Ensure a smooth Canadian immigration process by disclosing essential details to your immigration representative. Learn what information is crucial to share, from name changes and missing documents to marital history and criminal records. Castlewell Canadian Immigration Services Ltd. provides expert guidance to help you navigate the complexities and achieve a successful application.
When embarking on the journey of Canadian immigration it is sometimes possible for clients to not disclose important details about their life and background. Often, they innocently assume that certain details are not important enough to mention, or they simply forget to mention them, or in some cases they don’t want to complicate their immigration process with inconvenient facts about their lives, so they hope that the issue in question will not come up during the process.
In order to ensure a successful immigration process it is absolutely essential to be fulsome and forthcoming in telling your immigration representative about any of the following potential issues. Complete and honest disclosure of information to your immigration representative is a cornerstone of the client-representative relationship and the key to a successful application. Doing so not only enhances the efficiency of the process but also minimizes the risk of unexpected hurdles.
Let’s explore the essential details you must share with your immigration consultant or lawyer to ensure a smooth path to a new life in Canada.
Any discrepancies or changes in your name
Your immigration journey starts with your name—exactly as it appears on your passport and other legal documents. Any discrepancies in your name across different documents can raise questions about your identity, potentially delaying your process. If you or any accompanying family members have ever changed your name, or for any reason used variations in your name, it is crucial to disclose the details and reasons, whether it was due to marriage, divorce, or personal choice. If you undertook a legal name change process, be sure to provide a Certificate of Name Change. If you informally adopted a different name which then ended up being used on legal and official documents, your representative may advise you to prepare an affidavit explaining the discrepancies in your name.
Missing or Lost Documents
If you are missing important documents like birth certificates, be sure to tell your immigration representative as soon as possible. Depending on when and where applicants were born, it is possible that they were never issued an official birth certificate. Others may have lost important documents over the course of time. We have had many clients who were born in countries like India in the 1940s or 1950s when it was common for babies to not be registered with the government at birth. Others have lost documents due to things like floods and other natural disasters. By telling your immigration representative about such issues early in the process, they can better advise you about what steps need to be taken to address the missing document. Sometimes it means applying for a new document from your home country. Other times it involves collecting alternative documents in lieu of a birth certificate or other document, such as baptismal or school records. Sometimes you may need to provide an affidavit swearing to the details that would normally be included on important civil status documents like a birth certificate.
Marital History
The dynamics of your marital history can significantly influence your immigration application. Whether you are married, divorced, or widowed, each status carries different documentation requirements and implications for your application. Be sure to tell your representative about all previous marriages and common-law relationships (defined under Canadian immigration law as cohabitation in a marriage-like relationship for over one year), so they can advise you on exactly what type of document is required, whether it be a Divorce Certificate, Annulment, Death Certificate, or some other type of documentation. In some types of applications – like spousal sponsorships – a history of divorces can be a potential issue for the application, so it is important to disclose this early in the process.
Children and other Dependents
Full disclosure about your children, or any other dependents is essential. This includes all biological, adopted, or step-children, regardless of whether they will accompany you to Canada or not, and even if you are estranged from your child. Canada’s immigration system requires that all children, regardless of your relationship with them must be disclosed and must undergo an immigration medical examination or order for you to be approved for permanent residence. It is a reality that sometimes people have children that they have no contact with. Despite this, Immigration Canada requires that all reasonable efforts be made to have the child undergo an immigration medical examination. If a child is adopted, your immigration representative must examine the circumstances of the adoption and the adoption paperwork to ensure it is considered a legal adoption recognized under Canadian immigration law. Anything regarding children must be disclosed to your representative as soon as possible so they can ensure that the correct process is undertaken.
Unconventional Family Compositions or Estranged Family Members
There are many reasons that a person can have unconventional or non-standard family compositions or estranged relationships with family members. We have seen clients who were adopted by their grandparents after being estranged from their biological parents; we have seen cousin marriages; we have seen situations where brother and sister in-laws divorce their spouses and then marry each other. Whether cultural, religious, or just particular to your own idiosyncratic history and circumstances, there are thousands of reasons why someone might have family circumstances that are unconventional or non-traditional. The important thing is to just be upfront about such issues with your immigration representative so they can confirm whether it is an issue that needs to be disclosed in your application or addressed in any way.
Health and Medical History: Chronic Conditions, illnesses and Disabilities
One side effect of Canada’s universal healthcare system is that it is possible to be found inadmissible to Canada for health reasons which can cause an excessive demand on Canada’s healthcare system, or that can cause threats to the health and safety of Canadians. As such, it is important to disclose any significant health issues to your immigration representative so they can determine if your condition renders you inadmissible to Canada. This includes any significant mental health issues. In most cases, you will not be found inadmissible to Canada unless your condition is so serious that your treatment costs would cause an excessive burden on Canada’s healthcare system. As of 2024, Immigration Canada sets the threshold of what they consider excessive demand at $131,100 over 5 years (or $26,220 per year). There are also some exceptions, such as sponsored spouses and children who are not subject to this excessive demand calculation. In other cases, it is possible to be found inadmissible if you have a condition that causes a danger to public health or safety such as if you have a communicable infectious disease, or if your condition causes you to be unpredictable or violent. Transparency regarding any physical or mental health conditions ensures that your immigration representative can properly screen you for medical inadmissibility issues, facilitating a smoother immigration process.
