From Studying in Canada During the Pandemic to an LMIA Work Permit and Permanent Residence Through Family Class｜Ms. M

Ms. Sakurai responded quickly to even the most trivial question, and was a source of emotional support right up until permanent residence came through.

Immigration Consultant

Yumiko Sakurai

Born in Japan. Worked in tour planning and led international tours at a major travel agency, visiting dozens of countries. After immigrating to Canada in 2003, she worked at a software company in Montreal focusing on the Japanese market. She studied Immigration Consulting at Vanier College and became a licensed immigration consultant. Wanting to support the Japanese community more actively, she relocated to Vancouver where she currently resides and works.

Why did you decide to immigrate to Canada?

In Japan I had obtained a national qualification and worked for about four years after graduating from university, but I had begun to feel there was a ceiling to the career I could build in that industry. Rather than spending my days with nothing changing, I wanted to take the plunge and live abroad — that was what led me to decide on immigrating to Canada.

What made you choose Shiraishi VisaJP Canada?

After my working holiday, I had intended to return to Japan briefly, obtain a study permit and come back to Vancouver, but the pandemic meant I had no choice but to study my Canadian course online from Japan. That was when I began to feel strongly that I wanted to return to Canada and aim for permanent residence. During the pandemic the visa system changed constantly and I had completely lost track of what the best course of action was, so I wanted to consult a properly licensed consultant about how someone with my background could work toward Canadian permanent residence. That first enquiry to Shiraishi VisaJP Canada is how it began. I subsequently asked them to handle two LMIA-based work permit applications, one visitor record application, and my permanent residence application under the Family Class.

What was the most memorable part of the process?

Ms. Sakurai at Shiraishi VisaJP Canada looked after me completely, from visa consultations during the pandemic through the LMIA-based work permit applications to permanent residence itself, so there are many memorable moments.

The permanent residence application in particular involved an enormous volume of information: I had applied for and withdrawn visas several times in the past, held more than one job at a time, taken a leave of absence during my studies in Canada, and moved several times within Vancouver. Being able to go through that complicated history together as I filled in the forms meant the application was completed correctly, with no errors or omissions. In the end, contrary to all my worries, permanent residence came through smoothly with no request for additional documents — that is what stands out most.

How was your experience using Shiraishi VisaJP Canada’s services?

For every visa application I also gathered information myself and checked the Government of Canada website, but my fear that a refusal might mean I could no longer stay in Canada was so strong that even the smallest details left me wondering whether I had them right.
Ms. Sakurai responded quickly to even the most trivial question, and was a source of emotional support right up until permanent residence came through.
The assessment period after filing also takes several months, and had I not used the consulting service I think I would have worried every single day of it that there was an error or an omission in what I had submitted.

Future outlook and a message for those planning to travel to Canada

When I first came to Canada from Japan, I had never even boarded a plane to go abroad alone, and I had a great many anxieties. As it turned out the environment in Vancouver suited me, and today I spend my days happily surrounded by people I would never have met had I not come. When I first travelled, studying English in Canada was more or less my only aim, but alongside the language there have been so many opportunities to encounter different ways of thinking and the cultures of many countries, and there is a great deal I want to learn and think about. Now that I hold Canadian permanent residence I can feel how much more is open to me, and I want to keep learning here and contributing to society in my own way. There is a lot you cannot know about how you will feel until you actually arrive, so if you have any interest in immigrating to or travelling to Canada, I would really encourage you to take that first step.

Additional Comments

Ms. Sakurai looked after me for a very long time. I am glad to be able to report that I have obtained permanent residence. Thank you so much for supporting me through something that changed my life.

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