Xcelture immigration office  is based in Toronto, Canada; we help clients across Canada and around the world we are RCIC.

We help clients with different Immigration Issues including:

• Previously refused applications
• Visitor’s visa
• Work Permit
• Study Permit
• Business Immigration
• Refugee Claims & H&C Application

Previously Refused Application:

If your application for visit, study or work permit is refused earlier we can help you guide to re-apply the relevant stream. Looking to travel, work, study or immigrate to Canada we will file your application, find the forms and documents you’re looking for with best advice according to your qualification and eligibility.

Do you want to know your eligibility for Canadian Visas?

Call us toll-free or take less than a minute to fill our Online Assessment for Your Visa Options.

What are the different types of temporary visas in Canada?

Do you want to visit Canada? Travel to beautiful places, visit tourist sites, family members and friends? A visitor visa allows foreign nationals like yourself to enter Canada as a visitor. 

Whether you are an international student looking to study, a temporary worker looking to work, or visiting for tourism, you are required to apply for a visitor visa for your temporary stay in Canada.

What is a temporary resident visa? 

If you want to enter Canada and you are not a visa-exempt, then you must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). A TRV is an official document issued by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that shows that you have fulfilled all the requirements to be eligible to become a temporary Canadian resident. 

A TRV can be issued for a single entry or multiple-entry. The duration of stay allowed is determined on a case by case basis. For tourists, the maximum period of admittance is 6 months. For foreign workers and international students, the duration of stay is dependent on their case. You can apply for a visitor Visa extension from within Canada.

To be eligible for a TRV you must be 18 or older, hold a valid government-issued passport or travel document, have all documentation in either English or French, not be inadmissible for reasons such as criminality or medical, have required funds to cover your stay, attend an interview and provide biometric information if required, submit copies of your current immigration status, and demonstrate that your stay in Canada will be temporary and you will return at the end of your authorized stay. 

Tourist Visa

A tourist visa, also known as a visitor visa, allows foreign nationals to enter Canada as a visitor. Whether you are an international student looking to study, a temporary worker looking to work, or visiting for tourism, you are required to apply for a visitor visa for your temporary stay in Canada.

Canada’s beauty and sights make it a wonderful tourist destination. Learn more tourist visas and the different types available. 

What is a Super Visa? 

The Super Visa is designed for visiting parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The Super Visa is specially created for allowing parents and grandparents to visit and stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to 2 years without the need for any extensions. It is a multiple entry visa that remains valid for up to 10 years and allows reentry within that period. 

To apply for a Super Visa, you need to be visiting a permanent resident or Canadian citizen as their parent or grandparent, have an invitation letter signed by and from your child or grandchild which lists assurance of financial support during your stay, the number of people living in the house, proof of their Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, and medical insurance valid for up to 1 year with a minimum coverage of $100,000 and proof that it is paid. 

You must apply to the Super Visa from outside of Canada and the child or grandchild must provide proof that minimum necessary income requirements are met. 

Business Visitor Visa

A business visitor visa is for business visitors to Canada who intend to stay for a period of 6 months or more, intend to work in the Canadian labour market, have a main place of work and source of income outside of Canada, have the required documents to support your application, have basic travel documents like a passport, have enough funds to stay in Canada, do not have a criminal record or pose a health risk, and cannot enter the Canadian workforce as a business visitor. 

The main requirements for a visitor visa for business visitors includes proof of your activities to the border official at your arrival port of entry or airport, and an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if you are a business visitor from a visa-exempt country arriving by air. 

You can travel anywhere within Canada if you are on a visitor visa, but if you are searching for Canadian employment, a work permit may be a better choice. 

Student Visa

If you want to study at a Canadian institution as an international student, you are required to apply for a student visa, which can also be referred to as a study permit. Student visas authorize you to study at a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada. 

You do not require a student visa is your study program is 6 months or less, you have children inside Canada, you are accompanying a foreign representative as a family member or staff, you are a member of the armed forces of a country designated for the purposes of the Visiting Forces Act, or you are a Registered Indian. 

What is a temporary work permit? 

If you are looking to work in Canada, you’ll need a work permit from the government body of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before you come to Canada.

Temporary work permits authorize foreign nationals to work in Canada for a period of time. Work permits are issued based on grounds ranging from employment needs in Canada, work experience, education, bilateral agreements and pilot programs. 

Depending on authorization, work permits can allow for full or part-time employment. A work permit may also enable you to apply for permanent residency. The different types of work permits include an open work permit, post-graduate work permit, work permit for IT workers, inland spousal sponsorship open work permit, and a bridging open work permit. 

