27 November 2013

BRAZIL FIFA 2014 VISAS - FREE

This is the best news out of Brazil for Canadians in a long time --- FREE VISAS !!!

Special Temporary Visas for FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 issued to Canadians who are either Foreign correspondents, Dependent of foreign correspondents, Professionals with work permit, Dependent of professional with work permit, Entertainment professionals / work permit, FIFA accredited persons and volunteers, Press, and Spectators.

It is absolutely mandatory that you present your FIFA ticket in order to qualify for the free visa. The Brazilians had to make the visa free, but will still impose a $25 embassy charge. So free means $25 plus processing.

Click here for Brazil visa forms.

PERMANENT RESIDENTS TO THE CARIBBEAN

One of the most common questions we receive from non-Canadians is "Do I need a visa to go on holidays in the Caribbean?"

The genaral rule is that people from the third world must have visas for travel to just about any country, but there are exceptions.

Foreign nationals who have valid passports (real national passports from their home country); and a valid Canadian PERMANENT RESIDENT card, can freely travel on holidays to MEXICO, CUBA, and the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - the top three Caribbean destinations for Canadians.

You must have a valid return ticket and proof of accomodation/hotel/resort and be able to present this proof to the border officials at your destination. Enjoy your journey.

COLOMBIA ON-LINE

The Government of Colombia has introduced electronic on-line application forms. This means anyone seeking a visa has to apply ON-LINE prior to sending their materials in to Ottawa for their Colombian visa to be added to their Canadian passport.

So remember that when you need a Colombian visa you must start by applying through their computer site directly to the Colombian government. After you receive an email from Colombia telling you your file number and your authorization, then you are ready to apply to Ottawa.

Click here for the Colombian government on-line application.

https://tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites/enlinea/solicitarVisa.xhtml

Click here for Colombian visa forms and links.

ANGOLA - LEGALIZATION SLOWING

The Angolan Embassy still legalized Canadian documents for use in Angola, but their processing speed has dropped to over a month.

Yes, that's right, it takes the Embassy of Angola over thirty days to put a single stamp on the back of a document which was already stamped by the Canadian government. To put this in perspective, most embassies can do this while you wait. It takes less than 20 minutes for most consulates to deal with a legalization.

Making it more difficult is the fact that the Angolan Embassy needs proof of the need for the legalization from your sponsoring company in Angola. Your company in Luanda must provide a letter in Portuguese, stating the requirement for the document.

Click here for Angolan Authentication and Legalization forms.

CANADIAN IDIOTS ON TEHRAN

Sadly the Canadian government is completely and totally out of step with the western world and all NATO allies in rejecting any contact with Iran.

Former prime minister Joe Clark recently stated that the Harper regime "is unusually assertive in its dramatic gestures and declarations." "We lecture and leave." "Canada now talks more than we act, and our tone is almost adolescent … full of sound and fury,"

This makes Canada increasingly isolated in relation to one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world, and the the largest country in the Middle East. Canadians are also out in the cold since Harper expelled all Iranian diplomats from Canada and closed their embassy here and our embassy in Tehran.

SOCHI 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS VISAS

Get your Russian visas now if you are competing in or attending the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

We can get both your official invitation voucher and your Russian visa for your passport.

Click here for Russia's SOCHI 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS visa forms.

CHINA VISA-FREE TRANSIT

Chinese 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption for Canadians

Canadian citizens can acquire a 72-hour visa free transit in Beijing and Shanghai and Guangzhou airports only. The visa-free travel is only offered to passengers who are transiting China on their way to another/third country (not Canada), and will be staying in Beijing or Shanghai or Guangzhou only. You must fly in and out of the same city. You cannot go to any other city.

There are 3 requirements:
1) You must be a Citizens from one of the 45 countries in the 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption Program;
2) You must be a foreign national with a valid international traveling document and air ticket for a connecting flight with confirmed date of flight and seat for a third country or region traveling within 72 hours; and
3) You must be flying into and out of the Capital Airport of Beijing or Pudong or Hongqiao Airports of Shanghai or Guangzhou to a third country or region.

This applies to Canadians and the following nationalities: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland; Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine; United States, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile; Australia, and New Zealand; Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa states "Foreigners who have confirmed onward tickets and seats on international flights and directly transit through China and stay for no more than 24 hours within the airport boundaries shall not need to apply for a transit visa".

Click here for Chinese visa forms.

RUSSIA - PASSPORT STAMPS IMPORTANT

The Russian Consulate in Toronto has made it mandatory to list each and every single stamp in your passport on their application form.

This means that every stamp in your current passport, even for passing through a transit airport, MUST be listed on the on-line Russian application form.

Failure to list a stamp means automatic rejection of your application for a visa. We strongly urge all applicants, no matter where they live, to list each and every stamp in their passport.

Click here for Russian visas.

LEGALIZATION - FAST SERVICE AVAILABLE

VSC is pleased to announce that FAST SERVICE is now available for several countries for "Authentication and Legalization.

When you need your Canadian document (such as a diploma or birth/marriage certificate) authenticated by Canada and then legalized by a foreign government, we can assist you.

VSC will get your original document notarized by our lawyers; stamped by DFAIT (authenticated); then stamped by the foreign embassy (legalized).

Remember to send a copy of your passport and a letter explaining the need for the legalization addressed to the foreign embassy. Many embassies require original transcripts to be sent to them directly from the university in order to legalize a diploma.

Click here for Authenitcation & Legalization forms.

BRAZIL - FAST AND SLOW PROCESSING

We are both pleased and disappointed to inform you that the government of Brazil has both sped up and slowed down visa processing in Canada.

Western Canadians used to be subject to visa processing of up to a month. Right now it is taking as little as ten working days.

Eastern Canadians used to see visa processing of ten working days, but the consulate in Montreal now watrns that the minimum processing time is 15 working days. On average we are seeing processing of up to a month.

People in the middle (Manitoba and Ontario) are still getting visas in less than ten days, while people in Ottawa must wait a firm ten working days.

Click here for Brazilian visa forms.