Which is better visit as my guest or as a tourist to Canada?

[cdnexpat]

I met her here in Tash, 8 years ago. We traveled as follow:

2009 - Kyrgyzstan,
2011 -
2012 - Malaysia
2013 - Turkey, then France and Italy.
2014 - Kazakhstan,
2015 - Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, korea, China.
Canada next month!

[Sous01]

We met in Vietnam but she has travelled to Malaysia, Thailand, Montenegro sand a few others that my male memory failed to process. She has a good job and has no intention of staying. Just want to show her Canada.

[Manny]

We met in Vietnam but she has travelled to Malaysia, Thailand, Montenegro sand a few others that my male memory failed to process. She has a good job and has no intention of staying. Just want to show her Canada.

I think she needs more history to be safe. An EU visa would be good. Choose a lesser one like one of the the Baltics, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Portugal, Malta or Spain.

Malaysia and Thailand to Canada seems like a big jump to me. In your shoes, I think I would meet her in another place again first.

I may be wrong, the Canadian guys here may know much more than me. They can tell you better what worked for them. I am not an expert on Canadian visas.

[Donhollio]

I have invited my girlfriend and her son to come skiing for Christmas in Canada. As far as a successful visa application is she better off with me inviting her with supporting documents or as a tourist and nit even mention me?

 Saying she knows you is the honest thing to say after all she will be with you. Bullshitting to CIC and CBSA is a sure way to be denied or be refused at the point of entry into Canada, with those marks on her record she will be banned for a full year from the date of deportation.
 Have her apply as a tourist coming to ski with you, having her 18yo son is a boat anchor in my opinion. He has nothing and can/will be a risk to return.  (For some reason I thought I read he was 18, maybe read it somewhere)

[Sous01]

The son coming with her is 12 and on his school break. Her other son is 22 and will be staying in Russia.
I would be really dissapointed in my country if someone like her is not a candidate to at least visit Canada.

[NS1]

The son coming with her is 12 and on his school break. Her other son is 22 and will be staying in Russia.
I would be really dissapointed in my country if someone like her is not a candidate to at least visit Canada.

The 22 year old,  will not be an anchor, he is considered and adult.
Leave the 12 year old home, you have a chance.
You forget, your country does not know her!
Depending on how much time you have spent with her is important and one, two week holiday is borderline not enough. IMO if you have never visited in country
it will be a factor also. I know less about success of women coming from Russia, than Ukraine. But at the moment Russia and Canada have a tense relationship.
This shouldn't matter, but it don't take much for someone to grab a rejection stamp. Everything factors in. As Don said be honest, lying is not a good thing
when dealing with immigration.

[Jerash]

Hey Cdenxpt - congrats on the visa for your lady!

I will just emphasize sous1 - here is what it is going to come down to (although God only knows what surly visa officers are going to look at):

Your visa application will be measured on a few things:

Can she support herself while in Canada? You're paying? Great! Provide the  documents concerning your financial situation and anything you have booked.

Is she going back to Russia? You are sure and I believe you, but what does a stranger (ie. A reasonable visa officer) want to see so they can believe it too? Don't hold back with providing proofs on this point.

You do these two things and you should be gold. However you decide to apply, if you omit the fact that the whole point of the trip is for you to spend some time together, chances are it'll bite you in the ass. Can you imagine how devastating it would be if she got the visa and then got turned back at the border because her story didn't make sense? The only story that makes sense is the one with full disclosure.

Is the 22 yr old son in Russia dependent on her? If so, emphasize it and prove it to the extent you can!
Previous Travel to the US would almost seal the deal. Places like the EU or elsewhere that she requires visas to get to a notably better place will  also go a long way.

If she doesn't have the travel history, don't despair! Just put together the real story that proves she  is obviously going back to Russia at the end of the trip. Back it up with translated documents that demonstrate this point.

My girl got a Cdn visa after being previously refused. So it is very pleased possible to overcome! Btw, I think the TRV approval rate for Russians are over 80%, so the odds are in your favour. Just take the time and effort to put a solid application together!

[Sous01]

Thanks guys you are awesome!

[Donhollio]

 I meant to say a visitor visa. As you all know each other, she's not coming here blindly without a plan to meet up. But do your stress level a favour and call CIC tomorrow.

[Jerash]

In theory a good idea, but I don't know how he will reduce his stress level by waiting on hold til he gives up. Welcome to the new Canada, courtesy of the Conservative Party of Canada. 

[Sous01]

My girlfriend is meeting with a visa consultant in Russia right now. Hope it goes well. Thanks everyone. We have decided to go with the truth and if that is not good enough we will deal with it.

[cdnexpat]

Hello,

Unless her English is top notch, you can do the CIC stuff yourself. It may save time, because there are quite a few documents to upload.

[Sous01]

They have Russian versions on vfsglobal for them in Russia. But they seem to not be concerned about that.
A question for you and everyone else.
Why is it considered "dishonest" if she applies on her own for a two week holiday in Canada and we spend time together as opposed to me sponsoring her?

