Visit Visa

[mr_sheikh]

Hello Everyone,

I would like to have your expert advise on visit visa application that I am going to start for my parents.

background: my parents application has been refused twice in past in 2011 and 2017 based on my brother's low income in Canada (who invited my parents to visit him and his family). I along with my family is a holder of PRC and would be moving to Canada permanently in Jan 2019.

Requesting you all to see the letter I have prepared from my side this time applying visit visa for my parents from my country of Residence i.e. Saudi Arabia.


Embassy of Canada
Diplomatic Quarter
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


31st July, 2018


Subject: Visitors Visa


Respected Visa Officer,

My name is xxxxx and I am currently staying in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with my wife and Son. I, my wife and our son are a holder of Permanent Residence Status of Canada and would move there permanently in January 2019.

I invited my Parents to visit us and they are currently in Riyadh. I would like to take them along to Canada as a visitor in Jan 2019. My elder brother and his family are Canadian Citizens and living there for over 10 years. Our parents have visited Riyadh multiple times on a visit however never given a chance to see Canada and reunite with a family and see their eldest Son and his family.

Their visit visa application for Canada refused twice in past due to my brother’s low income in Canada. Though my parents showed strong ties to Pakistan in shape of substantial bank balance, investments, assets, my married sister who stays in Pakistan their application was still got refused unfortunately.

Details of my parents:


Father:
Name: xxxxx
Passport No. xxxxx

Mother:
Name: xxxxx
Passport No. xxxxx

My parents have a very strong connection to the local culture and they do not have any intention to overstay, moreover I will ensure that they will leave Canada within the given time period. Some of the facts I would like to enlist here to show their ties to their home country:

• My mother owns a big house in posh area of xxxx (worth of xxxxxxxxx).
  
• My sister is married and settled in xxxxx. My parents are very much attached to their daughter their grand children.
  
• My father is a retired Civil Servant and has to provide life certificate every quarter to the bank to receive pension.

I am enclosing the copy of my PRC and copy my brother’s Canadian Passport along with my bank statements of Saudi Arabia and Canada.

I would be highly gratified if you please consider our request and issue Canadian Visit Visas for our parents.

For any further information I can be contacted at +xxxxxxx.

Sincerely,


xxxxxxxxx

 

[Bryanna]

I would like to have your expert advise on visit visa application that I am going to start for my parents.

background: my parents application has been refused twice in past in 2011 and 2017 based on my brother's low income in Canada (who invited my parents to visit him and his family). I along with my family is a holder of PRC and would be moving to Canada permanently in Jan 2019.

1. Your brother's finances and/or your financial situation are secondary. Your parents must have the financial resources to pay for their visit.

2. What works is evidence, not assurances or explanations

3. Married children are not considered as family ties from a visa perspective

 

[mr_sheikh]

1. Your brother's finances and/or your financial situation are secondary. Your parents must have the financial resources to pay for their visit.

You are absolutely right that is the reason that everytime we provided excellent bank balances along with investments and asset of our parents in order for visa officer to weigh the app on their worth but VO rejected based on host's income.

2. What works is evidence, not assurances

3. Married children are not considered as family ties from a visa perspective

The only evidence one can provide that ur assets are in ur home country also their children are in the same country. Married children are not dependant thats true but there should be some weightage of such ties.

I would also provide my parents bank statements and letters of investments and assets evidences again but this time i wont b able to provide them updated one since my parents are currently in riyadh and latest bank statements can only be obtained from the bank in their home country.

My question is that how can i make the case stronger. Since i dont know what else to provide now. Previously they rejected on hosts income so i thought to add my bank statements as well and i will become the host. Parents will be staying with my brother in canada but i can also take care of their expenses.

 

[Bryanna]

My question is that how can i make the case stronger. Since i dont know what else to provide now. Previously they rejected on hosts income so i thought to add my bank statements as well and i will become the host. Parents will be staying with my brother in canada but i can also take care of their expenses.

1. Do post the list of documents that will be submitted for each parent.

2. What is their immigration status in Riyadh? When does that status expire?

3. How long do they intend to visit? Purpose of their visit?

 

[mr_sheikh]

Thanks for your response.

