Canadian Immigration Supporting Documentation

Probably the most time consuming - on your part - aspects of the immigration process is going to be gathering up all of the documentation that you need to submit along with you permanent resident application. This documentation will be used to determine your actual Pass-Mark score. Remember, you now only need a score of 67, not 75, to pass.

Below is a list of some documentation you may be asked to send:

* Birth certificates for you and all members of your family who will be moving with you * Proof of your language abilities (there are various ways to prove this) * Proof of employment and work experience * Proof of education, such as college transcripts, for you and your partner * Proof of arranged employment in Canada (if applicable) * Proof of family relationships in Canada (if applicable) * Marriage certificate for you and your spouse (if he or she is moving with you)

You need to make sure that the documentation you gather fits the requirements established by the Canada's department of immigration. Otherwise, your application will either be refused or delayed significantly.

Completing the Application

In addition to all of the documentation, you will also need to complete an application. It's important to read through the instructions very carefully and complete each section of the application correctly. If you make a mistake, your application may be delayed or refused and may have to start the entire process all over again, including paying the required fees again.

You must submit your application with all of the required documentation listed above, as well as some additional elements which we'll discuss below.

Other Documentation

Besides everything we've already discussed, there are a few other items you will need to submit as well:

* Photographs of you and your entire family (all members accompanying you to Canada) * Proof of funds (if you don't have employment arranged) * Letter of introduction

All of these elements must be submitted along with your application, but they must be prepared to meet the specific guidelines established by the immigration department.

Your proof of funds and your letter of application directly influence the success of your application. Therefore, if what you submit does not meet their specifications, you stand a good chance of having your application rejected. While you can start the process again, the fees involved are rather high and can not be refunded.

Alex Berez is a specialist in Canadian Immigration. For more information, visit: http://www.stepbystepimmigrationcanada.com

Canadian Immigration Pass Mark

As you may already know, life in Canada provides many advantages, including universal health care and reduced safety concerns. For this reason, Canada had to implement a program that would prevent the country from being overwhelmed by immigrants. Having an influx of too many new people would simply be too great a strain on the current system and could cause it to collapse.

Canada does want immigrants to come to their country. Otherwise, they wouldn't have lowered the required Pass-Mark score from 75 to 67. However, they do want to ensure that all new immigrants will be able to fit into their culture, will be able to support themselves and their families, and will make a positive contribution to the community into which they move.

The Pass-Mark system is a method of evaluating individuals who apply to become permanent Canadian residents based on those standards.

Elements of the Pass-Mark System

The Pass-Mark System evaluates applicants in six areas:

* Education * Language ability * Work experience * Age * Arranged employment in Canada * Adaptability

Each of these areas can earn you a specific number of points based on your responses.

The maximum number of points available for each area is listed below:

Education - 25 points Language - 24 points Work experience - 21 points Age - 10 points Arranged employment in Canada - 10 points Adaptability - 10 points

In my next article, we'll talk a little about what each of the focus of each of these different areas.

Alex Berez is author of "Step-by-Step Immigration to Canada". http://www.stepbystepimmigrationcanada.com