Canadian VISA hopes revived, new method and advice needed.

bueno_pues says on Jul 19, 2007, 19:11:

It will certainly help her get a tourist visa to Canada. I imagine that once she is in Australia she'll have to apply at the Canadian embassy there.

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podborski says on Jul 19, 2007, 19:13:

uh hate to always be the bearer of bad news, but I had a similar situation, my gf had a US visa, and she was told (by friends) tht it would be easier to apply for her cdn visa from the usa, I ran this by a guy at Cdn immigration, he said no, they have a worldwide database and it makes NO difference where you apply from.

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podborski says on Jul 19, 2007, 19:15:

The only way it becomes easier is if she becomes (in the case of my gf a US citizen) an australian citizen.

Why would the location of your application lead to a different result?

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bueno_pues says on Jul 19, 2007, 19:16:

Did she have a US green card? My wife has a US green card and doesn't need any kind of visa to visit either Canada or Mexico. She's been to both so we know it works. Having a tourist visa to another country doesn't count for much however.

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podborski says on Jul 19, 2007, 19:26:

Exactly. My gf just had a US tourist visa, so of course that meant nothing to the Cdn immigration folks.

The confusion is, IF you have a green card then you don't need a visa AT ALL to get into Canada.

So some people misinterpret that to mean, once they get in the USA, they can cross the border without a visa.

Not true.

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bueno_pues says on Jul 19, 2007, 19:29:

You're right, Podborski. Having the tourist visa doesn't count for much. My brother-in-law had tourist visa to Australia as well as the UK and Europe but the US embassy has turned him down twice for a US tourist visa.

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Conchale Vale!! says on Jul 19, 2007, 20:17:

The working visa could help IF she has been in Australia for a fair amount of time and has established a better economic base. The thought process is the same as they use to get a visa from Colombia...does she have ties to go back. Now if she has only been there a month then the changes are slim. Or it wont help much at all trying to get he tourist visa before she even starts the job. I have several coworkers that are in the US on work visas mostly from Venezuela. A couple of them have family in Toronto to get a visa was not easy. I know 1 was turned down the first time because it was too soon.

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manINred says on Jul 19, 2007, 20:35:

Thank you for your replies so far.

"Why would the location of your application lead to a different result?"

Because she has been given the opportunity to live in Australia and has a VISA to do so, and once it expires (in 5 years) I believe she has the opportunity to become a resident there. The fact is, Australia is a developed country like Canada, and since she is living there for the next few years, why would she want to ditch it for Canada? This is especially considering she is going to be working full time as a professional there. They need to make sure she goes back to where she came from, so why wouldn't she return to Australia?

That's my reasoning.

I suppose it would be difficult to find someone in the exact situation as her. As such, it is difficult to predict what can happen. I suppose it only improves her chances, even if only slightly.

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podborski says on Jul 19, 2007, 20:42:

It could help, for sure, but probably only if she has been there a few years. So, I don't know how that helps you much unless you have a lot of patience.

Anyway, I'm no expert, just going from my own limited experience.

But I hear Australia is great, you could go visit her there.

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manINred says on Jul 19, 2007, 20:44:

yeah thanks podborski, i plan to visit her there, this is great news definitely, and it should be fun :)

I guess the only downside is now I have no excuse to go to Colombia much

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jinksmiester says on Jul 20, 2007, 01:48:

If i were you id talk to an australian embassy and pose your question to them.Im guessing that even though she has a visa and may be living in australia she will still have a colombian passport and and is a colombian citizen.As such ...with a colombian passport she would need a transit visa to go through the U.S.My wife is a permanent resident living in canada and going through the u.s. she requires a transit visa until she becomes canadian and has a canadian passport.
bieng colombian there is a good chance she may have to apply through a colombian embassy...im asuming thats what she did for her australian work visa.
You would think it would improve her chances of a visiters visa to canada would be better .
good luck...

