Canada visa process

Recently there had been an article on Sunday Leader paper on Canada High Commission’s public notice on using immigration consultants. Naturally we too were interviewed (over the phone of course). Few days ago the misfortune of visiting TT Services Lanka befell upon me, for the umpteenth time.

Now I know the big wig at HC Colombo has said some stuff, but I challenge him to find ten people in random that could fill a Canada visa application without help. Well he would find that ten, eventually. Well anything will happen eventually. Say he needs to get through about 200 before finding the ten who could fill the application without error in one go. To make matters worse, TTS is coining it out too. The novel .PDF format is impossible to be opened with piss poor machines here, then it needs printing on the fly. There simply ain’t any machines out here to do it.

Spousal detail application is undoubtedly the worst bit. I have filled out 3 when I went there this time – free of charge of course, and even I find it confusing! TTS will eat your day for minor errors and they will ask for another $3 or 4 for filling them up, and the pictures you take are always wrong, no matter what.

In short, whole visa process is a cash cow for the TTS whose service is abysmal, and a form of entertainment for the Canada High Commission who would anyways reject the bulk of applications.

And now you say don’t go to consultants! Wicked, isn’t it.

Unlike the good high Commissioner feller at the fortified Canada HC Colombo (no kidding, the place is like a high security prison – see for yourself if in doubt), I keep a middle ground on this. I believe there is a need for consultants and advisors regardless of what, for many people are unable to put documents in order or fill up the silly visa applications in order to be successful in their quest. But I am against those so called “Migration experts” who unashamedly exploit ignorance of the common public to levy a fat fee for doing something simple as filling up an application!