The 11,000 opportunities to receive permanent residence that the Government of Canada announced for citizens of Colombia, Venezuela and Haiti are expected to be quickly exhausted. To qualify for this humanitarian corridor, an applicant must have family ties to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident willing to support them and their family members during the first year of residence in the country.
In an interview with EL TIEMPO, immigration lawyer Jael Duarte predicted that the places offered by this humanitarian program will be sold out in a couple of weeks. “It seems to me that it is very little, really 11,000 applicants is nothing. I am hoping that this program will achieve quota very quickly,” she said by telephone from the Canadian province of New Brunswick.
Among the characteristics that draw attention to this program are that it is open to a broader concept of family than that traditionally offered by Canada, which includes siblings, grandparents and grandchildren. Furthermore, unlike the immigration programs regularly offered by Canada, Nor is it a requirement that immigrants speak any of the country’s official languages (English and French), and they are not required to prove financial solvency or level of education..
“Something very interesting about this program is that siblings are included, as well as nephews who can apply as the brother’s children. A broader concept of family than the common Canadian concept is being recognized.“, said. “There is another program to sponsor parents and grandparents for permanent residents, but that program has been very sporadic.”
Another aspect of the program is that a sponsor is needed in Canada, who must meet specific requirements such as being a permanent resident or citizen, not having a removal order or being in prison and not having declared bankruptcy, among others. “The support person undertakes the commitment to support the person they sponsor for one year“explained the expert.
To submit the application, candidates must submit their application through an online portal, attaching an affidavit signed by the permanent resident or Canadian citizen who will support them. Since Quebec has opted out of this program, applicants are cautioned not to plan to reside in that province.
The Canadian government press release notes that those entering Canada through this humanitarian corridor will receive “pre-arrival services” that include a job skills assessment and a referral to a settlement service provider organization. Immigrants entering the country through this corridor may also be eligible to receive “transitional financial assistance” from the Resettlement Assistance Program.
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Tips to successfully apply to Canada’s humanitarian corridor
According to lawyer Jael Duarte, this humanitarian program is an opportunity for immigrant families to meet without the requirements usually requested by the country’s authorities. However, the process can be laborious and not without some difficulties. Some tips to achieve a successful application according to the expert are the following:
- Hurry up: Because only 11,000 people from Colombia, Venezuela and Haiti will be granted permanent residency, they are expected to run out quickly, so timely application is key to gaining entry to this humanitarian program.
- Prove the required documents: This is a process that requires a significant amount of documents, the compilation of which may require the participation of several people in the family.
- Sort through rate accreditation: Although this humanitarian program has no cost to applicants, the online application asks to verify payment for permanent residence. The advice of the experts is to take a screenshot of the program’s call in which it states that it is free, and upload the document in the system to be able to advance in the application process.
- Ask for help: Although the process can be carried out at the applicant’s own expense, the help of an immigration expert could be useful to ensure that the questions are answered correctly, that the documents are those requested and that family ties are proven under Canadian law .
- Respond truthfully: Canada is very careful that applicants tell the truth and it is punished as a crime comparable to fraud.
“The main advice is to run, this is going to end very quickly, there are very few places. This program does not wait, I think that since there are so many documents to collect, it is almost a family project, which makes it necessary for several people in the family to be working on that application to complete it as quickly as possible,” said the expert. “It is a good opportunity for families, since normally siblings are not included, the applicant does not need to have the language that is required through traditional migratory routes, since this is a humanitarian migratory route. Economic immigration pathways require applicants to have funds and speak one of Canada’s official languages.
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