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

With the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), Canadian employers can hire temporary foreign workers. The TFWP allows Canadian employers to hire temporary foreign workers for positions that couldn’t be filled by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. This program is jointly operated by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

If you wish to apply for a work permit through the TFWP, then you will require a valid job offer from a designated employer in Canada. You must also meet the admissibility requirements to enter Canada. 

The TFWP helps Canadian employers to hire foreign workers and provides foreign workers all the necessary rights and protections to work in Canada. 

Open Work Permit 

An open work permit authorizes a foreign national to work in Canada for any employer and in any location. 

If you are exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), then you are eligible to apply for an open work permit. If you want to extend or change your work permit, then you can apply 30 days before your current permit expires. 

The two types of open work permits are unrestricted open work permits and restricted open work permits. You are eligible for a work permit if you are the spouse or common-law partner of a foreign skilled worker or international student, an international student that graduated from a study program that lasted longer than 8 months, if you’ve applied for permanent residence through the inland spousal sponsorship program, a participant in programs offered by International Experience Canada, or living in Canada as a refugee or protected person (and their family members). 

Work and Holiday Visa/Work and Travel Visa

A work and holiday visa provides temporary work permits to young people who want to legally live and get a job in Canada. The permits are valid for either 12 or 24 months, depending on your country of citizenship. 

To be eligible for a work and holiday visa, candidates must be a citizen of one of the 35 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement within Canada, have a valid passport for the duration of their stay, be between the ages of 18 and 30 (some countries of citizenship extend the upper age limit to 35), have the funds to cover initial expenses (usually $2,500 CAD), be able to take out health insurance for the full duration of their visit, have funds to purchase a departure ticket at the end of their authorized stay, not be accompanied by dependents, pay the appropriate fees, and be admissible to Canada.

Post-Graduate Work Permit

As a student who has graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI), you can apply under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) for a work permit. A Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) is an open work permit that does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). 

You qualify for the Post-Graduation Work Permit if you are 18 or older, complete a full-time study program that lasted at least 8 months, apply within 180 days of your graduation, and have a valid temporary residence status at the time of your application.

Different types of permanent visas in Canada

Permanent residence means that you have been granted the status of a permanent residence as an immigrant. A permanent resident is not a citizen of the country. However, as a permanent resident, you will have access to certain benefits, such as public health care services, protection under Canadian law, and the ability to leave and enter Canada without any prior authorization.

The different types of permanent resident pathways include Canadian Spousal Sponsorship, Canadian Family Sponsorship, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class, Canadian Business and Investor Immigration, Provincial Nominee Program, Express Entry, Quebec Immigration, Permanent Residence for Caregivers, Humanitarian Compassionate Grounds, Permanent Resident Card, Canadian Citizenship, Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, and the Economic Mobility Pathway Pilot (EMPP).

Learn more about gaining permanent residency through one of these pathways. 

Express Entry Program

Canada’s Express Entry (EE) system is a selection process used by the Canadian government’s department of “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada” (IRCC) to select skilled immigrants to become permanent residents of Canada. 

In order to enter the pool, eligible candidates must meet the Express Entry Canada requirements by qualifying for one of the following Canadian immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. 

Some Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) also have an Express Entry component. If you receive a nomination from a provincial authority, you are able to include the respective approval on your Express Entry submission. 

Federal Skilled Trade Program (FSTP)

As a foreign skilled tradesperson, you have the opportunity to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). It is a faster route for foreign nationals to immigrate because this program helps to add productivity to the Canadian economy.

You are eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) if you have full-time work experience in a skilled trade for at least 2 years obtained in the past 5 years. Your work experience is only valid if you have received appropriate certification to practice your trade in Canada.

Under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code, the occupations that are considered skilled trades include industrial, electrical, construction, maintenance, equipment operation, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources or agriculture and related production, processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors or central control operators, chefs/cooks, butchers, and bakers. 

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

If you want to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, then you can apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). A skilled worker is someone with appropriate education, work experience, age, and language proficiency. 

The FSWP is 1 of the 3 programs offered by the Express Entry System as a pathway to apply for permanent residency in Canada. The FSWP allows you to immigrate with your immediate family members and work in Canada. 

You are eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program if you have at least 1 year of continuous full-time skilled employment in the last 10 years or a part-time equivalent, score a minimum of 7 levels on an English or French language proficiency test, have a Canadian high school diploma or foreign equivalent, have enough financial resources to support yourself and your accompanying family, and intend to live outside the province of Quebec. 

The government body of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) selects applicants for the FSWP based on a unique points grid. You must score at least 67 points out of the 100 point grid to qualify for the FSWP. 

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

A Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows provinces to nominate their own candidates for provincial nomination based on their potential to meet the labour market needs of their respective regions, populace, and economies.

