TERMS OF USE: any form of communications, direct or indirect, whether via e-mails, telephone, faxing, or other promotional materials, including but not limited to, browsing through this website, or by direct verbal communication with Vinh T. Tran on any issue, legal or not, do not and will not constitute solicitor-client relationship, unless and until a monetary retainer is provided to Vinh T. Tran and/or a written retainer is signed by the client and Vinh T. Tran.

Unless required by law or instructed by the client to hold documents and materials belonging to the client, Vinh T. Tran does not hold or is responsible for the loss or damage of any original documents or materials sent to his office via emails or to the address as indicated on his contact information.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A LAW OFFICE PROVIDING LEGAL DOCUMENTS NOTARIZATION AND COMMISSIONING SERVICES. IT IS NOT A NOTARY PUBLIC DIRECTORY WEBSITE. FURTHER, I DO NOT USE RED SEAL NOTARY STAMPS. MY PREFERRED CHOICE IS THE GOLD SEAL FOIL STAMP. THE GOLD NOTARY STAMP IS THE MOST USED AND ACCEPTABLE GOLDEN STANDARD FOR COURTS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, LAW OFFICES AND SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.

COPYRIGHT and TRADEMARKS STRICTLY ENFORCED as to the use of some, all, the combination, or the ordering, of the words, terms, symbols, tags, and contents used in this website ad and those found on other websites provided by Vinh T. Tran, is strictly prohibited.

The following Registered Trade Names are registered to The Law Offices of Vinh T. Tran, Esq.


ONeLAW.ca
1LAW.ca
Toronto Mobile Lawyer
Toronto Mobile Notary Public
House Call Notary Public
Lawyers Help Me!
Attorneys Help Me!

The following Domain Names are registered to the Law Offices of Vinh T. Tran, Esq.:

Toronto Mobile Lawyer: www.torontomobilelawyer.ca
Ontario Estate Law: www.ontarioestatelaw.ca
Foreign Divorce Opinion Letter www.ForeignDivorceOpinionLetter.com
House Call Notary: www.HouseCallNotary.ca 
House Call Notary Public: www.HouseCallNotaryPublic.ca 
House Call Notary Public: www.HouseCallNotaryPublic.com 
Mobile Notary Public: www.MobileNotaryPublic.ca 
ONELAW: www.ONeLAW.ca ; www.1law.ca 
Brampton Notary Public: www.BramptonNotaryPublic.com 
Burlington Notary Public www.burlingtonnotarypublic.com
Newmarket Notary Public www.newmarketnotarypublic.com
Richmond Hill Notary Public: www.RichmondHillNotaryPublic.com 
Markham Notary Public: www.MarkhamNotaryPublic.com 
Vaughan Notary Public: www.VaughanNotaryPublic.com 
North York Notary Public: www.NorthYorkNotaryPublic.com 
Toronto Mobile Notary Public: www.TorontoMobileNotaryPublic.ca 
Toronto Mobile Notary www.torontomobilenotary.ca
Upper Canada Notary Public: www.UpperCanadaNotaryPublic.com 
Upper Canada Notary www.uppercanadanotary.com/
Mississauga Notary Public: www.MississaugaNotaryCommissioner.com 
Mississauga Notary Public; www.Mississauga-Notary-Public.com
Scarborough Notary Public: www.ScarboroughNotaryCommissioner.com 
Scarborough Notary Public: www.scarborough-notary-public.com
Etobicoke Notary Public: www.etobicoke-notary-public.com
Oakville Notary Public www.oakville-notary-public.com
Woodbridge Notary Public: www.WoodbridgeNotaryPublic.com 
Commissioner of Oaths: www.Commissioner-of-Oaths.ca 
Commissioner of Oaths: www.commissioner-of-oaths.com
Commissioner for Taking Affidavits: www.Affidavits-Commissioner-Oaths.com
Commissioner for Taking Affidavits: www.commissionerfortakingaffidavits.com
Toronto Commissioner of Oaths www.torontocommissionerofoaths.com
Ontario Notary Public www.ontario-notary-public.com/
Canada Notary Public www.canada-notary-public.com/

*NOTICE to Competitors* Intellectual Property In Full Effect: Adding the letter "s" to a word such as "Housecalls Notary Public" or adding a word before or after "Mobile Notary Public" such as "24/7 Mobile Notary Public Services" is STILL plagiarism and an intellectual infringement. As legal professionals, you are expected to come up with your own terms and ideas when conducting your legal practice. Your reputation is everything. Violating my copyrighted materials and registered trade names while refusing to disclose your identity and credentials is unethical and contrary to the Rules of Professional Conducts. Attempts to passing off my registered trade names and goodwill will be reported to the Law Society of Upper Canada and challenged in court. Take note that violating my copyrighted materials without prior written permission at your own peril.


