It can be tempting to think about trying to cheat the system, to see if you can avoid some requirement listed on your immigration requirements. DO NOT DO IT!

However small and insignificant a requirement listed can seem, they are there for a reason and failing to meet one or more can result in all the effort and waiting you have done going to waste. Border officers can, and will, reject your entry into Canada for breaking the rules, no matter how small.

For years I stayed in Facebook groups to do with emigrating to Canada and especially to do with the Working Holiday Visa (WHV), which is the Visa I emigrated to Canada on. There were countless times where people would be asking how they could cheat the system and avoid different requirements. Things like the minimum amount of access to finance you need to meet the Visa entry requirements. It was $3000 for a 2 year Visa. Numerous times people tried to avoid bringing enough money or meeting some other requirement and then were surprised when either the Border Officer denied their entry into Canada or reduced the length of their Visa because they didn’t meet the full requirements for the Visa they applied for. It was as if they thought the Border Officers are stupid, they are not. You may be the loveliest person in the entire world but they have a job to protect Canada from people entering who cannot support and sustain themselves, and those minimum requirements are part of determining that. Also, keep in mind, it might seem petty to need to meet a certain requirement but that is a test of your ability to follow rules and laws. If you are prepared to try getting away with something so small, what else will you try to get away with? That sets off the alarm bells for Immigration and that is not a bell you want to ring!

The issue is not only whether you get away with getting into Canada, it can also become an issue further down the line if you intend to stay in Canada as a Permanent Resident or Citizen. All your immigration paperwork and history stays with you from the day you step foot in the country. It is there for anyone involved in determining your right to stay in Canada, so why would you risk your whole right to stay on small cheats? Not only could your current status be revoked but you could be subject to deportation and exclusion from Canada.

Still think it’s worth the risk, watch episodes of Border Security: Canada’s Front Line. It covers not just people trying to emigrate to Canada but the importance of reading and adhering to what you can and can not bring into the country. Again, they can deny you entry to Canada for failing to declare certain items.

If you want to avoid potential pitfalls get in touch and let’s talk about where to find the requirements for you to come to Canada. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse and it is not worth taking the risk of being denied entry into this wonderful country.