Application Process

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ASSESSMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

The first step towards your application is the upfront assessment of your profile.

Your personal assessment interview with a specialist from CALA Immigration will be booked. During this meeting your profile, language proficiency and other qualifications will be examined in order to determinate your candidacy’s likelihood of being accepted. You will also be told the immigration category that best corresponds to your interests and profile. As an outcome, you can expect to have a clear vision of your real immigration possibilities. After that, we can settle the way you want to be guided, advised, or represented.

RETAINER AGREEMENT

If the applicant qualifies and is willing to continue with his new life project, he/she will receive a detailed email with instructions on how to proceed, and will be provided with a copy of our Professional Retainer Agreement.

However, if an applicant does not qualify at that moment under a specific category, CALA Immigration will propose an action plan in order to advise the applicant on the different aspects that could be improved in order to qualify at a future date.

ACCUMULATING THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Once the Retainer Agreement is signed, and prior to the official submission of the application, the applicant has to collect the supporting documents for the application that will support his/her candidacy.

A detailed list of the documents will be provided by a CALA Immigration Professional and mailed to the client. On average, the necessary documents and forms can be accumulated within a month. Upon their reception, CALA Immigration will proceed with the preparation of the file for the official filing.

FILING OF APPLICATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

When the application is completed and ready for the official filing, it is sent to the corresponding Canadian Immigration Authority.
In order to facilitate the assessment of every case, the Canadian immigration authorities have assigned a specific Canadian immigration office for each category.

While there is a standardized list of required documents, additional documentation might be requested by our specialist in order to better support the file. CALA Immigration cooperates and monitors all of our client applications with the Canadian immigration offices in order to facilitate the processing of our clients’ applications and maintain our high standard of service.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT

The first communication issued by the Canadian Immigration Processing Centre is the Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR). This document provides the file number assigned to the application, as well as the official receipt for the processing fees paid, and indicates that the application has been received and that a file has been created.

PRELIMINARY REVIEW (DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY)

Canadian immigration authorities will conduct an initial review of the submitted documents (paper-screening). All documents submitted to support the application will be reviewed at this time. It is important to submit a complete application package and its supporting documentation, as only the documents submitted will be reviewed and considered.

Once the paper-screening of the application is concluded, the Immigration Officer will make one of the following decisions:

A. WAIVER/INTERVIEW QUEUE

The Immigration Officer may render a decision that, upon review of the application and supporting documents, the applicant is not required to attend a Personal Selection Interview. However, if the Immigration Officer considers that an interview is required, the application will be placed in queue to await an interview date. The exact date of interview will be provided by the Immigration Processing Centre at a future time.

Interview: The Immigration Officer is entitled to interview the applicant personally if he/she has concerns regarding any or all of the following:

a) Authenticity of the documents submitted;
b) Truthful and total completion of the forms;
c) Verification of the information entered in the forms;
d) Clarification of the specific information provided to Immigration Canada;

The interview is not been conducted as to assess language abilities.

Upon completion of the interview, the applicant will be required to pass both the medical and security examinations, and may be also requested to submit further documentation.

B. AN INTERVIEW WAIVER

If there is no need of an interview, a notice will be issued to continue and finish processing the application. The applicant will be required to pass both the medical and security examinations, and may be asked for further documentation; for instance,  evidence of funds.

C. REFUSAL OF THE APPLICATION

Upon the preliminary review of the application, the Immigration Officer may decide that the documents submitted do not establish the level of qualifications required by Canadian Immigration Laws, and may therefore reject the application.

D. SELECTION DECISION/VISA ISSUANCE

The last stage of the application is the issuance of the visa. The applicant will be required to submit his/her original passport for visa stamping. (and if applicable, those of each accompanying family member). Each passport must be valid for at least 12 months, and have a minimum of 2 pages per visa (for Permanent Residents).

*CALA Immigration has implemented a Client Notification Policy which states that the applicant has to be notified via email within 72 hours of the receipt of official correspondence in our offices.

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