Canadian Immigration Questions & Answers With Attorney David Cohen

Every month, Attorney David Cohen will answer a few general Canadian immigration questions submitted by our readers. Here are this month’s questions and answers:

Can I apply for a Super Visa visiting Canada, or must I first return to my home country?

A Super Visa is only available to parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. It allows the parents or grandparents to visit their relative in Canada and stay continuously in Canada for up to two years without leaving. However, the parents or grandparents who are in Canada on a Super Visa are not entitled to free healthcare and must have private medical insurance throughout their stay in Canada. Also, a Super Visa does not allow the visitor to work or study in Canada.

If a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen is visiting Canada on a regular visitor visa, they must apply for the Super Visa at a visa office outside Canada. In certain circumstances, Visa Offices located in the US will accept applications from visitors who are currently in Canada.

I have already taken (and scored highly on) an IELTS Academic test. Can this be used as proof of language proficiency?

At the present time, Citizenship and Immigration Canada only accepts the results of the IELTS General Test for proving language proficiency for immigration purposes.

I hear that new student visas will allow students to work off-campus on a part-time basis. I’m already in Canada on a study permit – can I start working off-campus, or do I need to get a new permit?

You must have a work permit to work off-campus. Under certain circusmtances, existing foreign students are eligible to apply for work permits for part-time off-campus work. This policy will be more widely applied under the new rules announced recently for study permits. At the present time, you should contact the international student office at your educational institution to determine whether you are eligible for an off-campus work permit.

I want to get a multiple-entry visitor visa to Canada. Do I have to specifically request for my visa to be multiple entry?

Yes. The Government Fees payable for a multiple entry visitor visa are substantially higher than a single entry visa. You must indicate you are applying for a multiple entry visitor visa on the application form and submit the higher fees with your application.

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