Canada: Information on whether an immigration official at a Canadian airport would automatically grant a six-month visa to an Iranian visitor who already had a two-week Canadian visitor's visa, and who did not request it
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CAN14882 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Canada: Information on whether an immigration official at a Canadian airport would automatically grant a six-month visa to an Iranian visitor who already had a two-week Canadian visitor's visa, and who did not request it, 1 September 1993, CAN14882, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac4d34.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the director of the Port and Entry Control Directorate headquarters in Ottawa, it would be possible for an immigration official at a Canadian airport to overlook the duration of a visa, especially during a busy period, and inadvertently stamp a person's entry visa for a period exceeding its actual duration (21 Sept. 1993). The director added that this type of mistake has happened in the past (Ibid.). For various reasons officials in Canadian embassies abroad do not always use a stamp to identify the duration of a visa, instead hand-writing the period for which the document is valid (Ibid.). The hand-writing can accidentally be overlooked by immigration official when the holder of the visa enter Canada through an airport (Ibid.). This is one explanation for this type of mistake (Ibid.).
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Port and Entry Control Directorate, Ottawa. 21 September 1993. Telephone interview with director.