Financial Status and History
Disclosing your financial health, including any past bankruptcies, significant debts, or reliance on employment insurance (EI) or social services (welfare and other government support) is vital. This transparency allows your representative to better prepare your application and advise on any potential impact on your immigration process. Depending on the immigration process you are undertaking, you may be required to provide proof of available funds required to support yourself during your relocation to Canada. In other circumstances, you may be required to show that you have enough income to sponsor family members who are immigrating to Canada. For example, in Parent-Grandparent sponsorship applications, the sponsoring child or grandchild needs to provide IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) with their Canada Revenue Agency Notices of Assessment for the three years prior to their application. If your income does not meet the minimum income threshold for all three years, you cannot sponsor your parent or grandparent. Also, there are no exceptions for when your income drops because of going on Employment Insurance (EI) because of job loss or maternity/paternity leave. As such, making a full disclosure to your immigration representative about any notable financial issues is crucial.
History of service in Government, Military, Intelligence, or Police Services:
If you or any of your family members have been employed in any type of government, military, or law enforcement position, it is important to fully disclose this to your immigration representative. If you have served in government in any capacity, including civil servant, judge, member of parliament, minister, mayor, etc. detailed records must be provided, reflecting all positions or ranks, nature of the work, and duration of service. The same is true for any military, paramilitary, defense contractor or intelligence services, as well as any police or law enforcement service. If you have served in any of these types of organizations, whether in a military personnel or civilian capacity, IRCC expects you to disclose your entire service history, provide any records you have available, and demands that you fill in particular forms used to collect specific information about your service history. We have seen clients who thought that they could go through the immigration process without having to disclose such service history, causing significant delays to their immigration process. Make sure to be upfront about any such background so your immigration representative can determine the best course of action.
Criminal History
Canada conducts thorough background checks, and undisclosed information can come to light, complicating or even halting your process. For whatever reason, whether it be naivety or wishful thinking, some applicants think that they can get by without disclosing their criminal record. Sometimes they think that it was too minor, or too long ago to be worth mentioning. Sometimes applicants do not think they have a criminal record because the offense they made is not treated like a serious criminal matter in their home country. For example, in many U.S. States, a drunk driving offense is considered a misdemeanor which is punished with a small fine or perhaps community service. Meanwhile Canada takes offenses like driving under the influence very seriously and this can cause you to be found inadmissible to Canada. We have seen well-meaning clients forget to disclose minor criminal offenses from decades ago, only to find that they appear on their criminal record, which IRCC requires for all permanent residence applications. At CCIS, we always ask if clients have any type of criminal record, no matter how small or how long ago, in order to ensure that we properly screen for any criminal inadmissibility.
Complete Travel and Residence History
Related to the above issue of criminal records, it can be important to disclose your full travel and residence history early in your application preparation process. The reason for this is that for most permanent residence applications, IRCC requires all adult applicants to provide Police certificates from every country where the applicant has lived for six months or more since the age of 18. If you are a well-traveled global citizen who has lived in many countries, this can mean that you will have to apply for police certificate from every country you have lived in. We have had clients who lived in as many as 6 or 7 countries and therefore needed to collect police certificates from every one of them. Applying for that many police certificates can be a long and complicated process, which is why it is important to tell your immigration representative about your history of where you have lived as early as possible in your application process so they can guide you in how to obtain each type of police record you need. In some types of applications, IRCC can also demand a detailed travel history. Therefore, it is important to start compiling your full travel history as early as possible because it can take time to recall every trip.
Previous Visa Denials or Deportations
If you have faced visa denials or deportations from Canada or any other country, disclose this information to your representative immediately. A history of visa refusals, especially Canadian visa refusals, can cause significant issues for you in your Canadian immigration process. Refusals to other countries, especially countries with close ties and similar systems to Canada such as the USA, UK and Australia can be a red flag to Canadian immigration officers that there may be something in your background that is causing you to be refused by those countries. Be sure to provide a full history of your visa or other immigration refusals to your immigration representative so they can determine the best way to address them. In some cases, it is possible to request the Canadian visa officer’s internal notes regarding the reasons for refusal of your previous application. Doing this will help you and your representative see what issues or red flags there may be in your files and will make it easier to try and mitigate them.
The Value of Transparency
The journey through the Canadian immigration process is intricate and can be challenging, but with complete honesty and transparency with your immigration representative, it becomes far more manageable. By providing all the necessary information, you not only ensure compliance with Canadian immigration laws but also pave the way for a smoother, more efficient process. As you prepare to start your application, gather all pertinent information, ensuring nothing is overlooked. If you have questions or uncertainties, reach out to the immigration experts at Castlewell Canadian Immigration Services for a consultation. Together, we can navigate the complexities of Canadian immigration, making your dream of a new life in Canada a tangible reality.
Comments