By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:09 pm | Monday, July 15th, 2013
MANILA, Philippines–Hoping to bring its services closer to more Filipinos, the Canadian government has opened new visa centers in two key cities here to ease the application process for Philippine citizens.
The Canadian Embassy in Manila announced on Monday its new visa application centers (VACs) in Makati City and Cebu City, facilities that aim “to make the process of applying for a visa to enter Canada easier and more convenient.”
Those planning a trip to Canada may now apply at Canada’s VACs at the Ecoplaza Building on Chino Roces Avenue Extension in Makati City and the Keppel Center at the Cebu Business Park, Cebu City.
Previously, visa processing was centralized at the Canadian Embassy at the RCBC Plaza on Ayala Avenue in Makati City.
The opening of the two Canadian VACs is part of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) efforts to widen its presence around the world, the Embassy said in a statement yesterday.
“CIC is expanding its VAC network around the world to provide valuable administrative support to applicants before, during and after their temporary resident application is assessed by a CIC immigration officer,” the Embassy said in a statement.
The visa services expansion is part of Canada’s plans to encourage more people to visit and work there to bolster the Canadian economy.
“The Government of Canada plans to create new jobs and stimulate economic growth by attracting an increasing number of visitors as well as the world’s best and brightest talent to Canada,” the Embassy said.
“For this reason, CIC strives to issue visas and permits as quickly as possible to facilitate travel for immigrants, visitors and students,” the post added.
The Makati and Cebu VACs have service agents at hand to respond to queries of visa applicants whether by phone, e-mail or in person to ensure that filed applications are complete, helping applicants avoid delays and rejections. The centers also offer photography, photocopying and computer services, the Embassy said.
“It is important to note that VACs are not involved in the decision making process and are not authorized to provide applicants with advice about their visas,” the Embassy clarified.
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