Vinh T. Tran, Esq, Barrister & Solicitor, Notary Public, reserves all rights, including but not limited to, the right to seek civil damages and other remedies including costs thereof on a substantial indemnity scale basis against the violators and reporting the violators to their governing body, in Ontario, violators who are lawyers and paralegals will be reported to the Law Society of Upper Canada.

My name is Vinh T. Tran,  I am a licensed, insured, and practising lawyer. I am also a registered notary public and an officer of the court to commission oaths/affidavits/statutory declarations in and for the Courts and the Province of Ontario, Canada. I am a registered member in good standing with the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and the Official Documents Services Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Government Services. You can take solace in knowing that I will properly notarize and commission your document in accordance to the laws and standards for use in Canada and foreign jurisdictions.  I take pride in the fact that my legal authority and identity can easily be verified by different agencies, including but not limited to: financial institutions, law firms, hospitals, universities, embassies and consulate offices in Canada and around the world. All reputable lawyers, notaries public, and commissioners of oaths in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, never refuse to disclose their full names, credentials, contact information, and fees.

I provide personal house calls and mobile legal services to Torontonians and those living in the Greater Toronto Area, including but not limited to: the Town of Ajax, Ancaster, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bracebridge, Brandford, Brampton, Brockville, Burlington, Caledon, Cobourg, Collingwood, Cooksville, Durham, East York, Etobicoke, Gravenhurst, Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Hanover, Havelock, Huntsville, Kingston, King City, Kitchener, London, Manotick, Markham, Meaford, Milton, Mississauga, Newmarket, Nepean, Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake, Newcastle, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Orleans, Oshawa, Peterborough, Peel Region, Pickering, Scarborough, Thornhill, Downtown Toronto, Upper Canada, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Unionville, Weston, Willowdale, Whitby, Woodbridge, and locally at Yorkdale Shopping Mall, Eaton Centre, Bay Atrium, Yonge-Bloor Yorkville, College Park, Kensington Market, Chinatown, Koreatown, High Park, Little Italy, Greektown, Cabbagetown, College Park, also including most of the nursing homes and hospitals where many of my clients are doctors, nurses and patients. As long as the clients are willing to accept the notarization and travel fees then I am happy to make a visit to see them at the comfort of their homes or place of business. In the alternative, if you want to save on money and you can travel to see me in Toronto, I provide exceptional professional legal services for very affordable notarization fees.

Toronto Lawyer’s Foreign Divorce Legal Opinion Letter

The Onus:

In order to apply for a Marriage Licence in Ontario after a divorce that occurred in a foreign country, you will need to submit various documents to the Government of Ontario evidencing that:

• you are no longer married to your ex-spouse(s),
• you now are eligible to get married or remarried legally in Canada
• the divorce decree/ court order/ divorce certificate was properly obtained (as opposed to illegally obtained or obtained by fraud or coercion and duress etc.) and that such court divorce order appears to correspond to the requirements of the Divorce Act and therefore should be recognized as if it was legally obtained and valid in Canada.

For more information visit https://www.ontario.ca/government/getting-married

Documents to Submit:

You will need to send the following documents to Service Ontario:

ServiceOntario
Marriage Office
PO Box 4600
189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8

