Hi Everyone
Thanks all for sharing your experiences though every situation is different. I just wanted to ask if somali passport is still an unrecognized travel document by many western countries including Canada. In terms of visit or study visa i mean. Yet sponsorship and immigration are still being processed for somali passport holders. Things has changed a bit after President Farmajo tour in Europe. Which resulted in Norway recognizing Somali passport as valid travel document for Schengen Visa, and Sweden on the process. As for Canada i belive it's a matter of time.
I wanted to apply for visit visa to Canada but the passport recognition issue ruined my plans. Although i was born in UAE, never travelled to Somalia, and passport is issued in the Consulate in Dubai. So, zero chances of frauding. Not to mention that biometrics will be obtained in Dubai as well. While 2018 is almost ending, CIC website seem to process Somali applications smoothly if submitted and paid online. Compared to Nairobi office, processing time of TRV from UAE as per CIC is 35 days or less in some cases. In online application the detailed questionnaire forwarded me directly to the application after entering my data. Unlike Sweden Immigration website. The latest statement from a Canadian Immigration official regarding the status of Somali passport as a travel document was back in October 2017 from The IRB’s Research Directorate in South Africa. The Directorate emphasized mainly on Somali applicants from Nairobi and Pretoria offices who had rejected applications for TRV. All in all, I believe that IRCC handles each application individually and perceive it as unique.
Many Somali citizens in UAE with Dubai or Abu Dhabi issued passports have this big question in there mind. Majority were raised or born in UAE, aiming to resume postgraduation or entry level degrees in Canada or apply for work permit. So, what's there status as somali passport holders.