(Below is a transcription of this video)
Hi this is Michael Niren, immigration lawyer and founder of visaplace.com.
We were asked this question. If I get a visa, is that it? What else do I have to consider other than just getting the visa?
And that’s a great question. What the questioner means is that when you are going to Canada or the United States or trying to get a visa, of course, in order to get one you have to apply, you have to go through the process, fill out some forms and hopefully you’ll be successful.
What to do Once You Get Your VisaÂ
But we all know that’s not the end of the road. Once you get to your destination, depending upon the kind of visa it is, let’s say it’s a work visa. There’s so many other considerations. Even if you get a work visa, for example, you have to get a social security card or a social insurance card if you are in Canada, same thing in order to be on a pay roll. You have to set up your banking. You obviously have to go to a bank and provide your ID and information and try to get a bank account. That sounds easier then it is. Especially if you are in the United States where there’s a lot of scrutiny and paper work in order just to get a bank account if you’re a foreign national.
HousingÂ
There’s also the issue of real estate of course. Where are you going to live? Are you going to lease? Are you going to buy? Do you have any credit in that country? So if you are moving to the United States for example and you are a foreign national you could have great credit in your home country but that doesn’t mean their going to be honoring that credit. So you have to be prepared for a lot of challenges to settle yourself after getting a visa. If you have kids of course you have to consider the schooling. Where are you going to send your kids to school? What’s available? What’s the process?
How an Immigration Lawyer Can Help You
There’s a lot of preparation that you have to consider beyond just getting the visa. Now of course the visa is the door that opens and gets you through. But once you’re through and you’re in the room, so to speak, you’re in your new county, there’s a lot to do and most people know this. But it’s a really good idea that when you are consulting with a lawyer about you’re visa concerns you can ask these questions and in many cases your lawyer or immigration professional should be able to point you in the right direction depending on where you want to settle.
Of course if it’s a certain province or city or state there’s going to be specific advice you are going to have to get applicable to where you intend to live. There are some general tips that your lawyer, your consultant, for immigration should be able to give you beyond just the visa information and, of course, these are tips because they are not in the business, for example, of getting you set up with real estate or signing you up to get a bank account. But because of the experience they have and the previous clients that they’ve assisted, they should be able to give you some general guidance. Of course you can go online. There’s tons of information out there just be very careful because there is a lot of miss information out there as well.
So the message is that when you do apply for a visa you have to think of the big picture beyond just getting the visa. Good luck for those of you who are interested in getting visas and we are here to help you as well. You can visit our website at www.visaplace.com and if you liked this video click like. Have a great day.
Are you Interested in Immigrating to the US or Canada?
At Visaplace, we have literally helped thousands and thousands of people successfully immigrate to Canada, so they can visit, work, study or live, and we certainly can help you too. All you need to do is use our free online immigration assessment form here or contact us here. Once you fill out that form, we will get back to you (within 24 hours) to discuss your eligibility and immigration options.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
