Canada Visa for Intending Organ Donors

Within the Temporary Resident Visas, there is also a visa which allows organ donors to go to Canada to donate their organs to a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident. This article will go through this visa, the requirements, application procedures, and other relevant information.

What is the Intending Organ Donors Visa?

The demand for organs is very high in every country and there are many sick people who are waiting for a potential transplant or organ donor. That is why countries try to facilitate and help them through allowing donors to go and donate their organs if they want. Because of this, the Canadian Government created the Intending Organ Donors visa.

This visa is a Temporary Resident Visa, which means that it allows the person to go to Canada for a short period of time, usually 6 months or less. The person is not allowed to try and get a Canadian citizenship, Canadian issued documents, or Canadian benefits such as social security or health insurance.

The person is only allowed to go to Canada and donate an organ to a person who needs it, stay in the hospital for their recovery and then return to their home country. In this case, the hospital stay could be covered by the person receiving the organ or by any other humanitarian organization which facilitates organ donations in Canada.

Canadian Organ Donor Visa Eligibility Criteria

To be allowed to apply for the Intending Organ Donors Visa, there are certain requirements which you must meet. There are two sets of requirements:

• The eligibility criteria forthe Temporary Resident Visas.
• The organ that you intend to donate must be compatible with the recipient of the organ and you must have proof of that.
• The costs related to the organ donation must be covered either by the recipient’s health insurance or by another organization facilitating organ transplants and there must be proof that you have private health insurance too.
• You are not selling your organ to the recipient, so there must be evidence that there is no organ trafficking and that you are willingly donating.

If these requirements are not met, then the Canadian Consulate will either require more proof or will deny your the visa.

How to apply for an Intending Organ Donors Visa?

The application process for the Intending Organ Donors Visa has the following steps.

1. Confirm your eligibility to apply for an Intending Organ Donor Visa.
2. Submit the Application Form.
3. Compile the file of required documents for a Canadian Organ donor visa.
4. Wait for processing and respond to additional requests for information.
5. Send your passport for stamping.

Compiling the Document File

Within the application page, you will also have to submit the following supporting documents:

• Standard required documents for a Canada visa application.
• Proof of organ compatibility between you and the organ recipient as follows:
  • A letter from a transplant specialist in Canada that is associated with a recognized transplant center. The letter must have the letterhead of the transplant center or the specialist and should confirm:
    • That there is a recipient for the organ you are donating;
    • That your medical tests were completed and that they are compatible with that of the recipient;
    • That the transplant center will performs the transplant surgery and will treat you to help you recover;
    • That your medical costs are covered by the health insurance of the organ recipient;
• Proof of your private health insurance in Canada;
• Proof of enough medical facilities in your home country in case of medical complications. This is required to ensure that you will not stay in Canada because there is better medical treatment since you cannot go back to your home country due to lack of facilities.
• Evidence that you and recipient are related to each other if applicable;
• The recipient’s financial situation and bank statements;
• The recipient’s immigration status in Canada, so proof that they are a citizen or a permanent resident;
• Documents and proof of how you as the donor and the recipient were matched with each other to avoid the potential that it was done through illegal organ trafficking channels;
• Evidence that the place where you come from is not a known place where organ trafficking occurs;
• Evidence that you will not receive any benefits (financial or otherwise) from giving your organ.

If there are any documents that are not in English or French, then you must have them translated and verified by a certified translator.

Once you submit all the documents, you can then proceed to submit the application. After that, you will have to pay the visa application fee and your application will be completed.

What are the fees for this visa?

The application fee for the Intending Organ Donor Visa is CAD$100 and if you have to give biometric information, you will have to pay an additional CAD$85. When your visa is approved, you will also have to pay around CAD$45 for the passport processing.

How long is the processing time for the Canada Organ Donors Visa?

To process this visa, the Canadian Consulate might take from 1 week to 5 or 6 weeks depending on their workload and the evidence you submitted. If they ask for additional evidence or organ transplant, then the processing will take longer.

That is why it is important to start the application process the moment you decide you want to donate an organ to someone in Canada and you have enough documents to prove it.

What is the validity for this visa?

The validity period of the Intending Organ Donors Visa is 6 months or less. The visa might be given for a longer period of time, but you are not allowed to stay for more than 6 months.

If you need to stay for more, then you can extend it by submitting proof to the Consulate that you need to stay because your recovery is not yet completed.

Can I bring my dependents to Canada with this visa?

Since this is a Temporary Resident Visa, then you cannot bring your family with you only with this visa. Family are your common-law partner, spouse, and minor children.

They must apply for a Visitor Visa if they want to accompany you, but you can submit your applications together and be processed as a family instead of individually.