Visitor Visa for mother and sister for Graduation Ceremony

[Arushi28]

Hi everyone,
I am graduating in 3 months and I want to invite my mother and sister to the convocation ceremony. My mother and sister are both employed full-time and have stable jobs. My sister is 28 years old. I was filling out the application via the new IRCC portal and couldn't find the correct option for my sister to visit me as I am on a work permit. Does this mean she cannot visit me right now and can only visit me once I get PR?

This is the best option that defines my and my mother's relationship but it does not list siblings, so can I still select it for her as well and then explain it in the next option or does this mean that siblings cannot visit since I am on work permit currently?
- To visit my spouse, common-law partner, dependent child, parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor who is in Canada temporarily, such as an international student or temporary worker

Can anyone please guide me on whether it is difficult for siblings to get a visa? She can show funds, ITR, and NOC from the employer. Please suggest.

 

[Naturgrl]

Hi everyone,
I am graduating in 3 months and I want to invite my mother and sister to the convocation ceremony. My mother and sister are both employed full-time and have stable jobs. My sister is 28 years old. I was filling out the application via the new IRCC portal and couldn't find the correct option for my sister to visit me as I am on a work permit. Does this mean she cannot visit me right now and can only visit me once I get PR?

This is the best option that defines my and my mother's relationship but it does not list siblings, so can I still select it for her as well and then explain it in the next option or does this mean that siblings cannot visit since I am on work permit currently?
- To visit my spouse, common-law partner, dependent child, parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor who is in Canada temporarily, such as an international student or temporary worker

Can anyone please guide me on whether it is difficult for siblings to get a visa? She can show funds, ITR, and NOC from the employer. Please suggest.

Where are they applying from because most visas take 5-6 months to process.

Your mother and sister apply separately with their own applications showing:

- funds: bank statements to afford a visit
- travel history
- ties to home country: job letter with approved leave.

Your sister is not immediate family but can still apply. Select other or tourism for her application.

 

[vijayar]

You can invite and apply for both.Just ensure that you are able to showcase strong ties back home and that your mom and sister will definitely leave Canada after their stay.

Current processing times from India (assume they are there) is 162 days and increasing. So ensure that your documentations are solid and apply at the earliest. If lucky their visas may come through well before your convocation.

All the best !

 

[Arushi28]

Thank you guys for replying. They don't have a travel history. Will that affect their application?

My sister will be showing funds in one bank account for both herself and my mother. Is that okay? What else can we do to make their application stronger? Any suggestions?

Also, can we use the same account to fill in their applications as a family group? And when making an account, do we choose 'applying for myself and on behalf of someone else' option, since my sister will fill it for herself and my mother through one IRCC portal account? And if we choose this option, does my sister who will be the primary applicant, become a representative for my mother and fill out the representative form? Is this the correct way?

Lastly, how much funds do we have to show in total for two people?

 

[Naturgrl]

Thank you guys for replying. They don't have a travel history. Will that affect their application?

My sister will be showing funds in one bank account for both herself and my mother. Is that okay? What else can we do to make their application stronger? Any suggestions?

Also, can we use the same account to fill in their applications as a family group? And when making an account, do we choose 'applying for myself and on behalf of someone else' option, since my sister will fill it for herself and my mother through one IRCC portal account? And if we choose this option, does my sister who will be the primary applicant, become a representative for my mother and fill out the representative form? Is this the correct way?

Lastly, how much funds do we have to show in total for two people?

Travel history shows that people follow immigration rules. It can be a positive. Ties to home country - family ties (spouses/children), job letters with approved leave, business, properties etc.

As long as it is a joint account, then okay. Since they are applying separately they need to show their own bank account. Each apply separately, both are primary applicants as they are dependant of each other.

How long is their proposed visit? Again they need to show separate bank accounts. They each need to show that they can afford a visit including airfare but have enough leftover so no all savings are used.

 

[Arushi28]

My sister is 28 and unmarried. She has been working for the past 7 years and can show job letters, salary slips, approved leaves, ITR, some liquid funds, etc. But she has no business or property. My mother can show the same too: job, salary slips, and ITR but no business and property.

It is not a joint account. But if they are applying from one account, how is it considered separate then? Also, can my sister not sponsor the funds for my mother as well and write a sponsorship letter to say she will be financially supporting the trip for both of them?

They are thinking of visiting for 8 to 10 days.