Except for the territory of Nunavut and the province of Quebec, each province has its own PNP with a signed agreement alongside the federal government body of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The PNPs each operate as multiple immigration pathways for foreign skilled workers who wish to apply for permanent residence in a chosen province or territory with all pathways contributing to the benefit of the entire country. 

For some PNPs, applicants require nomination from a prospective employer from that province and are eligible to receive a letter of support for a temporary work permit. Employers in the province who wish to hire foreign skilled workers through the PNPs must meet certain criteria to qualify. 

Pilot programs under several PNPs often target semi and low-skilled workers to meet the variety of the labour market gaps in the province. There are also Provincial Business Programs available that are PNP streams designed to attract international entrepreneurial talent, innovation, and investment.

Learn more about the PNP application process. 

Canadian Experience Class

If you have worked in Canada as a temporary foreign worker, then you can apply for permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

The Express Entry system manages the CEC applicants for permanent residency. The Express Entry system assesses applicants based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). 

To be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, you need to have at least 1 year of full-time work experience as a skilled worker in Canada acquired in the last 3 years before applying. You cannot apply for the CEC without Canadian work experience. Additionally, you need to work in an occupation under the NOC skill level 0 or A jobs, receive remuneration for performing a job, get at least a 7 on a language proficiency test for English or French, and have the intention to move and live outside of Quebec in another province or territory. 

You will also be required to clear the admissibility requirements for immigrating to Canada. 

Getting a Visa Through Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)

If you want to immigrate to Quebec, you can apply through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). The QSWP offers highly talented foreign nationals an opportunity to work in Quebec. You will be evaluated on your eligibility for the Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). 

To apply for the QSWP, you must get a Quebec Selection Certificate and apply for permanent residency. Your QSWP application is assessed on the basis of education level, work experience, age, knowledge of English and French, link to Quebec (any relationships such as family member, past visit, previous education, etc.), job offer validated by the Ministere d’immigration, francisation et integration (MIFI), characteristics of your accompanying spouse if you have one, accompanying dependent if you have one, and financial resources to support your stay.

You can apply for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program through the Arrima Portal. QSWP applications are no longer processed under the “first come, first served” principle. 

Getting a Visa with family sponsorship 

Canada’s family class immigration offers you the opportunity to reunite with your family by sponsoring your dependent children for permanent residency. This sponsorship applies to both biological and adopted children. The government body of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) must approve both you and your sponsored dependents to be eligible. 

The requirements for sponsoring dependent children are that you need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, 18 years of age or older, and not in prison, criminally convicted, or bankrupt. You will be required to provide proof of relationship, such as a birth certificate or adoption papers. 

Additionally, a Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) is required to sponsor the dependent children to Canada. The processing times for a Dependent Child Sponsorship depends on the country of residence for the child, however, most Dependent Child Sponsorships are processed within 12 months.

Learn more about the application process and financial requirements. 

Getting a visa by starting a business or investing in Canada

There are programs for investors designed to attract foreign business people and investors to immigrate to Canada and contribute to economic growth. If you are eligible for these programs, you can qualify for permanent residency. 

The investor programs are for foreign investors who wish to make a substantial business investment in Canada without the obligation to establish a business. If you wish to establish a business, then you can apply for the Canadian Business Immigration programs for foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed persons. 

The different investor programs available include the Start-Up Visa Program, the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, Provincial Nominee Programs for Investors. 

Investors Program

The investor programs are for foreign investors who wish to make a substantial business investment in Canada without the obligation to establish a business. If you wish to establish a business, then you can apply for the Canadian Business Immigration programs for foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed persons. 

The different investor programs available include the Start-Up Visa Program, the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, Provincial Nominee Programs for Investors. 

Start-Up Visa program

The Start-Up Visa Program is for foreign business entrepreneurs who wish to establish a new business in Canada. No minimum investment is required. However, must obtain a letter of support or commitment certificate from a designated Canadian organization. 

Business investors are also eligible for a temporary work visa if they are actively engaged in operating a business in Canada. They can qualify for permanent residency after attaining a letter of support or a Commitment Certificate. 

Provincial Nominee Investor Program

If you wish to invest and live in a specific province or territory in Canada, then you can apply to be approved through their Provincial Business Programs. 

Each province and territory in Canada offer their own immigration streams for foreign investors and entrepreneurs with their own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Each province will have its own set of eligibility criteria and requirements. However, you will be required to clear all admissibility requirements for entry into Canada on the federal level.

Caregiver Programs

If you are an experienced caregiver with a job offer in Canada, then you can apply for permanent residency. The caregiver programs were created to encourage professional caregivers from around the world to immigrate to Canada for work. 

The new pilot programs have replaced the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs program. The new pilots provide new freedom to the caregivers. Caregivers will be allowed to change employers when necessary. 

