Completing a Canadian Visa Application

After officially engaging the services of the Canadian Visa Specialists the hard work really began, we had a Canadian visa application to compile and submit. The days of fluffing around waiting for the universe to weave its magic were over, we had documentation up the wazoo to complete. The sheer amount of documentation required did not dampen our enthusiasm, we were as excited to get started as the Visa Specialists were interested to start work on it, they did not see applications like this every day.

This application was going to make or break our chance of success, it had to be as thorough and as near to perfect as possible and had to be completed in a timely manner. Whilst the Visa Specialist did not give us specific timeframes per se to complete the documentation the processing time for a Canadian Self-Employed Visa can be up to 24 months (yep you did the math correctly … two whole years yikes!) and the clock was already ticking for us oldies.

Success is where preparation & opportunity meet

As well as completing a generic application we also had to complete and submit documentation for criminal history and convictions, family information, travel history, language skills both English and French, current occupations, work experience, where we intended to settle in Canada and our inside leg measurements …. okay I am joking about the last part!

In addition to this Martins silversmithing and educational qualifications had to be assessed under ICAS and an IELTS assessment had to be completed. With this much documentation to source and complete we really had to work as a team to get it done otherwise it would have soon become overwhelming but having said that there were some things that only Martin could do such as the IELTS assessment.

All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone

I know that Martin will not mind me saying this but as a couple we both have strengths and weaknesses, he is creative and skilled at making works of art with precious metals, a silversmith. Whereas I am creative and skilled at making words my art, a wordsmith. Martin spends his time firmly in the right side of his brain engaging his imagination and daydreaming of places where he can speak to fairies, elves, and other make-believe creatures in a language only he can understand. Whereas I am a true left brainer spending my time in the beauty of the English language, reading, and thinking in words.

So, you can imagine my surprise, mirth and then sympathy (in that order) after discovering that firstly we even had to complete the IELTS considering we were both born and raised in England the supposed birthplace of the English language but that Martin as the principal applicant was the only one required to take the IELTS assessment. He had to take this one for the team.

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System and provides an evaluation of English listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills when immigrating among other things. Martin had his IELTS assessment booked at the University of Waikato in Hamilton and set to work reading, studying, revising, and testing himself, Martin was as close to his comfort zone as New Zealand is to the UK.

When assessment day rolled around, we were both sick with nerves (I know! And I was not even taking the assessment). Although getting a good result was important and there was a lot of responsibility placed on Martins shoulders, the entirety of the success of the Canadian application was not based solely on this one aspect. The highest score that you can obtain in an IELTS assessment was 9.0, Martin was aiming to be as close to this as possible, he was a perfectionist after all.

After entering the assessment facility and signing in it soon became clear that we were the source of much hilarity and amusement! Not only were we the only English nationals in the entire facility, students, evaluators, and co-ordinating staff included but they all found it hysterical that an Englishman was being assessed on his English listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Yeah, laugh it up, the joke is on us.

Some three hours later the assessment was over, and it was all worthwhile, not only did Martin score an 8.0 in the assessment but he proved to himself that he could do it and proved to me that his ability to speak a language only the dog understands, and his intermittent hearing failure is through choice.

Teamwork makes the dream work

For my part I got stuck into the writing and compiling of Martins silversmithing profile and all the supporting documentation, this is where I excelled. Organising, collating, writing, telling a story and most of all selling my husband (okay not in a pimp kind of way, I would not have made much) and his skills. Whilst I am never one to pass up on an opportunity to poke fun at my husband, I am also his biggest fan and writing things to highlight his greatness is something I have found I can do as easily as breathing.

The profile included but was not limited to.

• An introduction to the business.
• The business history, qualifications & awards.
• The business plan for Canada.
• Testimonials from students & clients.
• Previous media expression & articles.
• The hallmarking processes.
• Photographic gallery of bespoke silverware.
• Financial aspects of the business.
• Declaration of all tools and equipment.
• Details of the professional bodies we intended to work with in Canada.

The finished product was impressive to say the least and it marked the final part of documentation to submit in this first stage of the application process.

It was now over to Louise Willis and the Canadian Visa Specialist team to work their magic and rub off the rough edges and reveal the diamond beneath, not to mention putting it in a format that was acceptable to the Canadian Immigration.

Once submitted the application decision was in the hands of a Canadian Immigration official, then the waiting began. Little did we know at that point just how long that wait would be, it was to make the 24-month time frame listed on the official Canadian Immigration website look like five minutes. Join us in the post next week as our journey continues.