By Archie D'Cruz   »   Does the thought of being called for an interview with regard to your immigration application to Canada make you nervous? You're not alone. But read on, and we'll help you understand what officials are looking for when they call for an interview, and the signs they look for when deciding whether or not to let your application proceed.

Not everyone applicant is called for an immigration interview. If the processing officer handling your file is convinced your application meets all the criteria needed for approval, your interview will be waived.

While no statistics are publicly available, a majority of applicants in the independent immigrant category are believed to be called for interviews to determine suitability. With the family class, though, the official policy procedures manual explicitly tells officers to "waive interviews whenever possible". In this latter category, officers are told they should only call applicants and their family members to attend an interview "when it is essential to assess an application".

What if you fail to earn a waiver and are called for an interview? How do you know what the officer is looking to determine during your one-on-one meeting?

First off, you should know that, except in the rarest of cases, your interview will not be a broad-ranging one. It will be more or less restricted to specific issues in your application that the officer has concerns about or is looking for more information than you have provided. Again, this is mandated in the official policy manual that clearly states: "Focus interviews on information essential for the decision."

A good start for you is to apply for your CAIPS notes. CAIPS, short for Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System, is the computer system used by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to store visa application information, including the officer's notes. You can get your CAIPS notes for free if you know someone in Canada, or for a fee, from www.caipsnotes.com or wwww.caips.ca, among other sources. Your CAIPS notes will likely list the reason you were called for the interview.

Your interview letter will indicate the documents you need to bring along for the meeting. Naturally, it is essential that you carry these with you; these papers may be pivotal to the decision that the officer must make on your application.

It is useful to know that during the application process, your file may be handled or looked at by more than one person (known as intermediaries). However, intermediaries can only pass all relevant information from applicants to the officer, they are not authorized to make any kind of assessment. It is the officer assigned to your file who alone must make the decision in your case, based on the information he or she has available. This is why the fate of your application hinges on your interview with the officer.

According to the policy manual, officers must conduct interviews to:

For your interview, you are allowed to bring in any evidence you need to back your argument. This may include, for example, phone bills, letters and emails to prove your relationship with your partner. You are also permitted to come with an interpreter, if needed. Again, your CAIPS notes will help you to prepare your case in advance, because you will know what exactly the officer is unsure about with regard to your application.

Issues of uncertainty can range from personal suitability issues to language skills, medical history, education background, employment record and more. There may be notes on your file with regard to evidence obtained from external sources (e.g. a security check). If this is the case, the officer will provide you the details on record, and give you the opportunity to respond. In instances like these, you may be given additional time to provide documents to prove your case.

In separate articles on this site, we have looked at how you should prepare and conduct yourself at your immigration interview and the questions you might be asked.

Let's now take a look at how the immigration officer approaches your interview, as mandated by the  policy manual.

Before the interview, the officer will once again review your file and prepare notes on what needs to be covered during the meeting to make a decision.

At the appointed time, you will be ushered in. The officer is expected to greet you and try to put you at ease, so you don't stay nervous. Even at this point, the officer will be making mental notes (e.g., whether you follow what he/she is saying, where you sit, whether you have special needs).

At the outset, you will be explained the purpose of the interview, what role the officer plays in the decision making process (a very important one!), and the process itself. If you are using an interpreter, the officer must be convinced that all communication is being properly understood.

Whether or not English or French are your first languages, officers are expected to completely avoid jargon and speak in simple sentences. If you have not understood a question, you can (and must) say so, and the officer will repeat or rephrase what he/she has just asked.

The interviewer will use your application form as a guide, but will only go over points that cannot be determined from the file. Officers are trained to be alert for inconsistencies, gaps and evasiveness, so be completely truthful!

Official procedures also permit the officer to ask any type of personal questions, even potentially embarrassing ones, as long as it is pertinent to making a decision.

At the end of the interview, the officer will once again check through his preparatory notes to ensure all points have been covered and that he/she has all the relevant information available; in most cases, you will then be told the final decision right away. (In very rare instances, officers may seek additional advice before conveying their decision. For example, he or she might call for a doctor's opinion before making a decision on medical grounds).

If the officer decides to reject your application, you have to be provided the exact grounds for the decision, right down to the relevant provision of the Immigration Act. The officer must explain the requirements and why you fail them. A written explanation may also be provided if this is warranted.

Policy mandates that the officer must follow the principles of procedural fairness, and give you "reasonable opportunity to respond to the decision, clarify facts, provide new information or question the officer’s interpretation of the facts".

As per the policy manual, officers are not only permitted, but encouraged to change their decision if the information you present to bolster your case is relevant.

You should ask the officer what your options are at this point, and write them down for your reference. If your case merits humanitarian and compassionate consideration, ask the officer what you need to do to proceed and who has the authority to make the decision.

Important: If you submit additional information or papers hoping for a review after your interview session has concluded, the officer will neither acknowledge receipt nor consider this information when responding. To do so could open the refusal decision to review beyond the time limits for applying for judicial review (30 days after the date of the refusal letter).