1. Marriage licence application: this document contains questions regarding personal information about yourself/applicant and your fiancé/joint applicant which will need to be executed by the applicants.
2. The Foreign Divorce Decree/ Court Order/ Divorce Certificate/ Annulment: an original or court-certified copy. If the decree or court order is in another language, you will need to include an English translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator.
3. Statement of Sole Responsibility: for each divorce (signed by you/applicant and fiancé  and a witness or by a lawyer/notary public): in other words, for every divorce that either you/applicant or fiancé/joint applicant had previously,  there must be a separate Statement of Sole Responsibility form acknowledging that even if the Government of Ontario were to issue a Marriage Licence to you both pursuant to section 8 of the Marriage Act, it does not necessarily mean that the foreign divorce decree/annulment will be recognized and interpreted as valid by the Courts in the Province of Ontario; and that is it still the sole responsibility of the applicants to ensure that the stated divorce(s) have completely severed any former marriages. The following is a step-by-step instruction to completing the Statement of Sole Responsibility form and to clarify the confusing wordings within the form:
• State your name/name of applicant and city of residency
• State your fiancé name /joint applicant name and city of residency
• State the name of the city, province and country that granted the divorce (this information is within the divorce decree/court order)
• State the official date the divorce was granted (this information is within the divorce decree/court order)
• Re-State your name or your fiance's name (person's whose name is on the divorce degree/court order)
• State the name of the ex-spouse to the previously divorced person (this information is within the divorce decree/court order).
• Sign by the applicants and a witness or by the lawyer/notary public
4. Legal Opinion Letter of the Foreign Divorce Decree/ Court Order/ Divorce Certificate/ Annulment by a registered and insured Ontario lawyer. You will need to retain the services of a lawyer to inspect and review the original divorce decree/court order in order to determine its authenticity. Further, the lawyer is legally obligated to seek clarification surrounding the foreign divorce to determine the legitimacy of the foreign divorce. When the lawyer is satisfied with the information provided, the lawyer will draft and issue a legal opinion letter. The lawyer’s legal opinion letter will address both applicants who are planning to get in Ontario by applying the facts to Canadian law in order to arrive at legal reasons in support of the validity of the foreign divorce and that it should be recognized in Ontario. Upon being properly retained, you will be asked to provide the following document(s) and information to my office:

• Your/Applicant information:
• Full Legal Name and any other aliases as shown on government issued photo ID’s and the divorce decree/ court order (if applicable)
• Date of Birth
• Contact: Address, Phone, Email
• Profession
• Fiancé/Joint Applicant information:
• Full Legal Name and any other aliases as shown on government issued photo ID’s and the divorce decree/ court order (if applicable)
• Date of Birth
• Contact: Address, Phone, Email
• Profession
• Photocopy of ID’s: both yours and your fiancé’s on the same page in duplicate for my certification.
• Original or Court Certified Copy of all divorce decree/ court order for my examination and inspection PLUS a photocopy of the same document for my certification.
• Ex-spouse information:
• Full Legal Name and any other aliases as shown on government issued photo ID’s or the divorce decree/ court order
• Date of Birth
• Confirmation of the wedding date and location
• Confirmation regarding the length of time and location the ex-spouse resided PRIOR to the wedding date.
• Confirmation regarding the length of time and location that you or your ex-spouse stayed PRIOR to the date the divorce was granted.
• Current Contact: Address, Phone, Email (if known)
• Profession
• Whether ex-spouse has remarried (if known).
• Name and contact information of at least two (2) verifiers, persons who can be contacted by my office or the government of Ontario, who can attest to the separation and divorce.

Fees and Process

My fee for a Legal Opinion Letter of a Foreign Divorce Decree/ Court Order depends on urgency:

3 to 5 business days =$200 tax included.

1 to 2 business days =$250 tax included.

Within Several Hours to a Day = $300 tax included (depending on my schedule).

The fee includes the following:

• Intake: continuous communication via text/email/phone calls wherein you will provide the information required as listed above.
• Execution: Personal face-to-meeting – no virtual verification or mail courier verification. One of you must be present to have a face-to-face meeting with me:
• to sign the retainer agreement;
• to make certified true copies of your identification
• to make certified true copies of the divorce decree/ court order
• to sign and seal your Statement of Sole Responsibility
• to provide you with the Legal Opinion Letter re. the validity and recognition of a Foreign Divorce Court Order/ Decree in Ontario in duplicate
• Receipt provided
• You will walk off with all documents in duplicate properly commissioned, certified and notarized.

Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union

A statutory declaration of common-law union is often required for various purposes by governmental agencies, both in Canada and other countries around the world where common-law relationship is also legally recognized. The legal definition of a common law relationship depends on the legislation, matter, and circumstances ranging from living together over a 12-month period to 36-month duration caring for a child. 

