Every year, a proportion of newcomers who apply for permanent residence will need to attend an interview with an IRCC officer in support of their application. Here’s how you can prepare for your Canadian immigration interview.
Well, these interviews are often the final step in the application process & can be important in showing the immigration department that an applicant is eligible for PR status in Canada. This blog will cover the reasons why an interview is required, what to expect, & best practices to ensure success.
Why Does IRCC Conduct Interviews?
Requesting an interview from applicants is significantly based at the discretion of individual IRCC officers. The reasons for such a request are generally to help verify information supporting a PR or citizenship application.
Information in need of verification could be surrounding work experience, personal history, language ability, intent to pursue immigration to Canada, & verify the identity of applicants. For family sponsorship applications, interviews are often conducted to verify a principal applicant’s & dependent’s relationship or to confirm whether spousal/ conjugal/ common-law relationships are sincere.
Moreover, interviews might focus on missing or incomplete data given as part of an application but do not satisfy the reviewing IRCC officer that such information meets eligibility criteria.
What Are Some Of The Best Practices One Can Implement When Attending An IRCC Interview?
Based on the information given to IRCC officers on how to conduct interviews, the following are the best practices:
1. Review Your Application Thoroughly
Before you prepare for your Canadian immigration interview, the IRCC officers read the file in advance. Therefore, you need to be thoroughly prepared by reviewing their application & relevant documents. Keeping in mind that one of the things that interviewers tend to focus on is incomplete or missing information in an application, newcomers might be well served to prepare for questions & queries around these elements for their file.
Newcomers might also bring further supporting documentation if it was not there in their initial application.
2. Communicate Clearly
Interviewees must strive for clear communication. They must speak slowly & clearly, using simple language & avoiding jargon to ensure their officers can understand their answers easily. Officers have to accommodate interviewees in case they have any special needs or require assistance during the interview process. Thus, newcomers should communicate these needs during the interview or in advance to ensure a smooth experience.
Interviewees must try to remain calm & composed throughout the interview. Relaxed body language & a confident demeanor can help convey competence & professionalism.
3. Be Honest
Though obvious, interviewees must ensure their responses are honest & consistent with the data provided in their applications. IRCC officers will be vigilant for potentially fraudulent information. Providing truthful & consistent answers demonstrates reliability & integrity.
Significantly, misrepresentation can have disastrous implications for an immigration application, like being ineligible for Canadian immigration for a minimum of five years, being charged with a crime by IRCC, & losing PR status. Newcomers will have the best chance for success if they simply present all relevant information truthfully.
Finally, newcomers should be aware that they can still be guilty of misrepresentation, even if they are unaware of it or commit a legitimate mistake around presenting information in their immigration application. This again emphasizes the significance of being careful about what information is there in your immigration application.
4. Address Concerns Calmly
If the interviewer raises concerns or asks challenging questions, interviewees must address them diplomatically & constructively. They must avoid becoming defensive & instead focus on providing clarifications or explanations when required.
In addition, newcomers must keep in mind that their success or failure in the interview will ultimately come down to satisfying the interviewing immigration officer that they truthfully meet all necessary eligibility requirements. As such, it is generally good practice to address concerns they may have in a calm & considerate manner.
5. Ask Questions & Follow-Up
The last tip to prepare for your Canadian immigration interview is to ask questions & follow up.
Interviewers must ask questions if they need clarification or additional information about the process/ next steps. IRCC officers have to address any queries or concerns that newcomers might have during an interview. Thus, interviewees must feel free to request information if they need it.
Similarly, after the interview, newcomers must follow up appropriately, whether providing additional information or documentation or awaiting further communication from the interviewing authority.
How Can One Get An Interview Waiver?
The best way to get an interview waiver from IRCC is to ensure that all relevant information & supporting documentation is there in an immigration application at the time of submission. The more complete an application is, the more likely it is to get an interview waiver.