 

[Naturgrl]

My sister is 28 and unmarried. She has been working for the past 7 years and can show job letters, salary slips, approved leaves, ITR, some liquid funds, etc. But she has no business or property. My mother can show the same too: job, salary slips, and ITR but no business and property.

It is not a joint account. But if they are applying from one account, how is it considered separate then? Also, can my sister not sponsor the funds for my mother as well and write a sponsorship letter to say she will be financially supporting the trip for both of them?

They are thinking of visiting for 8 to 10 days.

Who has the bank account? There is not such thing as sponsorship for a TRV. Your mother can include her daughter’s bank accounts but IRCC doesn’t have to consider the funds. You will not know until she applies and is approved or refused.

They apply with separate applications…they are not dependants of each other. They apply separately and your mother has to show a bank account.

 

[Arushi28]

My sister has the bank account. I thought one could sponsor and show funds for both through one account. So if the account can be changed to joint then it should work, I hope.

 

[vijayar]

My sister has the bank account. I thought one could sponsor and show funds for both through one account. So if the account can be changed to joint then it should work, I hope.

Application has to be separately filed. Suggest for your mother apply via new IRCC portal with your invitation and for your sister apply independently via GCKey portal with purpose tourism. All the documentation required has to be in the respective applicants name.

 

[Fatima5648]

I applied for my spouse in May2022 to attend my graduation ceremony in Aug 2022. But still no update on new portal profile. Since graduation is already gone.. I am expecting a delayed NO in the case. Lol. Country: Pakistan

 

[Arushi28]

My sister has no travel history. Will this not affect her tourism application? Also, in this tourism case, she won't need an invitation from my side? Can we still use the GCKey portal to fill out applications?

I am very confused about whether to apply for them or not since I don't want refusals for them. Can getting a refusal once affect your chances to get the visa in future?

 

[vijayar]

My sister has no travel history. Will this not affect her tourism application? Also, in this tourism case, she won't need an invitation from my side? Can we still use the GCKey portal to fill out applications?

I am very confused about whether to apply for them or not since I don't want refusals for them. Can getting a refusal once affect your chances to get the visa in future?

Travel history is a plus point. shows that a person has returned to home country after visiting and has not overstayed or defaulted in any ways. Travel history is not mandatory. In absence of travel history, the other documents that you submit will come to deeper scrutiny during review hence it is imperative that you work on getting it right.

GCKey is for individuals to apply for visit. Your sister has better chance of approval if applied individually and directly from here. No invitations required, but she needs to mention you, in the supporting forms as well as that she will be visiting you. She also needs to show enough funds for the trip. For a 15 days trip, for one person typically CA$ 4000-5000 should be enough (this includes the flight trip).

Refusal does not mean you cannot apply again. Just that you have to understand the reason for refusal and try to strengthen your newer application with better documentation, to convince IRCC.

 

[canuck78]

My sister has the bank account. I thought one could sponsor and show funds for both through one account. So if the account can be changed to joint then it should work, I hope.

Your sister can include a letter for your mother’s application saying she will be financially sponsoring her mother’s visit. she should then include proof of funds with your sister’s bank statement. Not having your own funds weakens the application unless it is a spouse’s account since that is a dependent. Assume your mother is unmarried.

 

[canuck78]

Travel history is a plus point. shows that a person has returned to home country after visiting and has not overstayed or defaulted in any ways. Travel history is not mandatory. In absence of travel history, the other documents that you submit will come to deeper scrutiny during review hence it is imperative that you work on getting it right.

GCKey is for individuals to apply for visit. Your sister has better chance of approval if applied individually and directly from here. No invitations required, but she needs to mention you, in the supporting forms as well as that she will be visiting you. She also needs to show enough funds for the trip. For a 15 days trip, for one person typically CA$ 4000-5000 should be enough (this includes the flight trip).

Refusal does not mean you cannot apply again. Just that you have to understand the reason for refusal and try to strengthen your newer application with better documentation, to convince IRCC.

4-5k is pretty low for such a visit. That would mean spending a large portion of your savings on a visit. Normally would say closer to 10k but it is about the application as a whole not just savings.

 

[Arushi28]

My sister can show 15k as a sponsorship for herself and my mother through one account. We do not have any properties to show. Will this affect our situation? Both of us also don't have any travel history.

What do you guys suggest? Should we wait and apply individually later using some other purpose of visit or graduation ceremony is the only strong purpose to visit? Please suggest. Thank you.