There are many hoops to jump through in order to become a Canadian citizen. This process can take up to two years from the time you file your initial application until the time you get your citizenship certificate. If you’re not so sure about where to begin, an immigration lawyer in Vancouver can help. But how exactly will an immigration lawyer make things happen faster? An immigration lawyer will streamline and expedite every step of the process. Let us take a look at how an immigration lawyer speeds up the process of becoming a Canadian citizen:
Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on documentation.
The first step toward speeding up your Canadian citizenship process is to reduce the amount of documentation you need to compile for your application. For example, if your family members are Canadian citizens and have lived in Vancouver for the past three years, you could be eligible for expedited processing. This means you could skip the proof of identification and proof of permanent residency steps. If your family members used to live in Vancouver and are now deceased, you could still be eligible for expedited processing if you have a valid reason for not having their original documents on hand. Some of these reasons could include fire or flood damage, theft, or family privacy issues. Your Vancouver immigration lawyer will be able to advise you on which documentation you need and how to get it.
Help streamline your interviews and tests.
If your application seems suspicious based on your documentation, you will be asked to undergo a fraud test. A Vancouver immigration lawyer can help you avoid this test. If your application is flagged as requiring further investigation, you will be asked to undergo an in-person interview. Again, a Vancouver immigration lawyer can make sure you don’t have to take the interview. If you have a physical or mental disability, you are eligible to take a different test or have the interview waived.
Provide valuable insight into what’s required for your application
If you’re not sure what you need to put on your application, an immigration lawyer can walk you through everything you need to include. For example, you might not know that you must include a completed federal income tax return. Your Vancouver immigration lawyer will be able to tell you exactly what documentation you need to have in your application based on your personal situation.
Negotiate deals with the government on your behalf.
If a member of your family has been negatively affected by a policy enacted by the government, such as the removal of the two-year filing deadline for minors or a reduction in points for skilled worker applications, your immigration lawyer can intervene on your behalf to try and have the policy changed. Sometimes, Canadian immigration will have rules that don’t make sense or have been confusing people for a while. Your immigration lawyer can help you take advantage of the application review process by submitting feedback and suggesting changes.
Push your application through when Immigration is slowing you down
Sometimes, even if you are doing everything right, Canadian immigration servers will be too slow to process your application. If this happens, our immigration lawyer can push your application through by writing a letter to the immigration officer in charge of your application. Your immigration lawyer might even be able to get the officer to prioritize your application over other applications in the queue.
Summing Up
Immigration is a long and complicated process, and becoming a Canadian citizen is no exception. Fortunately, you can speed things up by working with an immigration lawyer in Vancouver. An immigration lawyer can help you reduce the amount of documentation you need to compile, streamline your interviews and tests, provide valuable insight into what’s required for your application, and negotiate deals with the government on your behalf. Push your application through when immigration is slowing you down, and become a Canadian citizen as quickly as possible.
