Making sure a tourist visa to Canada is approved...

Tinto (Moderator) says on Jun 23, 2007, 13:48:

The unfriendly comments have been exchanged. Now they've been deleted. Carry on, but pay attention to the monkey.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

tompower says on Jun 23, 2007, 13:59:

Dear ManINred,
I'm canadian, A few years back I met a guy from Toronto who has been traveling to cartagena for more years than me. He and his friend go every year in late january. When I told him two years ago that I was marrying my colombian girlfriend he said I was an idiot. Didn't stop him from coming to the wedding and drinking all the booze though!!! Anyway, sure enough if he hasn't fallen for a paisa living in cartagena, he's been maintainin' her for almost two years now. ANyway, I've told him the only way he's getting her up here is with a wedding. He just won't accept it. Some immigration lawyer convinced him that through his contacts in the embassy in bogota he could get a visitor visa. Well he's wasted 1000$ on a ticket for her, two trips for her to go to the embassy and she's been denied and the immigration lawyer couldn't do anything.
However, since my wife has come up here through her and her new friends I've met lots of colombians in Toronto. Turns out that the International Language Schools are full of them. If your girl is middle class and even better has property in colombia (Definite Ties To Colombia)it would really help if she paid for a language course at one of these international language schools and made that the reason for her visit that's a believable explanation for why she'll return. Lots of those who don't want to escape colombia DO travel to improve themselves because a Foreign Language Course looks real good on a resume,.. that's more believable.
Remember, we're all in this together,
Tom Power

0 funny, 0 helpful.

analyzethis1 says on Jun 23, 2007, 16:46:

Unfortunately, it seems Colombians do have it the worse to travel to Canada/USA. I witnessed this first hand while waiting in line with my friend, "A", at the Cdn embassy during our multiple visits (8 to be exact!). Every person applying for the same thing agreed that Colombians endure more obstacles, more challenges, and more costs than perhaps any other foreigner. This is all recent:

My friend A will be coming to Vancouver for the 4th time. She had to go through the ENTIRE process each time which included the following in addition to the 3 you've already mentioned.

1) Her employer had to write a letter stating that "A" has been granted vacation time to Canada.
2) The person that A will be staying with in Canada is only a friend (not a boyfriend). This friend wrote a letter to accompany the application stating that he would be responsible for all her accommodation expenses whilst in Canada.
3) Bring only one piece of luggage (not 2) plus carry on. Customs in both Bogota, Toronto, and Vancouver questioned why she had 2 pieces of luggage on her 2nd and 3rd trip if she were only intending to stay 6 mos (which is the maximum stay; extension for another 6 mos can be applied for in Canada; maximum stay 1 yr!) Customs held her for 2 hours each time!
4) Reason for visit: Tourism (apparently the less said, the better)

This is all I can remember...I'll post more when I can.

Also, if you plan to travel outside of Canada with your girlfriend (ie. US, permitting she has US Visa as well), don't forget to include in the initial Cdn Tourist application "re-entry permission" or else your girlfriend will be stuck in the States!

There are two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we receive, and the larger kind we feel for what we give. E.A. Robinson

0 funny, 0 helpful.

podborski says on Jun 23, 2007, 17:30:

as Tom said above, the only tourist visas I have ever heard of being granted for Canada were for these language schools. But good luck.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

manINred says on Jun 24, 2007, 11:57:

Guys, thank you all so much for your help, I am now not going to go into this blindly. I am going to do a new thread stating my new intriguing ideas, perhaps you can give me advice on these...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jinksmiester says on Jun 30, 2007, 10:00:

a temporary work visa might be easier to obtain than a visiter visa.If she was legitimatly wanting to work in canada for a while.It would help if she had skills in the area she is seeking to work.a temporary work visa can be processed in a matter of weeks.Ive just accomplished this for my wifes sister and she will be under my employ with my business for the next year.
As an employer i had to prove i was having a hard time filling the job position with a canadian worker.I had to advertize in newspapers for the job and post it on the canada job bank as well as apply for an LMO....(labour market opinion by the alberta gov) and sign an employment contract.This was all then forwarded to my wifes sister in colombia along with a letter offering her the job.As her employer i had to cover her cost of travel(airfare).Im also providing accomodation as part of the job but that was not nessecary.
I doubt her sister would have gotten here on a tourist visa ..my guess is that about 2 % of colombians manage to obtain a visiter visa and for the rest its a complete waist of time even trying...

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

0 funny, 0 helpful.

manINred says on Jul 3, 2007, 21:03:

jinksmiester thank you so much for that post. I figure that the hardest part of that plan would be to prove that I couldn't hire a Canadian to do the job. How long did the whole process take exactly, from the time you put out the adverts? Would I have to pay her flight (because she's the one who would want to pay)?

I really really wish tourist visas were easier to come by.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jinksmiester says on Jul 12, 2007, 21:21:

Its about 3 months to have an lmo done.(not sure how other provinces in canada handle temp forien workers) but for alberta its nessecary.The paper work in bogota does not take long ...3 weeks or so if everything is together.As an employer i had to cover the cost of travel.It is still a bit of a process to go through ...if english is nessecary for the job she must be able to communicate fairly well in english...so it depends on the job....if english is required and the worker can not speak english the visa will be automatically refused.
It sucks that its so difficult for a colombian to visit canada or the u.s.
Its a all out war with paper work and documents just for them to even try and visit ...and then they are refused probably 99% of the time on the visa.I wanted my wife (girlfriend at the time)to come and visit and exsperience canada ,but not a chance in hell (we tried) that she could get a visiters visa....not as my girlfriend...not even as my wife could she visit.
I finally decided the only way to get my lady to canada was to marry her....(and i don,t regret that i did)...she is a great lady and we have a lot of fun together.
anyhow..all the best and good luck to you both

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

0 funny, 0 helpful.