Why we went on an Exploratory Visit

August 2008 - There are several programs under which you can immigrate to Canada. At first we chose to go with the national program (Simplified Application Process for Skilled Workers), but later we entered into the Provincial Nominee Program.

The national program takes approximately 2,5 years from the first application to the visa in your passport. Please note: this is the average timeline, no guarantees. In this process you solely deal with the Canadian embassy in Berlin, where not only you, but all applicants from The Netherlands, Germany and several other countries send their applications. This makes the waiting time quite long and sending documents and waiting for a reaction can be a nerve wrecking process. With the national program you don´t know who your contactperson is and the outcome remains uncertain until the last step (not everybody succeeds in passing the required passmark). However, when you do get your immigrant status after 2,5 years you are free to settle anywhere in Canada.

After visiting the immigration fair, we learned more about the provincial program. The waiting time is shorter, it is easier to communicate because you know who your contactperson is and you receive direct feedback about your chances of succeeding (the required passmark is less important). Plus, the program also provides you with help to integrate into the province by offering English lessons, job counseling and other helpful activities.

At first we were hesitant to participate, mainly because of the extra costs, as the stream we could apply under (strategic recruitment) required a mandatory exploratory visit to the province of Manitoba for a minimum of 8 days. This visit is meant to explore your chances on settling successfully.

Still, as a result of the immigration fair, we had definitely set our goal towards Manitoba. And, because of the extra certainty if you applied for the provincial program, we decided to be bold and go for a visit. We contacted the Immigration Officer we met during the fair, booked our flights and accommodations and were scheduled to go an Exploratory Visit from August 20th to 29th.