1. Do post the list of documents that will be submitted for each parent.

Father:
1. Old bank statement and investment certificate (I will attach old certificate and bank statements which they provided previously in 2017 since latest bank statement can only be requested from the bank in home country and they are currently in Riyadh)
2. Travel history (never applied visa / travelled to USA, UK - only travel history consists visit to Saudi Arabia)

Mother:
1. Evidence showing house ownership
2. Travel history (never applied visa / travelled to USA, UK - only travel history consists visit to Saudi Arabia)

2. What is their immigration status in Riyadh? When does that status expire?

They are on a visit visa. The validity of visa is till end of October 2018. For your info. their visit visa was issued initially for 3 months I recently extended for another 3 months which will be expired in Oct 2018

3. How long do they intend to visit? Purpose of their visit?

Their intention is purely a family reunion. They have not met their eldest son and his family since 5 years.

I will also provide following documents from my side:
1. My bank statements in Saudi Arabia and Canada
2. My PRC copy
3. My brother's Canadian Passport

 

[mr_sheikh]

??

 

[canuck78]

??

We are volunteers here so please don't be rude and be patient. I see lot of problems with this letter and your attempts to bring your parents with you from SA to Canada. Although you are a PR I would guess that you have only completed a soft landing so your income is not really relevant because it is not from Canadian sources and you have not established yourself in Canada. By asking for a visitor visa for your parents so they can come with you to Canada makes it feel like they are currently living with you and they will be moving with you to Canada. Your chances of getting a visa would be much better if you move to Canada and got a job and a place to stay and establish yourself for a few months. Then you could apply for a visa for your parents. The next issue is their banking information. It needs to be current. You also need much more detailed information about their property (property valuation), pension information, recent investment and savings statements. The visa officers are aware that, for cultural reasons, your parents will want to live with the eldest son if possible or a son. That may or may not be possible in the future. You and your parents will have. to realize that they must maintain strong ties to Pakistan in order for them to visit Canada. How many months have they spent in Pakistan this year? They need spend some time at home before they will get approved for a visa.

 

[Bryanna]

@mr_sheikh

In addition to the explanation given by @canuck78 ....

1. IMO, your parents must NOT apply when they are in Riyadh. They have temporary status there + you have already extended their current stay. This implies they don't have reasons to return to Pakistan + the possibility of extending their stay in Canada as well if they are granted TRVs.

They must return to Pakistan and remain there for some months before applying for TRVs.


2. Your parents must demonstrate active ties to return home to. For example, you would want to include evidence of your dad's pension renewal. That said, if the pension is not much then it won't be a financial incentive to return to Pakistan.

What other active ties do they have in Pakistan?


3. Has your mom rented the property she owns?

4. What was the length of the visit that they had stated in their previous applications?

5. Your invitation letter has a number of red flags. It clearly indicates:
a. Your parents' family ties to Canada will by far outweigh those to Pakistan, and
b. Your parents have been regularly staying with you in Riyadh = They might do likewise when you move to Canada
c. I don't think the visa officer will accept their purpose of visit i.e. a short stay family reunion

 

[mr_sheikh]

We are volunteers here so please don't be rude and be patient.

My apologies if i happened to be rude however my intention of sending the reminder was merely to bring the thread on top and someone can respond.

I see lot of problems with this letter and your attempts to bring your parents with you from SA to Canada. Although you are a PR I would guess that you have only completed a soft landing so your income is not really relevant because it is not from Canadian sources and you have not established yourself in Canada. By asking for a visitor visa for your parents so they can come with you to Canada makes it feel like they are currently living with you and they will be moving with you to Canada. Your chances of getting a visa would be much better if you move to Canada and got a job and a place to stay and establish yourself for a few months. Then you could apply for a visa for your parents. The next issue is their banking information. It needs to be current. You also need much more detailed information about their property (property valuation), pension information, recent investment and savings statements. The visa officers are aware that, for cultural reasons, your parents will want to live with the eldest son if possible or a son. That may or may not be possible in the future.

We can think of changing the plan and amend the letter accordingly that I will be moving to Canada permanently with my family by Jan 2019 however my parents will visit us in Mar 2019. By that time I will get settled in terms of renting of house at least and weather would also be better as compared in Jan.

You and your parents will have. to realize that they must maintain strong ties to Pakistan in order for them to visit Canada.

This is where I need to know what else i can mention to show strong ties. i mean one can only cite the actual ties which we did mention in previous two apps but in vain.

FYI below are ties:
1. Owning of costly house in posh area (provided government document as evidence)
2. Being a pensioner, requires life certificate quarterly or bi annually to be provided to the bank
3. My parents are in that age where person would never want to dislocate their selves from local culture etc.
4. Daughter and her children are really attached to my parents. pls note that i have only one sister

How many months have they spent in Pakistan this year? They need spend some time at home before they will get approved for a visa.

In past 5 years they have visited us (in KSA) every year on average 1 month

 

[mr_sheikh]

@mr_sheikh

In addition to the explanation given by @canuck78 ....