The specific format or template depends on which agency requires such declaration to be executed before a commissioner of oaths. Often these agencies have their own template that must be completed by the applicant(s)/affiant(s)/declarant(s). Therefore, one should contact the agency directly to seek advice where and how to obtain such statutory declaration template.

If the agency does not have a formal form or template of its own, then it is certainly acceptable to execute a general statutory declaration to address the issues directed at supporting the common-law relationship between individuals. These issues may include, but not limited to, the place, date or circumstance that formed the relationship as well as description regarding shared properties in title/name between the individuals, such as bank accounts. You may contact my office via email at vinhtranlaw@hotmail.com for a sample template.

The following are some example scenarios where a statutory declaration of common-law union may be required to be commissioned before a notary public or a commissioner of oaths:

• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union for Immigration purposes.
  
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union for application for benefits under the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Act.
  
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union for court related matters.
  
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union to purchase or sell real estate property.
  
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union for OSAP application.
  
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union for same-sex relationship.
  
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union to use your common-law partner’s last name.

Free Information Re: Notarization, Authentication, Legalization and Apostille of Documents. What is it? What's the procedure? DIY - How To:

• How to Authenticate a Notary Public in Toronto, Ontario?
• What is Legalization?
• What is an Apostille procedure?

Apostille of a document is to certify the document with a special Apostille stamp or by way of issuing a certificate so that the document could be used or be recognized in foreign countries. The Apostille procedure is meant to eliminate the chain of cumbersome and costly process of:

• notarization (by a notary public);
• authentication (by the government agency that holds records of registered notaries public); and 
• legalization (by the foreign consulate or embassy where the document is to be used)

Many countries around the world wanted to eliminate the above required procedures to a single formality called Apostille. Hence, they agreed to be signatories to a treaty called the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, it is also known as the Apostille Convention. Unfortunately, Canada decided not to sign the said treaty. As a result, in order for public documents in Canada to be recognized in foreign jurisdictions, the traditional certification procedures mentioned above must be employed.  

More information about the Apostille Convention can be found through the following links: Wiki and Hague Conference on Private International Law

Many lawyers, notaries public, commissioners of oaths, and various agencies will often charge you a fee to have the notarized documents authenticated and legalized. However, both the authentication and legalization processes are not as complicated as these individuals would like to have you believe. In fact, you can do it all on your own and save yourself a lot of money. Why pay someone ridiculous sum of money to mail your documents on your behalf? They cannot expedite the processing of your documents any faster than you personally attending at the governmental offices and embassies yourself. 

The most important step is to verify the credential of the person who claims to be a lawyer, notary public, and commissioner of oaths. One of the easiest ways to verify the credential of these professionals is through the Law Society of Upper Canada's Lawyer Directory. Unless you are able to confidently confirm the person's name, contact information, and credential as found on the directory, do not use such services for notarization. In short, any delays or impediments to the processing time of your documents are usually due to the fact that the government agencies and embassies cannot quickly and easily verify the legal authority of the lawyer/notary public.

The second step is notarization. You will need to find a qualified and verifiable lawyer, notary public, and commissioner of oaths to notarize your documents. The notarization process requires the lawyer/notary to either witness you sign a document or to compare your original document with a photocopy of the same and issuing a notarial certificate or placing a seal and a signature on the photocopy verifying it to be a certified true copy of the original copy. In many provinces, particularly in Ontario, if you intend to submit the document for authentication and legalization procedures, then the issuing statement, signature and seal of the the lawyer/notary must be on the same photocopy document. Government agencies will not accept a notarial certificate from lawyer/notary attached to the photocopy document. This policy is enforced to ensure that a person could not replace the photocopy document and using a notarial certificate which was issued for another photocopy document.

The third step is authentication, the process of verifying the legal authority and registration of the lawyer/notary public/ commissioner of oaths, who officiated, notarized, and/or commissioned your documents to ensure that the person is not a fraudster and the documents he/she notarized is not rendered invalid. To authenticate, you will need to consult with the receiving embassy or consulate whether they wanted your documents to be authenticated federally or provincially. You will be required to submit your notarized documents (including the name and contact information of the notary public), your identifications and a fee to have your documents authenticated by one of the following Canadian Government Authorities:

a) Federally, through the office of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Additional information can be found on that link in respect to authenticating your documents federally. It is very important to click on the mentioned link as it is will advise you ways to save money and time by asking the department to forward your authenticated documents to the embassy of your choice for completion of the legalization process.

