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my views on Canadian and Iranian issues
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Double standard by Canada Immigration and citizenship agency on Iranian
04-Jun-2009
Last Tuesday I drove to Buffalo (US) to get first hand experience on Canadian Immigration office . The US immigration officer checking my Canadian passport just asked my destination and time to get back. He was very polite and did not ask my originality, which were a relief and a positive attitude. The Canadian Embassy is located at 30th floor of HSBC building. There was a line up at the lobby of the building; you could see variety of nationalities in the line to get landing paper or tourist visas.
In order to access into the elevator and the building every body has to obtain a pass from the building security, which was unusual for me, as a Canadian. However, Tim Horton fresh coffee smells Canada for me while the hanging US flag shows me where I am standing.
A Canadian consulate security woman checked the documents. She stuck a number paper to the jacket. Then the security woman guided the group to board the elevator to the 30th floor. We left the cell phones and baggage at the door.
There were almost 60 people sitting in the red plastic chairs across the hallway, waiting to be called while two mounted TV showing CNN. I told to the security woman, why not CBC? She smiled.
There are three booths, two for delivering documents and one paying cash, which you have a beautiful view of the main street with old buildings. While I saw seven women include two security personnel who were polite which doing well, but I did not see any man. Processing visa lasting to three hours, which is very good. Hundred people from 8 am to 11 am who were out by noon.
I talked to an Iranian -French in family business of an art gallery in Montreal and Tehran who had flown for 11 hours from Dubai directly to New York and Buffalo to get the landing paper. He confirmed what we hear on the mistreatment of Canadian embassy in Tehran. He told me that there is a small window on the side of the embassy’s wall, which so many applicants have to wait long hours just to get to that window. Lack of appointment system is unfair. It is more human by running a booking system to make the people more comfortable and avert wasting time and humiliation such as US embassy in Canada
Also, UK embassy in Tehran have eliminated the line up and hassles of applicants who have to come from far part of Iran.
The efficiency of the immigration officers at the Buffalo consulate shows that the embassy can make the service better in Tehran and respect Iranian. While the Embassy has the right to grant visa to those who entering their country but the embassy’s shall respect the dignity of Iranian and do not mix the politics with the family affair.
To my knowledge, Mrs. Susan Scarlet, head of Immigration department at the Canadian embassy, in Tehran is the one behind the mass visa rejection of the intellectual and family members. There are some unconfirmed reports that Mrs. Scarlet, does not get the advice from the consulate that is in charge of political affairs. I sent a letter to Mrs. Scarlet in Tehran asking her explanation on the visa denial of some intellectual such as Reza Alijani and Shadi Sadr but the embassy referred me to Syrian embassy, which was a misleading
While Canada has a right to grant the visas for other nationalities they have to treat every nation with respect and fairness.
Iranains deserve better treatment by Canadian embassy in Tehran.
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CANADIAN VISA
by OBI INNOCENT CHUKWUMA (not verified) on Thu Jun 11, 2009 01:48 AM PDTI am baffled that Canadian consulate in Lagos Nigeria deny a whole lot of people entry visa to Canada. When it happened to me, i took it as one of those things visa offices across the world does to discourage people from entering their country not until one day i made mention on how Canadian embassy in Nigeria rejected my visa application on the flimsy excuses that i may not come back. One of my co-worker said "They people are crazy" I then asked why and he responded by saying that they have done same thing to him. My concern- In my case and that of my colleague we have a good paying job with fat salary compared with other average Nigerian, we have travelled to severall countries including UK, USA among others, Our ID still have US & UK visas on the ID. Financially we are capable. What is their problem. We work in a reputable company-Chevron Nigeria Limited, our minimum qualifications are Masters Degrees and other professional trainings both within and outside Nigeria.
Is there any other qualification (s) needed in obtaining their entry/tourist visa? Or are they simply interested in obtaining our visa fees only? There must be a forum for protesting visa rejection so as to treat geniun applicants fairly. I am only interested in visiting Canada as at now. If there is need for me to immigrate to Canada genuinly, i do think i need to follow the right procedure. Everybody should not be treated as terrorist or illegal immigrant. Nigeria Consulate should be cautioned. What i annoyed me most was that they replied to my application asking that appropriate fees were not enclosed i then paid at the end of which they rejected the application. Hmm do i blame anybody, the circumstances in Nigeria has made every dick and Harry to ride on my country's situation. Enough of this bluff.
Obi, Innocent Chukwuma
Chevron Nigeria Limited
2 chevron Drive
PMB 12825
Lekki Peninsula
Lagos Nigeria
TEL. NO 234-8023464177 OR 234-1-366-3524
Dear Saead
by farokh2000 on Fri Jun 05, 2009 07:52 AM PDTI really could not understand why you crossed the Canadian Border to go to US and what your letter here is trying to say.
Are you a Canadian National, Iranian National, or what is the issue here?
My own experience, as somone who has lived in U.S. for over 33 years, has always been that when I go to Canada for a day trip/ visit, crossing into Canada is much easier than coming back to U.S..
Coming back home to U.S. they always ask a ton of questions, even though I have U.S. Drivers License and Citizenship and live just about 90 miles from the Canadian Border and go up there, once or twice a year for a day trip.
I am not sure what you were trying to say here, sorry.
It seems you both (Anon &
by Anonymous5 (not verified) on Fri Jun 05, 2009 07:07 AM PDTIt seems you both (Anon & Abolhassan) didn't hear what this guy is trying to say: he doesn't say EVERYBODY from Iran should receive an entry visa to Canada, which of course is Canada's right to decide, but to treat people with respect.
Whine, moan, complain
by Anonymousity (not verified) on Thu Jun 04, 2009 04:34 PM PDTWhy did you cross the Canadian border with your Canadian passport to go to the Canadian embassy in Buffalo NY USA?
AbolHassankhan is correct; neither you nor any other Iranian national nor any other non-Canadian has an implicit right to enter Canada without the agreement and permission of Canada.
This country is already overrun with ungrateful leeches; I wish that immigration was more stringent than it already is.
And don't bother calling me a racist or a bigot, because I'm married to an Iranian immigrant and I support her in everything she does, but she waited her turn and followed the procedures, and now that she's here she doesn't feel obliged to whine, moan and complain about the country that took her in.
Huh?
by AbolHassankhan (not verified) on Thu Jun 04, 2009 02:57 PM PDT"While Canada has a right to grant the visas for other nationalities they have to treat every nation with respect and fairness."
Says who? Where do you people get these notions?
Like any other country in the world, they are in charge of their borders: They can welsome some nationalities, they can let some in after some review, and they can keep some the hell out!