Another proof: PR Visa for a Physician applicant

As you may already know, Specialist Physicians as well as General Practitioners and Family Physicians are included in the list of Canada's 38 High Demand Occupations. That means they are now eligible for 6-12 months processing under the new Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Here's a proof: Dr. Pamela Santiago received her Permanent Resident Visa 4 months after submission of her documents to Canadian Visa Office in Manila.

Dr. Pamela Santiago (right) with Ms. Evangeline Naron, CIC Consultant

Here's her application time line:

April 18, 2009 - Application was sent to Centralized Intake Office
June 12, 2009 - Received a positive assessment
July 28, 2009 - Supporting documents were submitted to Canadian Visa Office
Sept 05, 2009 - Received Medical Instruction and Right of Permanent Resident Fee (RPRF) payment Notice
Sept 25, 2009 - Sent the the RPRF Payment
Oct 29, 2009 - Received Visa notice, original passport required
Nov 06, 2009 - Original Passport submitted to Canadian Visa Office
Nov 21, 2009 - PR Visa Issued

Gone were the days wherein doctors need to get a Nursing Degree just to live and work in Canada.

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Marieton Pacheco Now In Canada!

One of my blog readers asked me this question - If journalists are not included in the list of 38 High Demand Occupations, how come Ms. Marieton Pacheco, former ABS-CBN senior re­porter, was able to immigrate to Canada just recently?


Though Ms. Marieton Pacheco bid farewell to her ABS-CBN family sometime in July 2009, she still reports for ABS-CBN News, Canada. Aside from that, she is now a freelance writer for The Philippine Asian News Today and Filipino-Canadian maga­zine Living Today.

Her Permanent Resident Visa application was filed on March 13, 2004. That was years before the Ministerial Instruction limiting the Federal Skilled Worker program to 38 high demand occupations. Canadian Visa Office in Manila approved her visa application on December 8, 2008 and her visa, together with her family members, were released June 3, 2009.

'How did I know about her application details?', you might ask.

Simple. Ms. Marieton Pacheco is actually one of the thousands of Canadian Immigration Consultancy clients who are now living in working in Canada. You can be one of them, too. Find out how!

Attend one of our seminar schedules.

Coastal Mall Office

Canadian Immigration Consultancy Office

Ground Floor Uniwide Coastal Mall
Pranaque City
Saturday 2pm
(FREE SEMINAR)

Angeles City, Pampanga
Century Resort Hotel
Balibago, Angeles City
At the back of Casino Filipino)
Nov 22, 2009, 2pm to 5pm (Sunday)
Seminar Fee: P500 (single) P700 (married)
Reserve a Seat Now!

CEBU CITY
Harry's Platter Restaurant
Cebu City
Dec 5, 12 and 16, 2009 | 2pm
Seminar Fee: P300
Reserve a Seat Now!


*Photo from Friendster

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Not just Nurses, College Instructors too!

Before you think that only Registered Nurses are being processed faster, here's a case of a College Instructor who received her visa six months after submission of supporting documents to Canadian Visa Office in Manila.

Ms. Joy Delfin with Ms. Vangie Naron and Ms. Maribel Naron

People never plan to fail. They just fail to plan. But Ms. Joy Delfin, a College Instructor, is different.

Just like Mr. Bantugan, she decided to file an application for Permanent Resident Visa through Federal Skilled Worker program despite being told that the process may take about 3-5 years. She filed her application on August 20, 2008 under the Simplified Application Process.

Ms. Joy Delfin received a positive assessment from Centralized Intake Office (CIO) on Jan 17, 2009 and was able to submit the supporting documents on May 12, 2009. She received her visa on Nov 9, 2009.

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Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney recently launched a new and more comprehensive study guide for Canadian Citizenship - Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. This study guide was first created in 1995.

Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship includes information on common values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the equality of men and women. It promotes to immigrants and Canadian citizens alike a greater understanding of Canada’s history, values, symbols and important Canadian institutions, such as Parliament and the Crown. It also highlights the contribution of ethnic and cultural communities in shaping our Canadian identity and the sacrifices made by Canada’s veterans for our country.

“People come from all over the world to seek Canadian citizenship. It is highly valued,” said Minister Kenney. “We expect people who want to become Canadians to have a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and the values and institutions that are rooted in Canada’s history. By strengthening the guide, we are increasing the value of Canadian citizenship.”[Source]

Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship can be downloaded here. if you are planning to live and work in Canada, I strongly suggest that you get a copy and start familiarizing yourselves about Canada.

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Check Refund from CIO

Some of those who filed their application after Feb 27, 2008 who are not included in the list of 38 High Demand Occupations are now starting to get a notice from Centralized Intake Office (CIO) that their applications will not be processed and they will get a refund for the processing fee they paid.

If the check or bank draft you received is drawn from Bank of the Philippine Islands main branch and is in Philippine Peso currency, you have two options on how to get your money. You may either deposit the check to your bank account or go to the BPI main branch and cash the check. You should bring at least two valid IDs.

