FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does the Immigration Process Work?

Step 1: A 1^st Canadian visa consultant assesses your case Before deciding to immigrate or apply for a visa, you should have your case professionally assessed to determine whether you are eligible

Step 2: Signing the appointment agreement with 1^st Canadian visa once you are told you can get a visa and you wish to appoint 1^st Canadian Visa to help, you will be required to sign an appointment agreement with 1^st Canadian visas (Pty) Ltd. Our appointment agreement clearly sets out the service fees and third-party payments that will be required to complete your application successfully.

Step 3: Gathering your Documents It is important that you gather all documentation which is relevant to your case. Our 1^st Canadian Visas case officer appointed to your case will provide you with a list of documents you will need.

Step 4: Completing Application Forms Your 1^st Canadian Visas case officer will be assisting you in completing your application forms.

Step 5: Preparing your Application Package After gathering your documents and completing the forms, your 1^st Canadian Visas case officer will prepare the documents in an organized presentable fashion.

Step 6: Submitting the Application to the Visa Office Your 1^st Canadian vis case officer will advise you as to what visa office to submit your application. You will have to pay your immigration processing fees at this time.

Step 7: Monitoring the Application as it is Processed: It is important to make sure that your application is being processed according to the 1^st Canadian Visa published service standards.

Step 8: You may have an interview Some visa cases require an interview with a visa officer. If an interview is required, your 1^st Canadian visas case officer will notify you of the date and time of the interview. Your case officer will prepare you for the interview.

Step 9: Letter of Acceptance or Refusal Letter

After your interview or if you don’t have one, you will be eventually notified in writing that you have been accepted for immigration or refused.

Step 10: Issuance of Visa or Appeal because of a Refusal

If you get approved for your visa, congratulations! But if your case is refused, you should consider your options for appealing the refusal. Do not delay if your case is refused because there are often deadlines to file applications.

Why choose an immigration consultant when I can do it myself?

Before making the decision to choose an immigration representative, you may wonder whether you even need one. After all you may know people who have successfully obtained their visas without hiring an immigration consultant. You may have heard stories of people simply filling out the forms, paying the government fees and they have been issued their visa.

However, you may have also heard of cases where the adventurous have gone it alone only to find that their visa application was refused. These stories are just that: stories.

At 1st Canadian Visas, our position on applying for a visa without the benefit of legal representation is that it is a risk just is not worth taking. While it is true that it is possible for you to represent yourself in some simple immigration matters, the reality is that in doing so you are taking a big gamble.

Immigration laws are constantly changing and are very complex. You may have some basic understanding about what is involved in applying for a visa, but unless you are a full-time immigration professional, you will not be aware of all the issues which may impact on your case. Moreover, even if you apply on your own and get your visa, you may have created some problems that could impact on your status long after your visa has been issued. So, what seemed like a successful visa application, may turn out to be just the opposite.

We believe that it is important that applicants educate themselves about the visa process and work with a professional as a team. Both applicants and immigration professionals working together can maximize the applicant’s chances of success. Applicants know more about their personal circumstances than the professional, whereas the professional knows more about immigration law. Successful immigration cases result from bringing applicants and immigration professionals together to work as a team.

Who should I choose? Lawyer or Consultant?

Applicants should also know something about the visa process to protect themselves from individuals representing themselves as immigration professionals when they are not. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of corruption in the immigration business. By having a basic understanding about immigration, applicants can arm themselves against being victims of fraud.

There are essentially two types of immigration representatives offering their services to clients: Lawyers and Consultants

Consultants

Consultants are immigration representatives who are not lawyers. They are often referred to as paralegals, law officers and, immigration specialists. Some consultants are former immigration officers who have left the government to work in the private sector. Immigration consultants are now regulated by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Counsel (ICCRC). The ICCRC is responsible for regulating the activities of immigration consultants who are members and who provide immigration advice for a fee.

The ICCRC grants memberships to only those individuals who have demonstrated their knowledge and ability to advise, consult and represent people who wish to seek Canadian immigration, have passed the Society’s Knowledge and Ethics Test and have demonstrated their good character.

Lawyers

Lawyers often act as representatives for applicants with immigration matters. Unlike consultants, lawyers in Canada are required to have a university education and to complete law school. Lawyers are regulated by the Provincial or State Bar in the jurisdiction in which they practice. The fact that lawyers are regulated provides their clients with protection against unethical and incompetent practitioners

Immigration Lawyers

Immigration Lawyers are lawyers who practice primarily or exclusively in immigration law. They generally have a greater level of expertise than a general practitioner who may merely dabble in the field. Clients interested in hiring a lawyer with experience in immigration law should always ask the lawyer what percentage of their practice is dedicated to immigration law to determine if they practice immigration law on a regular basis.

1^st Canadian Visas (Pty) Ltd only works with licensed Canadian immigration consultants.

Who is 1st Canadian Visas? How can they help?

At 1^st Canadian visa all our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration consultants. We are a team of immigration professionals who adhere to the highest standards of client service.1^st Canadian Visa consultants are all highly trained and know how to deal with government officials effectively in order to maximize outcomes for all visa applications.

1^st Canadian Visa only uses the best available technology, a wide range of advanced case management tools and of course top talent to ensure that your Visa case is handled with the upmost care.

Our Immigration consultants have:

Over 40 years of combined experience.
A proven track record for handling all Canadian visa cases.
Fully licensed Canadian immigration consultants
Access to the latest access to technology making the visa experience smoother and more cost effective for their clients