Tourist visa to Canada refused

[thailand07]

hello all

Iam new tho the forum, and have been reading many of your life experiences livng in thailand. Some are very interesting that are quite informative. AS a canadain citizen still residing in Canada, I have become engaged to my now fiance, who resides in a village outside of Udon Thani. i will keep this inquiry reasonable. After spending a month in January with her and her family, I retruned to Canada with plans of having her come ver here on a tourist visa to spend some time wiht me...I proceeded to compile all the paper work that is required by the beauratic canadain system...i sent what I thought was more than enough officailized documents to support our relatonship.

After much foot work on my part an a lot of work on my fiance's part It was all taken to the canadain Emabssy in BKK. There her and her aunt meet a consultant who I was told specializes in organizing visa's for thailand residents looking to travel abroad. My thai is not good at this point in time, so clear understanding of the whole deal was some what cloudy at times. BUT I have much trust in her and her aunt, they give the papers to the consultant who does her thing wiht the canadaina embassy...they fly back to Udon and wait...14 days later they get a call from the canadian embassy telling them they must fly to BKK and come to the embassy for a interview, that wa on May 8th, that day when they left that day she was told to go back the next day for a second interview, I was suspecting some thing was uup now....on May 9th the next day they refused her the tourist visa....I asked on what grounds to her when we sopke. they told her that i musty go to thailand 3 more times and also marry her before they will consider giving her a visa...I was so angry...she was honest and up front with intentions and i have a home as well above average life here in Canada. But they refuse her...

Can any one enlighten me on my mistakes?????? I could use any ones input to this load fo canadain crap, I can say that iam ashamed to be part of thsi country,...any how thats for another time. hope to hear from you

thanks

Tom

[cdnvic]

Problem is that you're rushing things and it makes them suspicious. After what amounts to knowing her for a month it's unlikely they were ever going to give her a visa, especially a visitor visa. What you should have applied for is a fiance visa. Now they are going to be suspicious if you re-apply for a different class of visa.

If I were you I would spend some more time with her, get married in Thailand, then re-apply. Even at that, expect to be scrutinized closely due to the previous failed attempt.

[aussiestyle1983]

I agree with cdnvic.............

In their view you might of rushed it, and now, if you change the type of visa you apply for, it will look sus. You need to spend more time with her in Thailand, lots of time and maybe you will have to be married before an approval happens. Next time, spend more time reading this website before applying, ask for advice on here, you never know what tips you might get that help.

[Mahout Angrit]

I asked on what grounds to her when we sopke. they told her that i musty go to thailand 3 more times and also marry her before they will consider giving her a visa

I have no experience of getting a visa for Canada but I cant believe they said you should marry for her to get a visitors visa. There are g/f's and single girls getting visas daily. Was it the embassy or the "consultant" who said that?

They must have given her a written statement detailing the reasons for refusal, but if you have only known her for a month then I, like the other posters, suspect that it really is too early to be sure of her (or your) intentions. Did she provide a viable 'reason to return' to Thailand at the end of the trip? as that generally is far more important than having finances.

[Naam]

I could use any ones input to this load fo canadian crap, I can say that i am ashamed to be part of this country

unfortunately my input won't help. but if the embassy or a consulate of my country (Germany) would play this kind of nonsensical game with me i would make each and everybody sit up and get results. i can be very polite when i need a favour or service from concerned authorities of my country but i know exactly my rights and how to kick balls (in some cases uteruses) of freaking government employees who try to deny me these rights.

you brits, canadian, aussies and members of the Greatest Nation on Earth™ have obviously no rights whatsoever and are at the mercy of pencil pushers.

[cdnvic]

I could use any ones input to this load fo canadain crap, I can say that iam ashamed to be part of thsi country,...any how thats for another time. hope to hear from you

thanks

Tom

I missed this illiterate drivel. Doesn't speak well for our education system does it?

Tom, you went about this in completely the wrong way with a girl you hardly know. It isn't Canada's fault. It's yours.

350,000 people managed to move to Canada last year. 20 million more figured out how to come as tourists.

I think it's more your problem than some "fo Canadian crap"

If you're ashamed of your country, don't expect a lot of help from your countrymen.

[meadish_sweetball]

It does seem that the number one concern for Canada is the 'reason to return'.

The girlfriend of a Canadian friend of mine (who has been in a relationship with his girlfriend for four years) was also denied - main reason 'not enough reason for her to return to Thailand' - she had quit her lower management job at a multinational here in Thailand in order to be able to go to Canada, which of course the two of them realize now was not the right way to go about it, but it put them in a terrible spot. He was so sure it would not be a problem that he had rented a house for them..and despite their four year relationship, they also got the line 'if you were serious about her you would have married her by now'.