[Ste]

They have Russian versions on vfsglobal for them in Russia. But they seem to not be concerned about that.
A question for you and everyone else.
Why is it considered "dishonest" if she applies on her own for a two week holiday in Canada and we spend time together as opposed to me sponsoring her?

It can be seen by the authorities as an attempt to enter and then try and settle, always very difficult to remove people with human rights and endless appeals etc.

Bit unfair to prejudge but the guards are up as so many people abuse the system.




.

[Sous01]

The visa consultant recommended that she just apply on her own as a tourist. That surprises me and for all the reasons you folks have talked about I am concerned.
We are still discussing our options.
In a letter of invite how deep do I go into our relationship? My feeling is we met, have been on holidays and now I would like to take her and her son skiing on his Christmas break from school.
I have a hard time believing that if supported with documents that would be denied but what do I know.

[NS1]

Have you been to her country, city?
Met family or friends ?

[Dogsoldier]

The visa consultant recommended that she just apply on her own as a tourist. That surprises me and for all the reasons you folks have talked about I am concerned.
We are still discussing our options.
In a letter of invite how deep do I go into our relationship? My feeling is we met, have been on holidays and now I would like to take her and her son skiing on his Christmas break from school.
I have a hard time believing that if supported with documents that would be denied but what do I know.

I am an advocate of the 'honesty is the best policy' school. Be upfront about your relationship, where it's at, where you think/hope it might go and your present/future intentions.
Tell them exactly what the visit is for, not some 'vacuous 'tourist bs'. Whatever you do, don't lie or be liberal with the truth. It could come back to haunt you.

[froid]

Go for honest...if they catch you or her in a lie they make it way way more difficult or even impossible after that. 

[Manny]

Does Canada have the requirement show $x per day of intended stay in the bank?

If so, a slug of money going in her bank to show that a week before the application may throw up a red flag that a bloke is involved if she goes for tourist on her own.

Also, I would expect that during any regular tourist visa application, they will look at her income and ask themselves if she is at the income level of a typical tourist to Canada from Russia. Also, her previous travel comes in here. Canada might be an odd place to choose to visit if you were not a seasoned international traveller already.

[NS1]

All good advice, I would be straight up and invite her.
Without going to life storey, tell them why.
In my 2 cases, she did not need bank accounts or income history.
I invited and said I would pay for all relevant as posted before.
She needed letter of proof of work, proof of kids, IE school documents
or something official to prove they are responsible for children.
In other words proof, they would return.
In both of my cases neither had been to Europe or anywhere significant.
One never outside of Ukraine or Russia. One had been to turkey on holiday.
IMO if you over do it, you are making it look more than it needs to be.
Use the KISS system, ( keep it simple stupid)
Be honest, tell the true and your odds are good. again IMO, to much looks like your trying to hide or prove something, more than needed.

I also believe if you have not been to her city or country, you significantly
lower your odds and we all know a rejection stamp is very bad.
I have done this twice, with two different people, first visa 6 months, 2nd they received 8 year visitor visa. Only difference, they were from Ukraine.

[Fashionista]

Does Canada have the requirement show $x per day of intended stay in the bank?

Not that I know of. They mainly want "the proof" that you will return home. Nothing can be proven with 100% certainty of course, the decision is a crapshoot and you need a bit of luck and make a good impression. A friend of mine was visiting her brother, she had no previous travels, it was her first visit to the West, and got it from the first attempt. She is a very straightforward and fearless person though and I guess it showed. Some other people I know were not so lucky.

[Fashionista]

The visa consultant recommended that she just apply on her own as a tourist. That surprises me and for all the reasons you folks have talked about I am concerned.

Be careful with those "visa consultant" types. Among Russian community they are considered something akin to snake oil salesmen preying on people's fears and who do more damage than good. Just don't take everything they say at face value.

[TomT]

Have you been to her country, city?
Met family or friends ?

We met on the Internet and met with her and her youngest son for a holiday in a third country [Vietnam]..

[Volshe]

The visa consultant recommended that she just apply on her own as a tourist. That surprises me and for all the reasons you folks have talked about I am concerned.

Be careful with those "visa consultant" types. Among Russian community they are considered something akin to snake oil salesmen preying on people's fears and who do more damage than good. Just don't take everything they say at face value.

I second this.

[Sous01]

Thanks to all of your advice this is our decision. To do everything openly and honestly. In our case the visa person is just helping my girlfriend assemble her documents and arrange translations etc. we will be purchasing tickets next week and should have everything to go late next week.
I am writing an open and honest letter of invitation. We met, we vacationed together in Vietnam and now on the school Christmas break we would like to go skiing in banff and introduce her to Canada.
She will without question be going back to Russia for all the reasons one should. Home, family, job and where our future might go.
Thank you everyone for all of your advice and do not stop!
Stephen