# Urgent advice needed on owp and visitors visa. Please help!!



## Ash84 (Dec 14, 2013)

Hello everyone,
I need an urgent information/advice, and I apologise if what I am asking is confusing. 

I am an Indian citizen currently working in Qatar. My husband just completed his one-year study program in Toronto and convocation ceremony is on June 30th (he will be studying another year). I had already applied for my Open Work Permit (OWP) from Abu Dhabi visa office (there is no Canadian embassy in Qatar) few months back, but the wait period is very long from Abu Dhabi.

While we are waiting for my OWP, we are wondering if it is actually possible to apply for visitors visa so that I can attend my husband’s convocation ceremony, and then extend my visa further (not sure how that's works as well at this stage). An immigration consultant we hired (they have not been too great) said that visitor visa has nothing to do with my OWP application, and it takes only two weeks to get the result of the application from Doha and I will get 6 months visitors visa. As my OWP application has been taking so long, we are not really sure what to do, or to really trust the immigration consultant. It’s been over 8 months now. 

Contrary tow what the immigration consultant said, the international student advisor at my husband’s college said that it is not possible to file two applications at the same time, and the only option is to wait, or to withdraw the current applications and apply from India (which will be faster). 

We are not happy with the immigration consultant we hired. They had told us that it would take maximum of 3 months of processing time for OWP, and after it was delayed, they informed us that it may take up to 10 months – even they were not aware!! As we are in a very tight financial situation, we can’t afford to hire expensive lawyers or immediately switch to other consultants. 

I therefore really need to be clear about few things as we need to make decisions soon:

1.	Can I file for visitor visa to attend my husband’s convocation ceremony even though I have applied for OWP already?
2.	How many months of visitor’s visa would I get, and what would I need to do to it extend it later?
3.	Incase the visitor visa is not an option,and Abu Dhabi’s visa office takes up to 10 months to process the OWP and it’s not even guaranteed that I will get a positive result, will it be wise to withdraw and file for a visitor’s visa/OWP from Indian Embassy?
4.	Since I am an Indian Citizen working in Doha, Qatar, can I file for my visa/owp from Canadian Embassy in India?

Sorry, we are in a bit of a confused state and can’t seem to find a clear/accurate answer, or know what is the right thing to do at this stage. I just want to be with my husband soon.

Please, advice. I really appreciate any answer and advice.


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