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

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vicshere says on Jul 20, 2007, 06:15:

why would someone want to live in canada when you could live in Australia ....i dont get it

listo

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manINred says on Jul 20, 2007, 07:14:

Thanks jinkmiester. I believe there are direct flights to Vancouver from Australia, so perhaps a transit visa would not be necessary.

The point is vic if someone is already living happily in a developed country (australia), why would they randomly move to another one (canada)? That's the logic behind Australians being automatically granted a tourist visa for Canada, without applying or anything.

En cambio if the Canadian government sees she is residing in a country like Colombia which is still developing and has certain problems etc..., they see her as not wanting to return, so they would need her to apply for a visa and make her prove she'd go back. That's my reasoning anyway.

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Conchale Vale!! says on Jul 20, 2007, 22:08:

Where the visa is applied for will depend upon where she resides at the time. You say she will be going to Australia in October. So if she is not yet in Australia then the Canadian embassy in Colombia. If she is in Australia then the Canadian embassy there. If she has resided in Australia for a fairly significant amount of time, established a residence, employment history, credit history etc that will all help. If she has actually quit a job to go Australia and has not yet went or just got there that may actually hurt the visa possibility because she would sort of be in limbo for lack of a better way to put it. One visa does not necessarily help you get another. Although having a visa in another place and have multiple entrances and returns can help. Actually having a visas does not even guaranty entry to the country that it is for. There are numerous people turned back upon arrival to the country where they have a visa because the in country immigration officials did not get the right feeling of the traveler. Maybe they did not have enough cash with them, didn't know enough about where they were going in the destination country etc. Hope this helps. Why not go to Colombia to see her before she leaves? It is actually a cheaper ticket for you to go to her than her to go to you. Australia is a whole different story that is one expensive ticket form anywhere.

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manINred says on Jul 21, 2007, 08:34:

Thank you Conchale Vale, a great response!

She has been in the process for a couple of years getting this visa to Australia. The Aussie government want her to come, because in her field there is a demand for skilled workers, and considering the type of visa she has (it is basically a ticket to move her life from Colombia to Australia) they won't deny her entry into the country. I suppose she would have to wait until she builds up credit history, employment, a reputation and a life in Australia before Canada would give her a shot at letting her visit here.

Well, I would love to go back to Colombia, but I would have to quit my job in Toronto (my contract ends in September). I restart university when my job ends, and I cannot miss school to go galavanting. I suppose it's feasible to go now and quit the job, but she has offered to pay for me to go to Australia when she has established herself there (next April). I suppose I will have to wait until then, unless i win the lottery ;).

Thanks for your advice, greatly appreciated.

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Cerealkiller says on Jul 21, 2007, 09:42:

ManInRed, you need to look at the type of visa she was given for australia. Even if it is a working visa chances are it has a lot of restrictions. She wont be elegible to apply for citizenship until granted an indefinite leave to remain (which is usually only granted once you marry a national or claim asylum and australia has a very tough policy on asylum seekers), and the time she has spent on her current visa wont be taken into account...so rather than 5 years it would be more like 8 if she marries an australian and 10 is she sticks to the canadian...sorry to burst your bubble but no embassy will provide a 5 year visa without the toughest restrictions...ask her to send you a copy of the visa, there is usally some discouraging note at the bottom in very fine print.
Good luck.

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives -John Stuart Mill

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manINred says on Jul 21, 2007, 16:40:

Well, it's not a 'bubble' I'm in, I know the nature of her VISA more or less. Thank you for your advice though. She is well set up there, and I am sure of that, no worries. Several of her friends before her have gotten the visa and are still there working professionally (have been for 6 years), living wonderful lives and returning to Colombia whenever they get vacation.

The only thing quite frankly that I care about is whether or not it is now easier for me to see her.

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jfsawatzky says on Jul 26, 2007, 09:03:

Based on the Permanent Resident Visa my wife and I are waiting for, I believe that after you have lived for one year outside of a country where you are a citizen, you can apply for a visa from the embassy/consulate within that country... so after one year in Oz, she can apply for a visitors visa from the consulate in Canberra.
By the way, what profession is you wife is in?
Take care... and good luck

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