Tourist Visa for Colombian girlfriend

[Montrealer_4_life]

Hello all, I am new to this forum and I am really glad I found this place

I have been with my girlfriend for just over a year now, we have always seen each other in Colombia or in central America. We are planning (fingers crossed) to have her come visit Canada for November/December 2012. My girlfriend is 32 and also has a 10 year old daughter. She owns her own house down in Medellin if that will help any (not sure), she has a medical career over there and I am wondering what are the chances of her and her daughter getting tourist visas. I want to get the wheel rolling but not sure what I should write in the invitation letter, we are not planning to marry on her visit, that we are planning to do next year in Colombia. Can anyone please offer any advice? Do's and don'ts? Any help is GREATLY appreciated

 

[Pippin]

You are very clever to ask questions before putting in an application. Go to the white box, top right of the main forum page and do a search for "visa refusal" or words to that effect. Read everything you can to find out where others have had problems. A few of the largest hurdles are ability to prove you will return to home country (strong ties), travel history and adequate finances. I can see + and - in the scenario here.
Having a house, family and solid profession in the home country is very good. Get proof of occupation and continuing nature of it upon return from holiday. Discuss ownership of the house, financial assets and any family members. Having a previous travel history is helpful to show that the finances for travel are available as well as returning to home afterward. While I am NOT suggesting the little girl stays home, her coming on the holiday decreases the tie to home, mention of marriage plans would also raise flags. Definitely promote the TIES to Colombia and downplay any to Canada. Make sure the reason for the trip is "compelling".
Good Luck.

 

[Montrealer_4_life]

Pippin thank you very much for your reply

I am sure there are many hurdles (ugh) but I will read as much as I can on the refusals to try and get a good invitation in order. We did take two recent trips to Panama that may help. I am worried because if they see the daughter is coming that may raise a flag that she is not planning to go back. I need to discuss this more with her, perhaps a shorter trip on her own at first might be easier. The marriage part will not be mentioned neither. I will post updates as this progresses. I was there last week and heading back the end of June. I will discuss all these things with her in person as well as on the phone so we can get all the papers/receipts etc in order. Thanks again, much appreciated!

 

[frolic]

The most important thing is to try to show that she WILL return. That will be their major consideration of the visa.

Her job, property, and even showing the child is enrolled in school for the next year and it starts on a specific date can all help convince them.

Good luck.

 

[Richardm]

Hi,

Just curious did you eventually get the visa ??

One thing an immigration lawyer told me about what you mentioned in your post is that if Canada immigration find out that you want to get married on her trip they will refuse the visa as you will be short circuiting the immigration system because if you get married in Canada she does not even have to leave Canada but re-apply within Canada as a landed immigrant and she will get accepted as you have a Canadian marriage certificate (not a worthless foreign certificate) and they have to accept the marriage as being genuine. then after re applying from visitor to landed immigrant under family class you just have to go to the closest Canadian consulate in US or anywhere else and get your pre approved landed immigrant papers and return to Canada.

This happened to a friend of mine a few years ago and that is what he did, not sure if it is still valid but if this is not correct please let me know.


RichardM

 

[scylla]

Tons of people here have gotten married while in Canada on a tourist visa and then applied for sponsorship using the inland route. There's no issue doing that.

If your friend was refused, there must have been a different reason (misrepresentation, CIC didn't think the relationship was genuine, etc.).

 

[Mclush]

My experience my fiancee now wife but before married we applied for a tourist visa explaining she wanted to meet my family in canada before the wedding in colombia wich was already booked a big wedding with both families she owns a business owns a condo owns a car had over 6 thousand usd funds in the account we showed wedding papers thats was paid and booked she has a son and he was staying home so we got the application back refused and nothing of reason was checked off only reason they gave is that they beleived she would not return lol even tho her son paid car owned condo were staying behind plus we were getting married 3 month after than in colombia canada imagration is sooooooo horible because there is no base to go on even if your a oerfect score to return the imagration officer can be having a bad day or maybe was dumped by a colombian girl in the past or something so he justt to be an asshole. Around the same time her friend from colombia that had no job no money nothing met a canadian online she applied for a tourist visa with only a picture of them together and got approved gor 3 months and the thing that pissed me off is shecos a perfect person to not come back wich is what she is doing from what i hear.So now makes me think thats what imagration is looking for illigals to enter or what the hell but from all i read bottom line it comes to the omagration officer you can have everything perfect and they can still refuse the system is horrible but yet we let refugees by the thousands come in no problem thats my rant lol now we are married 4 months working on family permanant residency wich is also a nightmare was working on it myself then said screw it and hired an imagration lawyer that process is also horible they want the stupidest things and repeat questions you need to answer over and over again its long and much paper work and 1 small mistake and they send it back and not right away they might send it back 4-6 months later so imagration lawyer is the way to go .....Good luck God knows o meed it also

Hello all, I am new to this forum and I am really glad I found this place

I have been with my girlfriend for just over a year now, we have always seen each other in Colombia or in central America. We are planning (fingers crossed) to have her come visit Canada for November/December 2012. My girlfriend is 32 and also has a 10 year old daughter. She owns her own house down in Medellin if that will help any (not sure), she has a medical career over there and I am wondering what are the chances of her and her daughter getting tourist visas. I want to get the wheel rolling but not sure what I should write in the invitation letter, we are not planning to marry on her visit, that we are planning to do next year in Colombia. Can anyone please offer any advice? Do's and don'ts? Any help is GREATLY appreciated [/QUOMy

 

[Steve Erl]

I notice there hasn't been a post in a while so maybe I won't get a response to this, but this is some of the better information I've seen online on this topic. Every other time you type the words "Colombia" , "girlfriend" and "Canada" into google you get all threads about horny 23 year old boys wanting to head to Colombia.

I'm thinking my girlfriend and I have a pretty good shot, but our situation is unique....

I'm Canadian citizen and and currently operate a Canadian corporation, but I haven't lived in Canada in 3 years. Now I live in Spain, with a pending application in Hungary for my Nationalisation there (my parents are Hungarian). I also have a corporation in Hungary as I plan to move all my business ties to the EU once the nationalisation process is complete.

My girlfriend is in Spain with a student visa because she is here specializing in a masters of Radiology (she's already a medical doctor in Colombia, practicing more than 5 years). It's pretty clear her intention is to leave Canada to return to Spain to finish school.

We plan to travel to Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving, staying 3 weeks visiting family in Toronto area. Then Chicago for 3 weeks to attend a Radiology conference and to visit friends. (My girlfriend has lived in Chicago in the past for school for 1.5 years. She also already holds a valid visa to enter the US and has successfully entered the US in the last 12 months.)

Our plan is to legitimately return to Spain while she finishes her specialization and then spend considerable time in 2020 living in Budapest as I move my Canadian businesses assets to the EU.

The wrench in all of this: We have a dog. The dog has valid papers from travelling from Colombia to Spain, and we even have a Spanish psychologists approval that the pet is a documented emotional support animal.

If I were to explain all of this to the authorities, does my case seem to complex and will just be rejected? Or do I have a leg to stand on?

I plan on calling to the Canadian Embassy in both Spain and Toronto this week to explain the situation and get their official take. I will also be writing my girlfriend a strong letter of invitation.

Big thanks to anyone who still circulates this board AND took the time to read this all the way through. A truly kind internet citizen you are!