But if what you received is a bank draft drawn from a bank in Canada and is in Canadian dollar currency, that will be a concern. It wouldn't be a problem if you have an existing Canadian Dollar account as you may simply deposit the check to your account.

But what are the chances that a Filipino living in the Philippines would maintain a Canadian dollar bank account? Highly unlikely.

So if you are in this situation, you may either open a bank account and deposit your check. Or look for somebody who has a Canadian dollar account and endorse your check for deposit. Of course, you have to ask the bank first if that is possible. Or ask your bank if you can deposit the check to your peso savings account. If ever this is possible, it may take 2-3 months before it gets cleared.

If none of these are doable, then you have to inform the CIO about your problem. Request for a check in Philippine Peso currency.

I have sent an email to CIO informing them about this problem. I will update this post once I receive a reply from them. They shouldn't be sending checks in Canadian dollar currency for applicants from the Philippines.

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Saudi Police Clearance or Certificate

Are you being required by the Canadian Visa Office to submit Saudi Police Clearance or Saudi Police Certificate?

Here's how to obtain a Saudi Police Certificate.

If you need a police certificate, your immigration processing office will give you a request letter. If you have any questions about this, please contact your immigration processing office.

If your application is being processed at the Canadian High Commission in London, you are not required to obtain a police certificate until the London visa office sends you a police certificate request letter with instructions on how to apply.

If you are applying at the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE, you should submit the police certificate with your application. You can contact the visa office at fax: (971 2) 694-0396 or e-mail: abu-dhabi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca Please include your immigration file number if you have one.

For applications being processed at any other office, e-mail: riyadh.visa@international.gc.ca or fax: 966-1-488-9657. Please include the file number, the office where you applied and your mailing address. [Source]

The problem, however, is that Saudi Police Certificates are available only to current legal residents.

How to get a Saudi Police Clearance for non-residents?

For those in the US, check the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington DC website for the details on how to get a Saudi Police Clearance.

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Manila, however, does not process police certificate.

If you are a Filipino applicant currently residing in the Philippines and is being required to submit a Saudi Police Clearance by the Canadian Visa Office in Manila, you may seek the help of Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant and Workers Affairs (OUMWA). Go to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. OUMWA will help you get the Saudi Police Clearance. The process may take 30-60 days. To make it easy for you, I'll post the required documents once I received a reply from OUMWA.

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4 Months PR Visa Processing for the Cabahug Family!

If you're still in doubt about the 6-12 months processing period for FSW application, this may change your mind.

The Cabahug family and Mr. Apol Apuntar

Last Saturday, the Cabahug Family visited our office to pick up their Permanent Resident (PR) Visas.

We filed their application to Centralized Intake Office (CIO) on March 13, 2009. A positive assessment result was received on April 24, 2009.

It took them a while to complete the requirements for submission to embassy. The 6-12 months processing period starts at the time the Visa Office received the complete application package - application forms and supporting documents.

Their application was filed at the Canadian Visa Office in Manila on June 29, 2009 and their visas were sent to our office on November 04, 2009. That's right, it took them only 4 months!

It is now easier and faster to apply. It is happening and we have the proof!

If you are interested to live and work in Canada, too, find out if you are eligible. Here's a FREE online assessment form.

Or attend one of our seminar schedules.

Coastal Mall Office
Canadian Immigration Consultancy Office
Ground Floor Uniwide Coastal Mall
Pranaque City
Saturday 2pm
(FREE SEMINAR - Look for Mr. Apol Apuntar)

Angeles City, Pampanga
Century Resort Hotel
Balibago, Angeles City
At the back of Casino Filipino)
Nov 22, 2009, 2pm to 5pm (Sunday)
Seminar Fee: P500 (single) P700 (married)
Reserve a Seat Now!

Dreaming for a better quality of life is one thing. But doing something to make it happen is another.

You have to do something. NOW!

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Special Immigration for Typhoon Victims in the Philippines may include Federal Skilled Worker applicants?

UPDATE (Nopv 14, 2009):Those who earlier submitted request to Canadian Visa Office in Manila for consideration regarding Special Immigration for Typhoon Victims already received a reply - FEDERAL APPLICATIONS NOT INCLUDED.

One of our clients with pending Federal Skilled Worker PR Visa application filed in 2006 may actually receive the result earlier than expected through Special Immigration Measures for Typhoon Victims in the Philippines.

This particular client has a sister in Canada who seek the help of a Member of Parliament, who then contacted the Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Her sister in Canada actually has a pending sponsorship application for her mother at the same time. The result is quite interesting.

Parents' file (Family Class):
The file was submitted to the CPC Mississauga on 18-Jul-2009. Based on your information, the file will be pulled from the queue and forwarded to an officer for priority processing under the situation caused by Tropical Storm Ketsana/Ondoy.

Please note that any approved requests for expedited processing would be subject to meeting all standard immigration requirements.

Sister's file (FSW):
The skilled worker application for your sister was received in December, 2006. The visa officer are currently processing applications that they received in September 2004.

