TRV: things to say or not to say in invitation letter?

[soucal]

I would like my father to visit me for a couple of months.

In my invitation letter:

1) Would it help to explain that despite my low earnings, I can still afford hosting my father since he will be staying in my apartment, will actually be saving my expenses on groceries by his home cooking, and will be driven around in the car I already own?

2) Would it help to be honest about the fact that my father indeed intends to apply for permanent residency sooner or later, since I am his only son who will eventually take care of him. However, for now, while he is still able to provide for himself, he wants to live where his home is and his friends are? I can mention that he already visited me in Canada a while ago, and successfully returned home at the end of his visit.

Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[toby]

Someone once told me, "There's honesty and there's stupid honesty".

You never know the future with certainty: your father might decide NOT to apply for PR in Canada, so why muddy the waters of his temporary-visa application by announcing an intention (to go for PR) that might never come to pass?

And even if your father is 100% certain now that he will apply for permanent residency, why complicate the application for a temporary visa? There's plenty of time to annouce that decision later.

 

[soucal]

Because the officers look at everyone as a potential immigrant anyway, so I thought why pretend that "no, my father is never going to move to Canada, even despite his only son lives there, how did you get this idea, officer?"

Someone once told me, "There's honesty and there's stupid honesty".

 

[toby]

There is a hair's breadth of difference between (1) considering applying for permanent residency (as yet uncertain); (2) intending to apply sooner or later (still lots of room for changing one's mind); (3) planning to apply (relative certainty; getting documents together for the application); and (4) actually submitting the application (100% certainty).

Only once your father has reached stage (3) does honesty require him to declare his intention to Canada when applying for a TRV. "Why create problems before that point?" is my thinking. But if you prefer to divulge all, go ahead!!!

You mention that your father has obtained TRVs to Canada before. Was he asked whether he planned to reside in Canada at that time? If not, why do you suspect he might be this time? And even if he IS asked this time, your father could say -- with complete credibility -- that the idea has certainly occurred to him, but no decision to apply has been made as this stage. He could say that there are too many serious details to sort out before making such a decision -- especially severing ties with his social network back in the mother country. Note that this is NOT the same as saying he will NEVER going to move to Canada; that would indeed not be a good idea (too extreme, not credible).

But if you're determined to say he is coming to Canada, then I wish you good luck.

 

[soucal]

Thank you Toby, you exactly mirrored my thinking, except that I thought about putting it in writing in case they won't call him for the interview. Indeed, I see the best way to do is the way you suggest.

There is a hair's breadth of difference between (1) considering applying for permanent residency (as yet uncertain); (2) intending to apply sooner or later (still lots of room for changing one's mind); (3) planning to apply (relative certainty; getting documents together for the application); and (4) actually submitting the application (100% certainty).

Only once your father has reached stage (3) does honesty require him to declare his intention to Canada when applying for a TRV. "Why create problems before that point?" is my thinking. But if you prefer to divulge all, go ahead!!!

You mention that your father has obtained TRVs to Canada before. Was he asked whether he planned to reside in Canada at that time? If not, why do you suspect he might be this time? And even if he IS asked this time, your father could say -- with complete credibility -- that the idea has certainly occurred to him, but no decision to apply has been made as this stage. He could say that there are too many serious details to sort out before making such a decision -- especially severing ties with his social network back in the mother country. Note that this is NOT the same as saying he will NEVER going to move to Canada; that would indeed not be a good idea (too extreme, not credible).

But if you're determined to say he is coming to Canada, then I wish you good luck.