gbirse

Hi all,
can anyone offer some advice on the following situation-

Last thursday I crossed the border to spend a day in the US and apply for my temporary work permit on the return, the work permit was refused (the immigration didn't like the wording of the job ad on the LMO), and I was also given a stamp and a visitor record in my passport (UK) which stated I have to leave the country by the 10th July.
I originally arrived on 11th May with a standard 6 month visitior visa from the UK, was offered a good job with a pre approved LMO, (which runs out on the 4th July),
the company have re-advertised the job with revised details and will apply for a new LMO for me-
what are the options available for extending my stay here?

thanks
GB

stacey.cook1

wow that sucks! not heard of a visa being refused at border with the approved LMO. What specifically about the wording was it?
Have you had your employer speak to service canada to try and resolve it through them? presumaby they were happy with the application to grant you the LMO in the first place. The hard part nomally is getting that LMO approval not the TWP.
I wonder why he only gave you such a short visitor stamp? when i got miy TWP at the boarder my OH couldn't get an open permit on mine so had to aplly for his own LMO which was in progress - the IO gave him a 6 mth visitor visa to cover him whilst the application was in progress. Sounds like you had bad luck in getting that IO. Not sure what else you can do, maybe apply by post for a visitor visa which i 'think' may give you implied status whilst its being done? Hopefully someone else will be along with other suggestions. Good luck!

gbirse

The immigration officer (at Coutts) was an inexperienced young guy who wrongly thought there was a page missing from the LMO and didn't like it when I pointed his mistake out to him, his official reason for not granting the work permit was that in the wording of the job advert, (the same advert the company had used since 2006 recruiting foreign workers with no problems getting LMO's or TWP's), it mentioned the word "qualified",
I don't have a certificate to prove my qualification and he didn't want to look at my references, cv or portfolio of work which is generally the way an employer in my trade (cabinetmaking/ furniture making-an unregulated trade in Canada) judges the qualification of a potential employee.

I contacted an Immigration lawyer and managed to get a little bit info from their secretary without having to pay the $350 they wanted for a consultation and I think you are right about "implied status", she said if I apply for an extension to my visitor status (which I did online) I am allowed to stay at least until they have made a decision.

Has anybody else done the same thing for an extension with only a couple of weeks to go on their visa?

mandymoochops

Yep - I sent my application for an extension with about 3 weeks to go. The visa things are taking 4 months or so to process - so I am currently on implied staus til I hear if my vv has been renewed.

Eilowny

I had a little bit more than a month on mine (expires August 16th) & sent an application on June 1st, they got it via UPS on June 2nd, seeing the delays on the CIC website I thought I should call them to be sure as to what would happen if my current visa expires, ie. leave the country via the US for a couple days..the lady was very helpful & informed me that because I had sent in the application for an extension I would be allowed to stay in Canada on implied status until a decision was made.