'Not all visitors are illegal immigrants,' consul argues
By Jennifer Campbell, Ottawa Citizen January 26, 2011
Canada and Russia have a different philosophy about mobility of people. That's the only conclusion the Russian consul can make after dealing with Canada's increasingly difficult visa regime.

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"Please be advised that effective October 14, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada released a new application form (IMM5257) for Temporary Resident Visas (TRV) , which was modified on November 30, 2010. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to complete the latest version of the form IMM 5257 (11-2010) electronically. This will reduce errorsand speed the application process. Applicationscompleted electronically with the computer system generated 2D bar code will be processed in 4 - 10 working days. However, applications received written by hand will be processed in 8 - 15 working days to allow time for additional clerical work. In certain cases, additional processing time will be required because of the need for verifications, interviews or additional documents. Please note that you cannot submit the application online."

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