Tiananmen Square Massacre - Anniversary

Today is the 31st anniversary of the deadly massacre of peaceful students and workers in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing by the army of the PRC.

Talk of this is banned in China, so it is sometimes known as the 35th of May incident.

We stand with the fallen, crushed beneath tanks tracks of a brutal dictatorship.

PLA soldiers looking over the burned and crushed remains of citizens' clothing in Tiananmen Square
immediately after the protests were crushed by brutal force on 04 June 1989

Warning About Client - Judith M. Austin & Hannah Olumayokun Aina

As we transition to a free public advice service, we looked back at the many thousands of happy clients we assisted in acquiring visas over more than a decade.

Unfortunately, one really bad experience stood out. Ms Austin from Mississauga applied for a Nigerian visa through our service, then refused to pay after the fact.

The client bought services by credit card up front, then withdrew payment leaving our company to pay her debts to the Nigerian government and to our service and staff. Eventually VSC had to sue her in Ontario provincial court. (Ontario Superior Court of Justice, 14-SC-133442, Visa Services Canada, Inc. vs Judith Margaret Austin).

Even her credit card company agreed that she had properly incurred a debt to VSC but then improperly reneged on the debt.

VSC was awarded the judgement against her on 09 December 2014 when the court determined that she had defaulted on her legal debt. VSC was awarded full original costs and court costs.

Judith Margaret Austin  
does not pay her debts, 14-SC-133442

Let this be a warning to others. The court agreed she had defaulted on her debt. In the end Judith Margaret Austin was forced by the court to pay her bill and court costs.

This is a matter of public record 14-SC-133442 in Ontario Superior Court (Ottawa).

There is a post-script to this story. Her lawyer, a Ms Hannah Olumayokun Aina (Scarborough, ON) called our office to yell at and intimidate VSC staff. Her conduct was so outrageous in this case that a formal complaint was filed against her with the Law Society of Upper Canada. Her conduct in this matter is now on her permanent disciplinary record with the Law Society. This is a matter of administrative record #2016-195883 with the Law Society of Upper Canada (Toronto).

Hannah Olumayokun Aina
disciplined by Law Society, #2016-195883

Visa Services Canada does not process visas

Dear Friends and Clients

As of today, Wednesday 27 November 2019, Visa Services Canada, Inc. does not process visas.

The company has been re-aligned to be an advice outlet for Canadians.

From this point the company will provide advice to Canadians seeking visas for any kind of travel.

The VSC new website will provide details and links which can be used by Canadians to get their own visas without using an agency. Our website will help you connect directly with the foreign government for new eVisas; or with the embassy for paper visas glued into your passport.

We wish you all well.

VSC

Russian Visas by Jurisdiction Only

The Embassy of Russia will only allow processing of Russian tourist, visit, work and business visas in the proper jurisdiction.

This means that you can only apply at the Russian office responsible for your place of residence.

Effective immediately this also means that even if your TELEX or eLOI states the place of application is Ottawa, but you live in another jurisdiction, you must apply in your proper office.


For Canadians living in Ottawa & NCR (613 & 819), BC, NS, NB, PEI, NFLD, NU, YT, and NWT, the place of application is in Ottawa.
Russia Visa Application Centre - Ottawa
294 Albert Street, #505, Ottawa ON  K1P 6E6
https://www.vfsglobal.com/Russia/Canada/

For Canadians living in AB, SK, MB, ON (except 613), the place of application is in Toronto.
Russia Visa Application Centre - Toronto
60 St Clair Ave East
2nd Floor, Suite 200
Toronto ON  M4T 1N5
https://www.vfsglobal.com/Russia/Canada/

For Canadians who are residents of the province of Quebec (except 819 and the National Capital Region), the place of application is in Montreal.
Russia Visa Application Centre - Montreal
1010 Sherbrooke Street West
7th Floor, Suite 718
Montreal QC H3A 2R7
https://www.vfsglobal.com/Russia/Canada/

New Zealand ETA launches this month

The government of New Zealand is launching their own ETA scheme called NZeTA this month on an interim basic, with the eTA becoming mandatory on 01 October 2019.

