monkeyspanner

Hello again everyone

Another question if anyone can help.?

My daughter is applying for a change to the conditions to her current visa(IEC) which I believe will be a visitor visa. Her current visa expires in November and she would like to remain in Canada whilst a decision is being made on her PR application

She intends to be a productive member of the community and volunteer with Rocky Mountain Adaptive Ski (she did this last season) be a volunteer ambassador on the ski hill as well as train for her Level 3 CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors Association) ski instructor qualification.

Could anyone please advise:
Is it fine for her to volunteer in these areas?
Is it ok for her to train for a professional development qualification whilst on a Visitor Visa?

She understands that she cannot accept any form of paid employment but doesn't want to enter something on the form that could disallow her application.

She can prove proof of funds to support herself.

As the relevant box related to "Purpose of visit" is tiny, should she include a Letter of Explanation with these details, together with our passport info as her parents and property she owns to indicate she has strong ties to the UK?

Thanks so much once again for your help

Aviator

Volunteering is considered work, so it would be unlikely she can do that. The standard is you cannot work, it does not differentiate between paid and unpaid work.

For the course, depends on the length of the course.
Get a study permit – Find out if you are eligible to study in Canada

Former Lancastrian

Read this link from IRCC what they loosely consider work and not work as its open to interpretation
Temporary Foreign Worker and International Mobility Programs: What is work?

monkeyspanner

Thanks so much again for your help FL. I've not seen this page before so it's much appreciated.

As you say, like so much of CIC/IRCC this is a 'loose' interpretation and it is difficult to be as truthful as my daughter wants to be without risking being on the wrong side of that interpretation. She would never work illegally nor undertake any activity that is not allowed, rather she is trying to prove that she will honour what she is asked to do. Without knowing fully what is allowed or not it appears impossible to second guess what the VO is looking for.

What is your opinion on whether she should refrain from all of this voluntary effort and the ski training as she wants to put back into the community that has already given her so much. She also has a Canadian boyfriend of 9 months but doesn't want to muddy any waters just yet as they won't have been living together for the requisite 12 months (for spousal sponsorship) until January 2018.

Any help would be wonderful to hear

Thanks again

monkeyspanner

Thanks Aviator...

looks as though we've misinterpreted the rules yet again!!!Do you think it's enough to say she wants to remain in Canada whilst her PR is assessed?

Your input is much appreciated

scilly

Volunteering might also be considered as taking away a job that a Canadian citizen or PR would be paid to do

Former Lancastrian

I don't think volunteering say a few hours once a week as opposed to many hours 5 days a week would cause any problems.

monkeyspanner

Thanks Scilly.....we are just so confused over the whole process!

We have been very happy and encouraged that she has been a volunteer for many causes and thought this would be seen as a positive in Canada too, but heyho, rules are rules and must be adhered to.

What is your opinion on her reason for staying is firstly to wait for her PR decision and secondly see and experience a bit more of Canada she didn't do whilst she was working?

Thanks again for your reply

monkeyspanner

Thanks FL.....so perhaps she could choose where her heart is, the Adaptive sking, once a week, and she *might* be fine? So confusing!

christmasoompa

It's pretty clear what CIC define as 'work', the amount of hours have no bearing but the kind of work it is does.

Essentially, if she's doing genuine volunteer work that nobody else gets paid for (i.e. working in a soup kitchen, dog walking at a local shelter etc), that's ok as she's not doing something that she would normally be paid for. But if she's taking a work opportunity away from a Canadian i.e. working for free in a job that others would get paid for, or doing work for experience as above, then she can't do it.

So if being a 'ski ambassador' is something that nobody else gets paid for either, she's fine, and it's genuine volunteering. If others get paid for it, then she'd need a work permit.

HTH.

monkeyspanner

Thank you once again

May I ask your opinion on the Adaptive ski volunteering?
The Leader of this is probably paid and there could be others in the structure who are also paid. My daughter (when under IEC) would volunteer once a week sometimes only every other week and never received any payment in kind even a free coffee. She just did it to help others who had physical impairments. Because of the category of IEC visa she was allowed to work anyway.

Do you think she would be fine to carry on this season with this type of volunteering?

Also could you give me an opinion on an LOE to show she is to able support herself and evidence of strong immovable ties to the UK? We assume there will be a facility to upload such information as she needs to upload proof of funds using bank statements.

I'm really grateful for all your help, so glad I found this site

Aviator

One issue may be is that volunteers do get some benefits, such as free ski instruction, free lift passes for the days you 'work'

VASS – VASS | Volunteer | Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports

I would check with VASS, they may have advisors who can help and give a more definitive answer.

monkeyspanner

Cheers Aviator, that is a great suggestion and I'll let my daughter know.

On another note.....this is a complicated one to ask about!!

She is applying for the Visitor visa to allow her to remain in Canada after her ICE expires in November. If by any stroke of luck she gets a second ITA (she had to withdraw the first as she misunderstood the employment criteria) and miraculously gets an eAOR before the IEC visa ends, is there anyway to request a BoWP as there will be an outstanding Visitor visa application or possibly, an approved VV by that time?

Can anyone else advise on this too?

Thanks in advance