5 Common Mistakes in Immigration Applications

These can potentially jeopardize your Canadian dream permanently.

You want to immigrate to Canada. And you will have a window of opportunity where your personal stars align. I’m talking about your age, education, work experience, language proficiency, transferability and adaptability. There is a point in nearly every person’s life when the balance of these factors happen, and that’s your window of opportunity to immigrate to Canada. Make it happen by avoiding these mistakes!

#1: Choosing the Wrong Work Experience
When you apply, you may be asked which work experience you want your application to be based on. This is because not all occupations are eligible, and some occupations are in higher demand. If you have worked in the same occupation your entire career (e.g., nurse), then you won’t have this problem. But if you have worked in more than one occupation, you will want to do some research at the time you are applying since eligible or in-demand occupations can change from time to time.

#2: Lack of Proof of Work Experience
Usually, applicants are very concerned about their IELTS exam or proof of funds. These 2 are honestly very manageable. What you should be concerned about is adequate proof of work experience. In some cases, employment letters are not enough. You need to provide additional documents to prove your experience in the duties and responsibilities of your occupation, depending on what that is. Many refusals have happened in the past for this very reason, so be mindful of this.

#3: Fear of Proof of Funds
Many people interested to immigrate are afraid to take the first step because of the proof of funds requirement. This should not be the top concern for 2 reasons. First, proof of funds is not needed at the time you apply. You only need it when your application moves forward to the next stages in the process. This means you have time to prepare the funds. Second, if you don’t have the funds in your bank account from the get-go, you can explore options where the funds do not have to sit in your bank account for a long time.

#4: Misrepresentation
Some applicants find it may be more convenient to give a white lie in the application to increase eligibility or speed up processing. For example, you may not declare that your US visa application was previously refused. Or your work experience in a certain occupation was 11 months and 3 weeks, and you rounded it off to 12 months. While these may benefit your application in the short term, it’s not worth the consequences.

Sooner or later, the Canadian government will find out either when you submit a future application (e.g., citizenship application), when the information shows in their database (because Canada shares databases with other countries), or through other means. When this happens, you will be charged with misrepresentation no matter how small the lie. This usually leads to deportation.

#5: Waiting for the “Perfect Time”
Don’t do this! There is no perfect time to submit an application. Truly, the best time to submit is when you are eligible for an immigration program. Bear in mind that age is a factor. The older you get, the less competitive you become. Also, immigration criteria changes over time. While you may qualify today, there is no guarantee you will still be qualified in the future. So if you already qualify now, do what I did. Close your eyes and take that leap of faith. And one day, you will land in Canada.

Are you ready to start? If you want to immigrate to Canada but you are not sure what immigration program you should apply for, you can ask for a free assessment.

Or if you have any questions, send us a message here.

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