Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
For general information, refer to the FAQ section of the CIC website.
- I have a sponsorship application in process and just gave birth to a child. The other parent is a Canadian citizen. What are the requirements for the child's travel to Canada?
- I am a live-in caregiver in Canada and I have received my permanent resident status in Canada--why have my family members not received their visas?
- Why have my family members not yet received an Acknowledgment of Receipt letter (AOR) with their file number?
- I have additional family members who were not declared at the time of submission of my application, what do I do?
- I have applied for a permanent resident visa. My wife and children are non-accompanying. Do they need to take the medical examinations?
- Why do my family members have to do another medical exam/submit new police clearances?
- Can I get an extension to my visa?
- If the applicant is pregnant, does she still have to undergo medicals, or can they be done in Canada?
- If the applicant has received their visa but finds out afterwards that they are pregnant, what should they do?
- I am a temporary foreign worker (or a student) who is currently in Canada. I have valid student or temporary foreign worker status. My work permit/study permit is still valid but I need to obtain a new temporary resident visa because I am going home for a visit. Where do I apply?
I have a sponsorship application in process and just gave birth to a child. The other parent is a Canadian citizen. What are the requirements for the child's travel to Canada?
If a child was born outside Canada and one of the parents is a Canadian citizen when the child was born, the child is not required to apply for a visa. Rather, an application for a citizenship certificate to prove the child's Canadian citizenship must be made. Additionally, any Canadian citizen wanting to travel outside Canada should obtain a Canadian passport. For more information in this regard, please see the consular page of our Embassy website. If you need more information, you may contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Canada in Manila.
I am a live-in caregiver in Canada and I have received my permanent resident status in Canada--why have my family members not received their visas?
Before we are able to issue visas to accompanying family members, we must receive notification from our office in Canada that you have become a permanent resident. In most cases, your family members will receive instructions to submit their passports to our office for visa issuance within one month of your landing. In order to minimize any delays, we recommend that you advise our office once you have landed. Under no circumstances should any ticket be purchased until the visas are received.
In some cases, you may have identified your family members as “non-accompanying”. Therefore once you are landed, should you wish to have them join you, you must submit the appropriate Family Class sponsorship as the application will have been closed at our office.
Why have my family members not yet received an Acknowledgment of Receipt letter (AOR) with their file number?
It can take up to three months from the date of receipt of the application to create the permanent resident application file and another month for delivery of the AOR letter to your family member. In order to reduce delays, ensure the applications are correctly completed with supporting documents and the appropriate fees. We also encourage you to provide an email address, so that the AOR letter may be sent electronically.
I have additional family members who were not declared at the time of submission of my application, what do I do?
All family members as defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations (IRPA) must be declared and examined whether accompanying or not. If a family member is not declared at the time of the application, they are considered excluded as a family member, and the applicant may lose the right to sponsor that family member in the future. Failure to declare the family member may also result in the applicant being found inadmissible to Canada for misrepresentation for withholding this information.
If additional family members need to be added after submission of the application as a result of birth, adoption or marriage, please immediately advise the office processing your application.
I have applied for a permanent resident visa. My wife and children are non-accompanying. Do they need to take the medical examinations?
All family members of an applicant for a Permanent Resident Visa must undergo medical examinations whether they are accompanying or non-accompanying. Non-accompanying family members must be examined in order to determine that they are not inadmissible (which might render the applicant inadmissible) and to maintain their eligibility to be sponsored by their family members in the future.
Why do my family members have to undergo another medical exam/submit new police clearances?
Some aspects of the examination process such as medical, criminal and background checks are valid only for a specific period after which new checks are required. For example, medical results are valid only for one year from the date of the initial medical examination.
Can I get an extension to my visa?
No, we do not extend visas. Applicants are expected to arrive in Canada prior to the expiry of their visa. Should applicants be unable to travel due to circumstances beyond their control, they should immediately contact our office in writing to explain their circumstances. Take note that the validity of the visa is read as DAY/MONTH/YEAR (DD/MM/YYYY).
If the applicant is pregnant, does she still have to undergo medicals, or can they be done in Canada?
The applicant should wait until she gives birth, and then both applicant and baby should undergo medical exams. We cannot issue the visa before we are satisfied that the applicant is not inadmissible to Canada on a medical basis.
If the applicant has received their visa but finds out afterwards that they are pregnant, what should they do?
They should land in Canada while they are still allowed to travel to Canada. Airlines often will not allow women in their late stages of pregnancy to travel. Check with your airline for more information on this.
I am a temporary foreign worker (or a student) who is currently in Canada. I have valid student or temporary foreign worker status. My work permit/study permit is still valid but I need to obtain a new temporary resident visa because I am going home for a visit. Where do I apply?
Temporary residents currently in Canada with valid student or temporary foreign worker status now have the option of submitting their application for a new temporary resident visa (re-entry visa) to the Case Processing Pilot Office in Ottawa (CPP‑O), or to the visa office that serves their country of nationality. Please see Case Processing Pilot: Ottawa, Ontario for more information.
There is also additional information available at Visit Canada.
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