b) Provincially, through the office of the Ontario Ministry of Government Services, the Official Documents Services Branch. Additional information can be found on that link in respect to authenticating your documents provincially. In Toronto, the fee to authenticate the registration of your notary public's signature and seal is $16 (this is a fraction of the cost that many lawyers and notaries public and various agencies try to get from you. On average they are charging over $180 plus the $16 fee disbursement): 
            
Official Documents Services
Jarvis Street and Dundas Street in downtown Toronto:
222 Jarvis Street, Main Floor, Toronto, M7A 0B6
The entrance for Official Documents Services is located on the north side of the building            
Telephone: (416) 325-8416
Facsimile: (416) 325-8434
Email: official.documents@mgs.gov.on.ca

Once the Canadian Government Authority is satisfied that the signature and seal of the notary public on the document is not fraudulent, they will issue a certificate or another seal to confirm the authenticity of the document and the notary public's registration and credential. 

The final step is legalization, or sometimes called superlegalization, which is done through the receiving embassy or foreign consulate located in Canada. Most consular offices will require that you contact them to make an appointment in advance. You will be required to submit your Canadian government authenticated documents, your identifications and a fee, to the receiving embassy who will place yet another seal or stamp and legalize your documents to be used and recognized in its country.

I hope I have clarified the procedures of getting your documents Apostille: credential verification, notarization, authentication, and legalization. Most importantly, I hope that you will be able to do it all on your own and saving yourself time and money.

Children and Notarized Letter of Consent to Travel

Many countries around the world, including Canada, require that proper documents are presented to  Customs Authorities before they will allow exiting from/ entry into their countries with minor children. Foreign Customs and Immigration Officials are trained to look for missing children and they have the legal right to ask questions about any children travelling with an adult, even if that adult is the children's own biological parent. Furthermore, it does not matter that the children and the adult travelling with them are Canadian Citizens, Canadian Customs and Immigration Officials may still seek to ask questions before allowing such persons re-entry into Canada. Therefore, when travelling with children, it is prudent and prepare to present various documents to Customs and Immigration Officials, both domestically and internationally. These documents may include, but not limited to:

1. Birth certificates showing the names of both parents;
2. Death certificate, if one of the parents is deceased.
3. Legal Documents pertaining to custody order granted by a family court judge;
4. Citizenship and/or other relevant ID's as required by the country you want to enter with the children;
5. Valid Passports; and
6.  Notarized Letter of Parental Consent for the children to travel.
   

As recommended by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, in order to ensure that the Parental Consent Letter will not be questioned by Customs Authorities, the letter should be certified/notarized and sealed with a notary public stamp by a person who has the authority to administer oaths and solemn declarations. Vinh T. Tran is a PRACTISING LAWYER, a notary public, and a commissioner of oaths, in and for the Province of Ontario, can assist in swearing the consenting parent under oath, witnessing the signing of the consent letter and notarizing the consent letter to allow your children to travel. 

1. If your child is travelling with one parent, the other parent (the parent NOT travelling must give consent) MUST be present before Vinh T. Tran to be sworn under oath, to witness the signing of the consent letter, and finally sign, date and sealing the letter with a notary public seal stamp in order to give permission for the child to travel with his/her spouse or the parent who is travelling with the child;
2. If your child is travelling alone, then BOTH parents MUST be present before Vinh T. Tran to be sworn under oath, sign and date the letter in order to give permission for the child to travel alone.
3. If your child is travelling with neither parents, i.e. with a relative exp. Grandparent/ Older sibling/ Aunt/ Uncle etc., then BOTH parents MUST be present before Vinh T. Tran, to be sworn under oath, sign and date the letter in order to give permission for the child to travel with an accompanying adult/ relative.
4. If you are in a blended family, all parents may need to be present with proper photo ID's before Vinh T Tran, to be sworn under oaths, sign and date the letter in order to give permission for the child/children to travel out of the country. 

Although there is a sample consent letter for children travelling abroad on the government website, it is not the formal and official letter that must be used. As every situation is unique, there is no formal template for which you can download. As such, you may draft your own letter to fit the dynamic of your family exp. blending family, multiple children, restrictions due to court order or by agreement etc, as long as you include the relevant information, including but not limited to:

• Parents' full legal names and profession, contact information and support identification number (DL or passport #).
  