Canadians are subject to the NZeTA, and will have to start applying for permission to enter and paying the NZ$47. This fee includes both the eTA and the international tourism conservation levy.

We will provide more information as it is released by New Zealand.

Brazil Embassy Declares VISA FREE Travel

As of 17 June, citizens from Australia, Canada, Japan and the USA will be exempt from visitor visas (VIVIS) to travel to Brazil. The measure benefits holders of a valid passport traveling for tourism, business, artistic or sports activities. The initiative also covers travelers transiting through Brazil.

Visitors from these countries are granted a stay of up to 90 days, which can be extended once for the same period, providing they do not exceed 180 days within a 12-month period, counted from the date of the first entry.

The Consulate advises that no applications for visitor visas from the citizens of these countries will be accepted after 17 June.

Text and graphic courtesy of the Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa.

Brazil Visa-Free Monday 17 June 2019

In one week, on Monday 17 June 2019, Brazil will officially be visa-free for Canadian citizens going as tourists and on business.

The Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa issued the following statement:

"An executive order issued by President Jair Bolsonaro will enter into force on 17 June 2019 and is expected to increase the foreign tourist flow into Brazil. The visa exemption for citizens of the United States of America, Australia, Canada and Japan who wish to travel to Brazil was enacted on 18 March 2019. This will enable visitors from these four countries to enter Brazil without a visa. The order was signed by President Jair Bolsonaro, Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio and Justice Minister Sérgio Moro.

 The measure benefits holders of a valid passport traveling for tourism, business, artistic or sports activities or in exceptional situations of national interest. The initiative also covers travelers transiting through Brazil. Visitors will be granted a stay of up to 90 days, which can be extended once for the same period, as long as they do not exceed 180 days within a 12-month period, counted from the date of the first entry. If the regular stay is exceeded, the visitor will be considered an illegal alien subject to the applicable measures by the Brazilian government.

 “This is a historical day for Brazilian tourism and we are certain it means a new level for our country among the main tourist destinations around the world. Our sector is able to contribute to the national economic growth by creating jobs and income and soon we will have positive results to share” stressed Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio.

 The four countries covered by the visa exemption announced on Monday were part of a pilot project that began in 2017 and introduced the electronic visa for visitors who wished to travel to Brazil. The Tourism Ministry expects that the new measure will help the country reach 12 million foreign visitors by 2020, in comparison with 6.6 million current visitors."

Zimbabwe Visa-on-Arrival

Canadian citizens using a Canadian passport now buy a visa-on-arrival visa-on-entry in Zimbabwe. Canadians do not get a visa prior to travel to Zimbabwe according to both the government of Zimbabwe and the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Ottawa.

Canadian citizens cannot use e-visas. Just fly or drive to Zimbabwe and buy your category-B "visa-on-entry" at the airport or border entry point for US$30 (single-entry); US$45 (double-entry); or US$55 (multi-entry with letter).

Click here for more details on who can get a Visa-On-Arrival in Zimbabwe; who is visa-free; and who needs to apply for the e-Visa.

Zambia Launches Visa-On-Arrival Scheme

The Government of Zambia has added Canadians to their Visa-On-Arrival (VoA) scheme.

This means Canadians using Canadian passports go to Zambia without visas, and simply buy a visa when they arrive at the airport in Zambia or at a frontier border crossing into Zambia.

The charge is US$50 for a single entry visa; and US$80 for a double-entry visa. This applied to Tourists, Business, Family Visits, and Safaris. Have cash ready at the border.

Click here for Zambian visa details.

Sri Lanka SUSPENDS Visa-Free Scheme

Due to the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, the government has suspended the start of the visa-free entry scheme for all nationals.

Canadians, and others, will still need a visa to enter Sri Lanka.

Click here for your Sri Lankan eVisa.