1. IMO, your parents must NOT apply when they are in Riyadh. They have temporary status there + you have already extended their current stay. This implies they don't have reasons to return to Pakistan + the possibility of extending their stay in Canada as well if they are granted TRVs.

They must return to Pakistan and remain there for some months before applying for TRVs.

They will be travelling to Pakistan in September and I will resign from my current job in Nov and along with my wife and kids will be travelling to Pakistan in Dec. We will stay in Pakistan for a month and will travel to Canada in Jan 2019. As mentioned in my earlier response to canuck78, my parent's plan to travel to Canada with us can be changed and they will follow us in Mar. By that time we will be settled in terms of accommodation etc. since we will reach there in Jan 2019

2. Your parents must demonstrate active ties to return home to. For example, you would want to include evidence of your dad's pension renewal. That said, if the pension is not much then it won't be a financial incentive to return to Pakistan.

What other active ties do they have in Pakistan?

1. Owning of costly house in posh area (provided government document as evidence)
2. Being a pensioner, requires life certificate quarterly or bi annually to be provided to the bank
3. My parents are in that age where person would never want to dislocate their selves from local culture etc.
4. Daughter and her children are really attached to my parents. pls note that i have only one sister

3. Has your mom rented the property she owns?

Yes the upper portion of the house where my parents currently stays is rented.

4. What was the length of the visit that they had stated in their previous applications?

Previous application stay was 15 days. I don't remember the requested period of stay in app prior to the previous one. i think it was not more than 3 or 4 weeks

5. Your invitation letter has a number of red flags. It clearly indicates:
a. Your parents' family ties to Canada will by far outweigh those to Pakistan, and
b. Your parents have been regularly staying with you in Riyadh = They might do likewise when you move to Canada
c. I don't think the visa officer will accept their purpose of visit i.e. a short stay family reunion

Need your expert advice here pls. infact on point no. b above, what is the harm if any visitor come to Canada and leaves within the allowed time period.

 

[mr_sheikh]

Hi Guys, would appreciate a response on my query.

Sending a msg to bring my thread on top

 

[Bryanna]

They will be travelling to Pakistan in September and I will resign from my current job in Nov and along with my wife and kids will be travelling to Pakistan in Dec. We will stay in Pakistan for a month and will travel to Canada in Jan 2019. As mentioned in my earlier response to canuck78, my parent's plan to travel to Canada with us can be changed and they will follow us in Mar. By that time we will be settled in terms of accommodation etc. since we will reach there in Jan 2019

As your parents intend to travel in March, there's no real urgency for responses to this thread. A lot can happen between now and January/March 2019 that could completely change the facts of your parents' TRV applications. Your plans could change or else reality might not go as per plans. Just my two cents.

First, you must realize that your parents have weak applications:
1. They have already been refused twice.

2. Their family ties to Canada far outweigh those to Pakistan

3. Their current long stay in Riyadh confirms that they won't be short-term visitors to Canada + they are moving back to Canada with you.

4. Generally, they have no ties to Pakistan.... or at best, their Pakistan ties can be completed in a day/doesn't require them to return for long stays in Pakistan.

1. Owning of costly house in posh area (provided government document as evidence)

They would need to also include property valuation (either self valuation or by a property assessor) + property tax receipts.

Do they have a rent agreement for the portion of the house that's been rented? Are the rents credited to your mom's bank account? If they have a rent agreement, when does it need to be renewed?

2. Being a pensioner, requires life certificate quarterly or bi annually to be provided to the bank

Does your dad need to return to Pakistan every quarter or half-yearly to renew the pension? In most cases, this is a once-in-a-year requirement.

That said, if the amount of pension is marginal/ not much/ if there are other sources of retirement income then this pension isn't a financial incentive for someone to return home to give the Life Certificate.

3. My parents are in that age where person would never want to dislocate their selves from local culture etc.

IMO, this point won't be accepted because your parents have been living with you outside Pakistan.

4. Daughter and her children are really attached to my parents. pls note that i have only one sister

Again, the same opinion as for the 'moving away from their local culture' point.

what is the harm if any visitor come to Canada and leaves within the allowed time period.

Your parents are most welcome to come to Canada. It's just that the facts of the case don't make it seem like they will leave at the end of their visit. Of course, they might get lucky and the visa officer might believe they are short-stay visitors

 

[mr_sheikh]

Thanks Bryanna for responding in detail.

I think I have to brainstorm a little further to get something out of the box. Will keep u posted.

Thank u once again....