• Child or list the names of all the children, including DOB and passport numbers and citizenship.
• Information about the adult travelling with the minor, including full legal name, relationship, profession, citizenship and contact information.
• Information about the location(s) and duration you permit the consent letter to take effect.
• The name and contact information of the lawyer/notary public who will seal the letter.

Furthermore, it is important to note that depending on the dynamic of your family relationship and composition, it is perfectly reasonable to execute a blanket travel permission letter whereby the parents can give each other permission to travel with their children in the absence of the other parent. Depending on the comfort level of the relationship between the parents, it is also reasonable to either list all the countries one would like to permit the child to travel or state "any country worldwide" or to limit traveling to certain countries. Whereas the parents may specify the dates of travel or to limit the travel to 5 or 10 years or to the expiration of the child's passport. The blanket permission letter will save you both time and money. If you would like a sample blanket template, please contact my office at vinhtranlaw@hotmail.com for free sample template.

It is equally important to confirm the travel advisories as well as the embassy to see whether there are any other requirement needed to be fulfilled before you can embark on your vacation. For example, in the near future, travelling to Mexico will require numerous documentation procedures including translation of the consent letter into Spanish, notarization of the consent letter, authentication of the notary public who notarized the letter then get it legalized at the embassy offices. For more information, please contact the:

CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO IN TORONTO
Coverage: Ontario and Manitoba Address:
11 King Street West, Suite 350
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4C7
Telephone: (416) 368-2875
Fax: (416) 368-8342
Email:cgmtoronto@consulmex.com 
Website: http://www.sre.gob.mx/toronto/

If you require a sample template of the consent letter for children to travel abroad from my office, please email vinhtranlaw@hotmail.com and request for a free template.

A final point that I would like to suggest is to search for a reasonable priced notary public to notarize your consent letter for your child(ren) to travel. There is no justifiable reason for paying any lawyer $60 to $100 for a simple signature and seal. Instead, use the suggestions I have provided above and find a lawyer who can provide the service for a cheap fee then take the saving to purchase travel insurance for the trip. Travel insurance is absolutely vital for any trip outside your home province/country. Spend your money wisely, get a cheap notarization done then use the saving to purchase travel insurance.

If you just got married, you do not have to legally or formally change your last name. You have the following options:
1. Keep your last name
2. Assume your spouse's last name
3. Combine yours and your spouse's last names with a space in between, or
4. Combine the last names with a hyphen

Many institutions will assist with the processing of your new assumed last name by evidence or proof of a marriage certificate and a current valid photo id plus a small fee. 

In the event you decide to legally and formally change your name to a completely different name or just your last name, you can get more information and the application from the link here {Name Change Application and Information}. You will need to contact a commissioner of oaths to sign and seal the declaration statement within the Application. You will need to provide additional information about yourself to complete the legal name change process. The administrative fee for this option is also higher than the option to assume your spouse's last name as mentioned above.

There may be instances where you may need to declare or assume a name other than your legal name for trade or business purposes, for example, for real estate licensing registration in Ontario. Or you may need to clarify spelling errors or errors in date of birth or lack of evidence of a birth certificate etc. for immigration purposes, then an Affidavit may be required to be submitted to explain or clarify the irregularities or discrepancies. This Affidavit needs to be sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths. I welcome your request for a sample template via email at vinhtranlaw@hotmail.com.

For more information about applications and procedures to visit Canada, please visit the CIC link.

Canada will only permit a limited number of citizens from “friendly” countries around the world to visit Canada as a tourist/temporary resident without a proper visa. As a general rule, if you are a holder of a foreign/alien’s passport/travel document, you will need to apply for a visa for entry into Canada.

As Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents, you are entitled to be reunited with family members and friends in Canada who live in other countries around the world. You may wish to invite them to visit for a vacation, for a special occasion like the birth of your child, a wedding, a medical emergency or death on compassionate grounds.

The Consular offices and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada will issue tourist visas to your family and friends provided you provide them with genuine and sufficient information/documentation regarding the visit to Canada.

Although the CIC website indicates that “sometimes… they may ask for a letter of invitation from someone in Canada”, it is actually a standard requirement that should be followed and provided for all applications for a visitor visa or a super visa to Canada.

At minimum, the required information as listed on the CIC website should be provided within your letter of invitation.