Is this last line really necessary, in the light of a four year relationship? Perhaps not everybody wants to marry for other reasons. I can see how a more conservative country could make this case like that, but it surprises me when it comes to Canada.

[expatwannabe]

I doubt seriously the Canadian consulate said you had to get married. The family probably suggested that in its eagerness to get things going.

My Thai boyfriend and I (American) just received approval to immigrate to Canada together. I had to prove the relationship, which involved providing copies of emails, visa stamps, bank statements, and rental agreements. And we had to live together for 12 consecutive months. No problem, really. In the end, they even waived the interview. So I guess it was all very convincing.

That's what you haven't done - present a convincing case. I don't have the option of getting married like you do.

Edited May 26, 2007 by expatwannabe

[Tilokarat]

I have sent some questions to the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok about the temporary resident visa (visitor's. Cdn Vic I was told Canada does not have finance visas). Anyway, I indicated that I would include a statutory declaration, provide photos, copies of correspondence, telephone calls, letters from the university where I work, and a guarantee that I would be responsible for all of her expenses in Canada.

I emphasised the point that we both realise that any infraction of the rules would negate the possibility of her ever obtaining the permanent resident visa (wife), thus we were both serious about the fact she would have to return to Thailand once the visa expired.

I pointed out to the Embassy officials that marriage is a rather important step to take, and she wanted to visit Toronto and see where we would live, meet my friends, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and work colleagues. Also, she wanted to see if she would be comfortable in that city, if there were good schools for her son, and if she would be comfortable living with me. In other words, eminently reasonable stuff t do.

If granted the temporary resident visa, she would be eligible to take an English-language course as long as it did not extend past six months in time.

I was advised that the Embassy would need to look at her bank book to see that she had deposits and withdrawals on a regular basis. If she owed money to a bank, the embassy would want to know that she made regular payments on that loan. The Embassy wanted to see that she had employment to return to in Udon Thani. This would be in the form of a letter from her employer with the proper letterhead.

The Embassy was not interested that her 12-year old son was in Udon.

The first permanent secretary at the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok stressed the point that they would be looking for compelling reasons for her to return to Thailand, and not remain in Canada. This point seemed to be the most important in their criteria of assessment.

I was then advised that her application for the temporary resident visa to Canada, based on the information I provided, would most likely be rejected, but that we should apply for the permanent resident visa (wife visa), as that would surely be successful. The reasons given for her return, son, permanent employment, house, etc. were not judged compelling enough. In ten days time, we will have known one another for a year.

Canada had a problem with Thai girls that came as temporary workers about a decade ago, and they either took off for the U.S.A., or stayed to work in massage parlours or as strippers. Thus, it has become very difficult for Thai women to come to Canada as visitors. On the other hand, one can look at the back pages of newspapers such as 'Now' and 'Eye', and see that Canada has welcomed a great number of visitors from China, the Philippines, Vietnam and India that are offering many services to men/women either privately or in the comfort of some establishment with no repercussions to the ability of people from those pleasant destinations to enter Canada.

[Tilokarat]

I forgot to mention that you do not need to use a consulting or visa agency. The application form is easy to complete. It is just two pages in length, and you only need basic information for it. The permanent resident visa, on the other hand, seems to be about 250 pages in length, and requires tons of documents from her birth to the present day. For the visitor's (temporary resident) visa, you only need her name, address, names of any children (even if they are not accompanying her), information on where she works, the invitation letter from you, home telephone/cell phone number, and an indication that neither she nor any member of her family has spent time in jail. They do not require a medical, school information, records of phone calls or photographs. The Embassy only needs that for the permanent resident visa. And, of course, the Embassy wants a certified cheque in the amount of $75.

The agency cannot do anything for you, and it cost money. It is better to do everything yourself, and it is not a difficult process to complete. The problem lies in getting the application approved.

[bino]

Marriage is not the issue... I have taken my GF home several times, and never had a problem with getting the visa. It is a little different from the OP's case because I am living / working in Thailand, and she was travelling and ultimately returning to Thailand with me at the end of our holiday.

I agree with the previous post by Tilokarat.. you really don't need an agent to do the visitor visa procedure. All of the forms are on the Canadian Embassy in Thailand website, and if you follow all of the steps, it is not difficult. I wrote a detailed breakdown in this thread a while ago- and nothing has changed. Even though it is not the exact same set of circumstances as the OP, there may be some useful information for him or others.

[cooL_guY_corY]

Had to laugh when i noticed that the op is from Fort Mcmurray, very typical of someone from there. Please before you make a ridiculous post like you have, that you learn to spell "Canadian" properly, especially if you are going to be talking negatively about your own country while asking other Canadians for help. I think the main reason this situation did not turn out positively for you was that the Embassy ( as long with everyone in this thread..) saw right through your situation.