Caregivers will also be eligible to add accompanying family members to their permanent residency applications. This means their spouse or common-law partners will be eligible to apply for open work permits. 

The different caregiver programs available for obtaining permanent residency include but are not limited to the Home Child-Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot. Learn more about the different programs and find out if you’re eligible.  

Self-Employed persons program 

The Canadian federal government offers the Self-Employed Person Program for individuals who have the required experience to establish themselves in Canada as self-employed individuals in farming, cultural activities or world-class athletics. 

To obtain permanent residency, you are not required to have a minimum net worth to be eligible. However, you must demonstrate enough financial resources to support yourself for the duration of your stay in Canada. 

The government of Canada defines a self-employed person as an individual with relevant self-employment experience in a cultural or athletic profession. To be eligible for the Self-Employed Persons Program, you must have 2 years of professional work experience either as a self-employed individual in your profession, in the form of participation experience at a world-class event in your profession, or 1 year of experience in each of the activities mentioned above. 

You will also be required to score a minimum level of points to be selected for this program. You must score at least 35 points out of 100 to be considered for this program. Education makes up 25 points, experience is 35 points, age is 10 points, language proficiency is 24 points, and adaptability makes up 6 points. 

The processing time for this program is 23 months. Learn more about the requirements for the self-employed persons program here.

Business Immigration Requirements in Nova Scotia:

The Entrepreneur Stream is for experienced business owners or senior business managers who want to live in Canada. Every Province has its own requirements; Here is the information for Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Program. They must start a new business or buy an existing business and must actively participate in the day-to-day management of the business. After operating the business for a year, the entrepreneur may be nominated for permanent resident status. Application to the stream is by invitation only.

ELIGIBILITY

To apply you must:

• be 21 years of age or older;
• want to live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively managing a Nova Scotia business;
• have a net worth of at least $600,000 CAD;
• be able to invest at least $150,000 CAD of your own money to establish a business in Nova Scotia;
• have at least 3 years’ experience actively managing and owning a business (1/3 ownership minimum) OR more than 5 years’ experience in a senior business management role;
• have a score of at least 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or French;
• complete an online Expression of Interest;
• receive an Invitation to Apply from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration.

HOW TO APPLY

• Complete the Expression of Interest.
• If you are invited to apply, complete the application form and include all required information and attachments.

Refugee claim:

Are you a refugee or a person in need of protection?

An individual may be considered a Convention refugee if they have a well-founded fear of persecution upon returning to their country of citizenship or country of legal permanent residence. There are five forms of persecution recognized by the international community: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group (e.g gender, sexual orientation, etc.) and political opinion.

To claim refugee status, the fear of persecution must be one of these five forms.  The individual must demonstrate that their country is unable or unwilling to provide them with adequate state protection.

Eligibility requirements to make a Refugee Claim

Your claim might not be eligible to be referred to the Immigration Refugee Board if you:

• Have been conferred Refugee or Protected person status in another country and you can return to that country
• Have been granted protected person status in Canada
• Arrived via the Canada-United States of America border and the Safe Third Country Agreement Applied to you, see below
• Are inadmissible into Canada on Security grounds, for Serious Criminality or human rights violations
• Made a previous claim in Canada for Refugee protection and it was refused, you abandoned or withdrew the claim or you were found ineligible

Safe third Country Agreement

Under The Safe Third Country Agreement, refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception to the Agreement. This means that foreign nationals who are in the United States must claim protection in the United States of America, unless one of the exceptions applies to them.

The Safe Third Country Agreement applies only to refugee claimants who are seeking entry to Canada from the U.S.:

• at Canada-U.S. land border crossings
• by train or
• at airports, only ifthe person seeking refugee protection in Canada has been refused refugee status in the U.S. and is in transit through Canada after being deported from the U.S.

There are four types of exceptions to the Safe Third Country Agreement being applicable to refugee claimants claiming protection in Canada provided they are eligible:

• Family member exceptions
• Unaccompanied minors’ exception
• Document holder exceptions
• Public interest exceptions

THE PROCESS

The process usually starts with the individual requesting protection to a border services or immigration officer. This will require the person concerned to complete a series of forms and an interview. If the person is determined to be eligible to make a claim his case is referred to the Refugee Protection Division – Immigration Refugee Board and a hearing is scheduled. A decision will be rendered after the hearing.

The Refugee Protection will determine if the person concerned is a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection.

Convention refugees are outside their home country or the country they normally live in. They are not able to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on:

• race
• religion
• political opinion
• nationality, or
• membership in a social group, such as women or people of a particular sexual orientation.

A person in need of protection is a person in Canada who cannot return to their home country safely. This is because if they return, they would be subject to a:

• danger of torture
• risk to their life, or
• risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

IF you are contemplating seeking refugee protection, contact us today.