have some comments again. This is Political reason, not CIC process reasons. Federal government tried to balance French and English population; therefore they actually encourage French-speaking immigrants to come here. Even though we all know, people live in the west, B.C, no body speak French here, except French immersion schools.
Back to the subject, if you have strong French language background, also you are qualified in Paris. Go for it, you gonna have significant short waiting period as us.
Good luck, go for it.
[15-01-2005,16:20]
Yijie |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
Paris...just for interest sake. My fiance is a french speaking arab. english is his 5th language. (he has some italian and german floating around his vocabulary). He is coming to the english part of Canada with french as his first language. Paris does not care. They only care that you are fluent in 1 official language. That is the CIC rule. For him the work opportunities will be very interesting. His background is software engineering but I highly doubt that is where he will end up. If he can get his english to fluency... he will likely work in the goverment somewhere.
[15-01-2005,16:29]
sharon |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
2) If I am invited to interview in Paris, will I be able to have my interview with an English-speaking official?
yep, of course, you can use either English or French.
3) Will I need to get English-language certificates and documents translated into French? (I would imagine just the English originals would be OK, but one never knows!)
No need to do that, I remeber the application kit said, as long as it´s French or English, it´s fine, unless other langauge, you need translate.
4) Would I be better off just applying throught the London embassy?
Check out process time in CIC.GC.CA, London is much wrose than Paris
5) Had to ask this... :-) Does anyone have an idea of how long it might realistically take, based on experience, bearing in mind the conflicting info on the CIC site and the Paris embassy website...
check out this please
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/times-int/2003-Q4/01-all.html
October 2003 to September 2004
Paris 6 7 10 12
London 11 17 27 32 month
that´s almost twice longer than Paris.
Hopefully those reference can help you a little bid
[15-01-2005,16:29]
Yijie |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
Sharon: how about some Francophone society,they may help you,also some federal government jobs. I remember every summer; public workers department is doing some hiring. Check this out http://www.jobs-emplois.gc.ca/
May be helpful to your Fianc??. Once I have service in one of Federal agent of my city, one lady asked the officer, can you service in French, even the sign written in Bilingual, the officer said sorry, I am not quite fluent in French and refused that lady.
So funny.
[15-01-2005,16:34]
Yijie |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
Sharon, I forgot to tell you, if you use that site, because all of jobs need re-locate, I am not sure if it´s a problem, but for us, immigrants, me, not yet, i don´t mind go anywhere, even Yellowknife, Whitehorse as long as it has opportunities.
[15-01-2005,16:39]
Yijie |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
no relocating :) our plan is to plant a francaphone in the middle of us Englanders. I am not about to move my house and career so we are getting creative about employment for my guy.
[15-01-2005,18:52]
sharon |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
Thank you all for your full and helpful answers! Paris it is then! I´ll keep this board notified as my case advances so others in a similar boat can benefit.
Cheers!
[16-01-2005,16:30]
Britswitz |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
we filed in June. got our AOR within weeks. we got a request for information about the end of August. everything went sideways at that point because Paris never got our mail. They closed our file. As of Friday, they reactivated our file and we are on the road again. Our timeline will be messed up as a result but will try to keep you posted on our progress. My fiance is coming as a skilled worker but from an Arab country. His file should be slower than what you will encounter.
[16-01-2005,18:21]
sharon |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
Paris is wonderful. real people with names actually work there. they did some great things for us today with our file that I do not think would have happened at other embassies. Smaller case load. This is absolutely to your advantage. It was to ours. Thank goodness we were forced to use Paris!!!!!!
[17-01-2005,23:11]
sharon |
(in reply to: Brit in Switzerland & Paris embassy (Skilled Wkr))
Paris is wonderful. real people with names actually work there. they did some great things for us today with our file that I do not think would have happened at other embassies. Smaller case load. This is absolutely to your advantage. It was to ours. Thank goodness we were forced to use Paris!!!!!!
[17-01-2005,23:15]
sharon |
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