Possible weak ties to home country, need to satisfy that applicant will leave Ca

[PatrickB90]

Hi,
My girlfriend from the Philippines and I are beginning to plan a trip for her to come visit me in Canada for a while. I've done some reading around, and the general consensus I seem to be noticing is that failing to satisfy immigration officers that a temporary resident will leave Canada when they're supposed to is one of the more common problems faced by applicants. This worries me as there are several things that could easily work against her in that regard.

We are both blind, and job prospects for the blind in the Philippines are not what they are in countries like Canada. She has a college degree, but has only ever worked part-time, and currently has no job. Because of that, she doesn't have much money of her own (My family and I will be paying for her trip). About the only real ties we can think of that she has to the Philippines are her family. Truthfully she feels there isn't much for her there and she does wish to immigrate here someday, but not illegally.

I have thought of a couple of things:
1) Her brother will be graduating from college soon after she plans to return home, could we include that as something that might help show that she has a reason to go back?
2) One of the many things I hope to do while she's here is teach her some independence skills (IE traveling, cooking, etc, techniques to accomplish these things without being able to see) that aren't as readily taught to blind people in the Philippines as they are in Canada. Being more independent could possibly lead to slightly higher chances of finding employment, combined with her college degree, might having a stronger chance of finding work when she returns home help us?

I guess what I'm looking for is any advice anyone might have for how to best present her case. Any documents she could submit, anything I could include on my invitation letter, anything else she could include as ties to the Philippines that would motivate her to return. If anyone has any suggestions, or if I'm worrying too much, I'd appreciate any responses.

As a side note, I'd like blindness related questions kept out of this topic. I can read your responses just fine, and it shouldn't have any impact on any of our plans, I simply mentioned it in relation to her job situation.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pippin]

Proving ties is a HUGE problem for a lot of people. Gaining independence for your girl friend is a wonderful gift, but I fear that it creates a greater tie for her to Canada when these skills are not accessible in her home country. Focus on family and her brother's graduation is good, but without a job and finances, I am not sure if the VO will consider that enough. Make sure the length of stay isn't too long, ask for a single entry visa only, have an itinerary planned for the visit. I wish you both success.

 

[PatrickB90]

I suppose that makes sense, even if the independence would aid her in her home country. I did ponder purchasing refundable tickets ahead of time to show that she plans to return. I wouldn't dare buy a non-refundable without a visa. Thanks for your reply!

 

[Pippin]

Thinking a little outside the box here.....could your girl friend come as a student? If specialized training is available in Canada and not in her home country, she may be able to convince the VO that she has a very valid reason to travel to Canada. This might tie in with your suggestion that increased independence would improve your gf's ability to find work when she returns home. Might be an idea to have some specific jobs in mind and having a letter from an employer would be the icing on the cake. Just a thought. Hope it spurs others on to think up ideas.

 

[PatrickB90]

Hmm. I'm not sure. I know the US has dedicated facilities for specialized training of that nature, in Canada as far as I know it's usually done more privately. I'm not sure if she'd be able to get services from the CNIB as a visitor (I can easily ask them, which I plan to do). Even if she can though, I doubt that would qualify for a student visa. I was really just going to show her some things while she stayed with me. But I can look into that idea.

 

[PatrickB90]

Bit of an update on our situation: My GF is planning to enroll in an online course starting in August, and one of the people associated with the course, who works for a call centre which employs people in the Philippines, has approached her and told her she may very well be able to apply for a job there when she's done with this course, which would be very soon after she returns from our visit if we obtain a visa. This company is apparently looking for blind people in the Philippines to employ. Do you think this will help our case? I'm thinking we could get the person giving her this potential offer to write her a letter talking about the job, the offer, and sign it with her company contact info? Only problem is it's not a guaranteed job offer, so it's still weaker than say having a job she can definitely return to when she goes home.
Any thoughts on this, ways we can capitalize on that offer to make it as convincing as possible?

 

[Pippin]

This is wonderful news. Include the proof of course enrolment as well as the job prospect and find a way to tie in the increased independence gained by her travels in Canada. Really hope this all works out and that you will let us know how things are going.

 

[PatrickB90]

Thanks, I will do that! I appreciate your help and your continued responses.

 

[PatrickB90]

Ok, some updates! We're getting ready to put the finishing touches on the application and send it off.

Here's what we've got for the purpose of the trip:
1) She's visiting friends (we intend to visit others in the area)
2) Learning some independent living skills from my family and I which she can use to be more independent when she gets home.
3) Her and I are both enrolled in the same online course, so we can study together and help each other out. This course will enable her to test for and obtain a Cisco certification when she returns to the Philippines, boosting her chances at finding stable employment which would help her support her family as well as be more independent.

We have a letter from one of our instructors in the course stating that we are both enrolled, with the instructor's contact info.

My parents have sent an invitation letter with all of the required information, as well as our birth certificates and letters of employment for both parents. Both letters show their salaries.
Apparently we couldn't obtain anything from the bank, but my mother said the immigration lawyer she talked to or the research she did said that what we have is sufficient.

What do you guys think?

Only one question, since my GF is being invited and we just have salaries available in writing, what should we put down for "funds available for your stay" on the form? Do we put something specific in regards to her being invited, or should I dig deeper and try to get something from our bank?

Thanks!

 

[AnaMaria]

I wonder if online course would strengthen the purpose of her stay. Online course can be taken anywhere (almost) in the world and she does not need to be Canada. Is it not? The course seems to be a good choice for her and it is nice to have someone to study but you can do it online as well. So I am a bit skeptical if it is valid reason in this case. How long is the course? How long is she planning to stay in Canada?

I would rather use the course to show that she is trying to secure her employment foundation in the Philippines than studying together with you Canada.

Officers may not think the way I think. Just my thought.

 

[PatrickB90]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply! We're highlighting both studying together and improving job prospects for her when she returns home. The course started at the beginning of this month and runs until the end of January. She plans to visit for 2-3 months. We also highlighted that a better job would help her financially support her immediate family.