Volunteer work while on TRV

[jacquevw]

Hi everyone!

I am currently in Canada visiting my wife and daughters and dog for the Christmas holidays and I am already dreading the day I leave!I have a TRV valid until Dec 2011 and am considering staying here (within the legal limits of course) with my family while my app is being processed in Pretoria.
While I am here I would like to do some volunteer work (unpaid) to keep myself busy, is this possible with visitor status?

Any suggestions or advise would be great!

Thanks

My application for PR is currently in process in Pretoria, South Africa.

 

[prof456]

Just so you know (just incase you do not know), a TRV is just an entry document. The immigration officer at the Airport will decide how long you can stay; it's usually a max of 6mths but sometimes, they could give you less than 6mths. The TRV just gives you a window to travel into Canada. Regardless, whatever you do, do not go out of status so as not to complicate your case....6mths of less. If you choose to stay past your visitor expiry date (I can assure you that it's not going to be Dec 2011), you'd be wise to apply to extend your stay or travel out and re-enter Canada. Since you applied for your PR outside Canada, you'd need to prove why you you want your stay extended. Goodluck!

 

[quakingaspen]

Hi there! I can't give you and advice on if you should stay, or if you should go. But I can share my experience with you. I decided to stay with my spouse while we wait for our application to be processed, and I decided to volunteer with a Non-Profit orginization while I'm waiting. I spend 3 hours each morning working with them. As far as I can tell, there's no problem with volunteering while you wait. But Canada has to put it's citizens first, even in volunteer situations.

This is what I found on that issue:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t47453.0.html

It's an older thread, but RobsLuv posted Section 5.1 of the CIC Foreign Worker's Manual. This might give you a clearer view of what is/isn't allowed.

One day while I was volunteering, I was showing around a staff member from another office. He asked me about my situation, and I told him that I was volunteering while I waited for my Permanent Residency. He said that they had someone from Colorado in his office doing the same thing. So, volunteering is an option, for sure! Just be careful about where you do it, and which opportunities you accept.

Best of luck!

 

[bobshynoswife]

If finances are not an issue, I cannot see why you would not want to stay and be with your family! Try to find a volunteer position that will help you with employment once you receive PR. Hopefully Pretoria will finish processing your application before you would have to leave Canada. Just stay legal, and enjoy yourself!

 

[jacquevw]

Thanks for all the replies!

Well to be honest I am not sure how long they gave me to stay! I feel kinda stupid now ???
The only thing I have been getting upon entering Canada was a stamp with the entry date on it and nothing else! I have been told by others that I am legal in the country until my visa expires...I'm a little confused now!
Anyhow I will make the most of my stay while I am here and stay positive for quick processing!

 

[RobsLuv]

As has been mentioned, you will need to apply to extend your status if it's soon to expire and your PR has still not been finalized. You can do this from within Canada by sending an application to extend your stay in Canada - make sure it's received by CPC-Vegreville BEFORE your TRV expires, and track the mailing so that you have delivery confirmation that shows it was received on time. This gives you "implied status" to remain in Canada legally while they make a decision on the extension - which should take about 110 days if you apply by mail. (I don't recommend applying online, even though the processing time is faster [48 days] because it's more difficult to prove your application was received on time.) The reason for applying to extend is that you are legally married and have a permanent resident application in process, and that you want to wait in Canada with your family while it's being processed. Send proof that you have financial support, proof of your legal marriage, and proof of the PR ap in process (it doens't matter that it's an outland application through Pretoria). I don't recommend that you leave Canada and try to re-enter because you're not visa-exempt (chances are you couldn't get into the States to "flag-pole" in the first place, so don't go that route.) Remember, if there is an interview required for your PR application, you will have to go back to Pretoria for it - and, at some point in the process they may request your passport, and you won't want to be in Canada without it. In fact, many countries will not allow you to mail your passport over international borders, so you should probably plan that you'll have to make at least one more trip to Pretoria before this process is done.

As far as working: there in information about what's acceptable as far as "volunteering" in Section 5.1 of the Foreign Workers Manual. Basically, you can volunteer in any capacity as long as the person/agency you're volunteering for is not using you to fill a position they would otherwise have to hire someone to do.

 

[anxiously101]

Hi .. yes you can volunteer

 

[RobsLuv]

Thanks for all the replies!

Well to be honest I am not sure how long they gave me to stay! I feel kinda stupid now ???
The only thing I have been getting upon entering Canada was a stamp with the entry date on it and nothing else! I have been told by others that I am legal in the country until my visa expires...I'm a little confused now!
Anyhow I will make the most of my stay while I am here and stay positive for quick processing!

What country's passport are you traveling on?

 

[jacquevw]

Thank you for the info Robsluv!

I am traveling with a South African Passport..which pretty much means that I need a visa for every country I want to visit!

I am just wondering about how long I am permitted to stay. I have no record in my passport saying how much time I have been granted...just the entry date!

 

[jacquevw]

Ok so I have 6 months to stay! I have been mis-informed On my last visit to Canada I stayed 7 months thus over staying by a month...I hope this doesnt come back and haunt me!

 

[prof456]

Ok so I have 6 months to stay! I have been mis-informed On my last visit to Canada I stayed 7 months thus over staying by a month...I hope this doesnt come back and haunt me!

Yes, if you just get a stampl in your passport,, it's six months unless otherwise specified by the IO.

I doubt your previous 7mths stay will affect you but don't push your luck!

 

[QCSunshine]

Just to let people know, when you apply to extend your stay using the online system, after you submit, you get a confirmation of submission that you can print out or save. (I printed a copy and saved it as a pdf.) This confirmation of submission has the date and exact time in EST when the application was transmitted to CIC, an application reference number, and a receipt payment number.