Based on your information, they have been trying to contact your sister to request evidence and an explanation of how she has been directly and significantly affected by the situation caused by Tropical Storm Ketsana/Ondoy. Once they reach your sister and have obtained the required information, they will review it and advise her directly in due course of what steps, if any, may be made on her file.

It appears that applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker program may in fact benefit from the Special Immigration Measures for Typhoon Victims in the Philippines even if the guidelines do not included them on list of who may apply.

Do you have a pending FSW Application and was affected by Typhoon Ondoy? Ask your relatives to write their representative to the Parliament!

If you don't have relatives in Canada, you may try to submit evidence and an explanation of how you were directly and significantly affected by the situation caused by Typhoon Ondoy.

What document to submit?
1. Sworn Affidavit stating how you were affected
2. Certification from your Baranggay and or Municipal Office or DSWD
3. Other proof such as pictures, news clippings, etc.

Please note however, that you still have to meet certain visa requirements. Furthermore, the guideline specifically outlined who may apply under the program and that in order to be considered, you must be significantly affected. But just the same, it's worth trying.

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Call Us via WebCall, It's FREE!

This webcall feature has been in placed for quite a time now but I only thought of blogging about it just now. So yeah, you can call us FREE as long as you have an Internet connection. We will be receiving your calls through our regular phone lines and we can even transfer your call to our regional offices! How cool was that?!

How to make a web call

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Before user start to use WEB CALL system, please remind them of these necessary requirements below:

OS: Windows XP or Windows Vista
CPU: at least 500 MHz
RAM: 256 MB
Web Brower: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
Sound Card, Headphone, Microphone (speaker) / or Head-Set
Internet: Cable or ADSL Internet Connection

To make a call, click here

If this is the first time you use our webcall service, you will be asked to install ActiveX control. Simply click the Install ActiveX Control.

You will be asked to install the awwc.ocx, simply click install. This installation is just one time and the next time you use the webcall service you will no longer be prompted or asked to install this again from your computer.

After you successfully install the software you can now select which department you want to call
then click the green handset icon. If you want to talk to me, simply request to be transferred to local 8415/8527.

If your computer has a windows firewall you have to unblock the program to proceed with the call.

Now, you can call for FREE even if you are abroad or in the province.

I wonder how many immigration consulting firms have WebCall feature? :-)

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November 2009 Visa Bulletin is now out!

November 2009 Visa Bulletin is now out!

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly newsletter I send to my clients. If you have a pending immigrant visa application, too, you may also be interested to read what's in November 2009 Visa Bulletin.

This month's Visa Bulletin focuses on applications affected by the Ministerial Instruction - those applications that may be returned unprocessed.

Here's November 2009 Visa Bulletin.

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2010 Immigration Plan: Canada to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in 2010

Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s 2009 Annual Report is now tabled in the Parliament. This is pursuant to Section 94 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requiring the Immigration Minister to make such report on or before November 1 of each year or, if a House of Parliament is not then sitting, within the next 30 days on which that House is sitting after that date.

"We have maintained the highest relative level of immigration of any major western country, attracting nearly a quarter of a million permanent residents in 2008. In 2010, we intend to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 permanent residents", said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

While it is true that the process for those that meet specified criteria under the new Federal Skilled Worker program is faster - some are approved in less than six months - the fact remains that the process for those who filed before Feb 27, 2008 is still slow.

“We’ve also brought the backlog of federal skilled worker applicants down from over 630,000 to 425,000—a reduction of more than 30%.” - CIC

Part of the reason, if not the major factor, of the dramatic reduction in backlogs may be attributable to a couple of things:

1. Some, if not most, of those who filed before Feb 27, 2008 that are included in the list of 38 High Demand Occupations actually withdrew their applications and filed their applications to Centralized Intake Office (CIO).

2. Some of those who received Confirmation Letter from the Canadian Visa Office in Manila have withdrawn their application. These are the applicants who are not included in the list of High Demand Occupations and were discourage by the long processing period and the unfair treatment of their applications. Here's an excerpt from the letter:

This letter is in reference to your application for permanent residence in Canada, received in 2005. Citizenship and Immigration Canada requests that you confirm whether or not you are still interested in immigrating to Canada.

If you are no longer interested in immigrating to Canada and you wish to withdraw your application, please contact the Canadian Embassy in Manila within 90 days to confirm your mailing information, and we will return your full application fee.

To date, the Visa Office in Manila is yet to finish processing of applications filed in 2004.

The backlog was reduced, alright. But it would have been better if the backlog was reduced because of faster visa processing not only for those who meet specific criteria but also for those who have been waiting for five years now.

The 2010 Immigration Plan, just the same, looks promising. If your occupation is in the High Demand List, file your application now. The list reflects Canada’s labour market needs and were developed in consultation with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, provinces, territories and other economic experts. There is no official indication yet on when exactly the list will change.

Find out if you are eligible, here's Free Online Assessment

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