I just read an article online about illegal immigrants in Canada. I don't know if that's as a big a concern in Canada as it is in the US.

On the other I wonder why people end up as illegal aliens in Canada. It took about nine months for the whole process, of getting an immigrant visa for me. I understand that I have been very fortunate to get it so quickly. However I found the whole process to be straight-forward. If I got it, I don't see why anybody else in the world wouldn't.

So how do people end up illegaly in Canada, and what is the life of an illegal alien there?

People end up illegal in Canada because they do not qualify for permanent residency, not because they cannot wait for it.

P-K, excuse my ignorance and hope you don't mind me asking, but how d'you get a 9 month turnaround ? Are you talking 9 months from date of sending off application pack to issuing of visa ? Where from (which country) and was this for PR ? Any other factors - like spousal, or arrange employment, provincial nomination etc ?

Just curious, cheers if you can reply.

Rich.

I applied for CSQ in September of last year. Got it in December. Applied to Buffalo as skilled worker, (no spousal, or arranged employment or nothing, just the CSQ) did medicals in April, got visa a couple of weeks ago.

cheers,

Cheers dude, glad it went so fast for you ?

Bet you were surprised, could you keep up with the pace? If ours came through so fast we'd be amazed !!! (and unprepared as house is still up for sale right now).

Rich.

Ours was the same sort of thing, put it in nov 97, medicals, interview got the visa September 1st.

Which left when to arrive here?

not Coming to Winnipeg Dec - May -35c and Blizzards the year before with the flood of the century.

After May there would not be much chance for the kids to make friends until schol starts in september.

Arrived 11/11/98

People come on visits, and don't go back, not a smart move considering you pretty much need your SIN # and other documents to have a life basically.

You won't be able to work, open an account, get a mortgage/credit, and you can't even nip over to the US, so you are stuck doing jobs that pay under the table fees, unless of course you meet someone and get married, but then again, you have to keep your status up to date, even when applying from inside.

So all in all, it's not a smart move, people have ben sents home, months after fighting a losing battle, of trying to stay in the country, you can't even claim benefits whilst all this is going on.

I think you have to look at the available statistics before making a decision or forming an opinion.

At a guess I would think that the issue in Canada is nowhere near as severe as that of the USA.