IMMIGRATION TO CANADA

IMPORTANT

As of December 31, 2003, permanent residents returning to Canada without a valid PR card will not be permitted to board their carrier. They will have to contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate to obtain a limited use travel document to re-enter Canada. For further information.

There are three main categories in which you may apply for permanent residence in Canada.

i) the family reunification, or family class category, includes spouses, common-law or conjugal partners, dependent children, adopted child, parents or grandparents sponsored by their relatives, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or over and living in Canada.

ii) the economic class, includes federal and Québec skilled workers, entrepreneurs, investors and self-employed people with job skills, language abilities, sufficient funds and other attributes that would make possible their successful establishment in Canada, and make a substantial contribution to the economy, cultural and artistic life of Canada.

iii) the refugee and humanitarian class includes applicants in special need for protection and are admitted under special rules.

FAMILY REUNIFICATION

Your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, parent, son or daughter in Canada must begin the process by filing an application to sponsor a member of the family class with the Case Processing Centre in the province of Ontario. Your family member, also known as "the sponsor", must prove that he or she can financially support you and all of your dependents. Your sponsor can get more details about sponsoring you from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website

You will be required to provide proof of identity, relationship to your sponsor, police clearance certificates and meet medical and background security requirements set by the Canadian government for all immigrants before your application can be approved.

The average processing time for this category is presently six months in Sao Paulo, upon receipt of a fully documented application. Parents and grandparents cases may take additional time to be processed.

ECONOMIC CATEGORY

Skilled workers are assessed on a point system where various criteria are taken into account; for example: level of education, work experience, age, ability to communicate in either English or French, arranged employment and adaptability.

Please be advised that, with the implementation of Canada´s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act on June 28, 2002, transitional rules may apply to your case depending on the date of receipt and date of decision.

You can make your own self-assessment to find out if you would qualify for immigration by accessing the selection criteria available through this link

The average processing time for this category is presently ten months in Sao Paulo, upon receipt of a fully documented application.

The province of Québec employs immigration officers to assess applications for permanent residence from skilled workers and business applicants destined to Québec. Nationals of Brazil should contact the Québec immigration office in Argentina at the following address:

OFICINA DE QUEBEC, TUCUMAN 1321 PISO 12 C1050AAA
BUNEOS AIRES - ARGENTINA.
Telephone: (54-11) 4372-9970
Telecopieur: (54-11) 4371-6007
The website is www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca

BUSINESS

Business immigrants include entrepreneurs, investors and self-employed persons. They must meet minimum requirements under these classes. The requirements include, for example, business experience, legally obtained net worth of least $ 300,000 Canadian dollars for entrepreneurs, and $ 800,000 dollars in the case of investors.

Both investors and entrepreneurs will be required to provide documentation proving that within any two of the last five years, they owned and managed a qualifying business that meets requirements for jobs, sales, net income and net assets.

Self-employed persons must meet defined requirements relating to experience and prescribed economic activities. These activities include cultural, athletics, or purchase and management of a farm.

Additional information, instructions, forms and kits, can be downloaded from the internet

RESIDENCY DETERMINATION

The immigration legislation establishes residency requirements and obligations with respect to each five-year period after the granting of permanent residency status. A person must produce documentary evidence of physical presence or on prescribed linkages to Canadian institutions outside Canada.

A permanent resident must have physically resided in Canada for at least 730 days in the last 5 years; or, i) is outside Canada accompanying a Canadian citizen who is his or her spouse or common-law partner, or is a child accompanying a parent; or, ii) is outside Canada employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business; or, iii) is an accompanying spouse, common-law partner or child of a permanent resident who is outside Canada employed full-time by a Canadian business. Compliance is also possible on very special circumstances.

CASE INQUIRIES

We can respond to written inquiries on the status of cases but only if these are sent by mail or by fax, and only if the case you are inquiring is taking longer than normal processing times. Information on processing times was given in the letter of acknowledgement sent to you to confirm receipt of your application at this office.

You might want to access the government on-line service "e-CAS", which allows for immigrant case enquiries.

If you wish to make a written inquiry on a case outside normal processing times, please write to us or send a fax to, country code 55, area code 11, 5509-4262. Our mailing address is Avenida das Nações Unidas, 12901, Torre Norte, 16th floor, zipcode 04578-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. Please ensure that you mark your letter or fax "attention: Inquiries Unit". Please do not send more than one copy of the same inquiry.

Requests on cases outside normal processing times will be answered within five working days of their receipt. Requests falling within normal processing times will usually not be answered. We will, however, note the concerns your express and act on them if and as appropriate.

Finally, please note that , due to Canada's privacy legislation, third parties (e.g. sponsors or other relatives of the applicant, legal practionners, consultants, prospective employers, etc) cannot be provided with informaton unless they are Canadian citizens or permanent residentes residing in Canada, and are authorized by the applicant to receive informaton. This authorization must be in writing, signed by the applicant and provided along with your fax or letter.

On April 13, 2004, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration announced new regulations that stipulate that the government of Canada will only recognize an immigration representative who is a member of a self-regulating association.
Learn more about the new regulations for immigration representatives.

PROCESSING FEE

Because of constant changes in the exchange rate, the processing fees are not available here. To find out about the processing fees, you must call the visa section's telephone number, (+55 11) 5509-4343, and follow the instructions of the voice message system available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.

If you are paying in Brazilian real, the only acceptable methods of payment are: certified cheque or direct deposit. You should make a deposit, in cash, at any of BankBoston’s branches in Brazil, into the following account: Canadian Consulate General, branch number 0033, account number 37.7018.02

Please note that the fee is provided by the Consulate General. Go to the bank knowing already the Brazilian real amount to be deposited. Payment should be made before you submit your application. Please retain your deposit slip and present the original when you apply.

If you are paying in Canadian dollars, payment should be made in cash or money order payable to "Receiver General for Canada".

The processing fee is non-refundable. It will not be returned to you even if your application is refused.