The common reasons that many applications for a visitor visa get rejected or a denial include the following:

1. Failure to provide the enumerated list of information and documentation clearly indicated on the CIC website;
2. Applications not properly signed and dated;
3. Lack of travel history or not providing a proper reason why there is a lack of travel history;
4. Insufficient information about ties to home country or evidence that shows there are ongoing family or work obligations or assets and other properties that the visitor will need and want to return home upon completion of the expected travel vacation/visit to Canada;
5. Insufficient information that the family and friends in Canada will have sufficient funds or unwillingness to provide for, or a lack of a proper undertaking statement of responsibility for the visitor/tourist during his/her stay in Canada; and
6. Lack of evidence that health and travel insurance coverage will be purchased if the visa is granted. Canada will not be responsible for any medical costs for foreigners. Medical cost is NEVER free. Provincial Health Care Plan, or OHIP, if you are living in Ontario, will not cover medical and emergency costs for tourists/visitors.

As indicated on the CIC website, the Government of Canada does not guarantee that it will grant a visitor visa even if a letter of invitation is submitted. However, based on my legal practice and experience, submitting a proper notarized letter of invitation signed and sealed by a registered officer of the courts and lawyer will definitely help a lot. The fact is, this is not just any letter, it is actually a statutory declaration of responsibility. It is a legal document. You must provide information you know is truthful and in good faith. When you get it notarized or commissioned, you are swearing under oaths before an officer of the courts. There are real criminal sanctions and consequences if you are found to be providing false information within the letter.

I encourage you to contact my office via email vinhtranlaw@hotmail.com and ask for a free sample template of the letter of invitation for your revision and use. Review my website for fees and contact my office again for a meeting for notarization.

In recent years, Passport Canada has changed its requirements so that you will no longer have to attend at a lawyer’s office for notarization for application, renewal, or replacement of a lost or damaged passport. Guarantors and references can be your friends, family members, or employers, who have known you for more than several years and who are of the age of majority and a Canadian citizen. Application and renewal of passports can be done via regular mail, at the postal offices or receiving offices, and the designated Passport Canada offices.

In the event you are new to the city and you have no one to act as your guarantor, then a lawyer, notary public, commissioner of oaths, or justice of the peace may assist in swearing you under oaths, sign and seal the form called the Statutory Declaration in Lieu of a Guarantor. This form is only available for in-person pick up at the passport offices. To save you time waiting in line, the form is often kept by the security/reception desk at the passport offices.  You will need to pick up the form from the passport office, get your passport photos taken, contact one of the mentioned officials and get the form sign and seal, bring that form back to the passport office along with your application, photos and the required fee. This process can only be done in person at the passport office.

New travel regulations for Canadians now require a valid passport for entry into the United States and many other countries down in the Caribbean. As a result, there may be people who might be caught by the new rules. If you are one of those individuals who allowed their passports to expire and your travel flight is coming up within days, Passport Canada offers emergency, express and urgent passport processing for an extra fee. The fastest processing time is around 24 hours. In very rare cases, a 12 hours turn-around time may be requested. Except for certain holidays, there are passport offices in the Greater Toronto Area that also open during the weekends. Again, you will not need the services of a lawyer or notary public for emergency passports, unless, you require the Statutory Declaration in Lieu of a Guarantor signed and sealed.

Transferring ownership of a used vehicle between unrelated persons will trigger a sales tax collection and payment to be given to the government. 

A transfer of a used vehicle between related family members as a gift can prevent payment of tax to the government upon submission of the following documents to Service Ontario centre:

• a completed sworn statement for a Family Gift of a Used Motor Vehicle in the Province of Ontario form
• proof of Ontario insurance
• your Ontario driver's licence
• Safety Standards Certificate (not required for spouse to spouse transfers)
• emissions test (if applicable)
• vehicle ownership permit with the completed portion on the back, and
• a completed plate transfer declaration if you are also transferring the licence plate (this is required on spouse to spouse transfers in order to exempt them from the Safety Standards Certificate and the Drive Clean emissions test requirements).

The Sworn Statement for a Family Gift of a Used Motor Vehicle can be signed and sealed by a Lawyer, Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths or a Justice of the Peace for a fee. Pursuant to the city bylaws, most municipal councilors will also have the legal authority to sign and seal this form for free if you are able to arrange a meeting with your local councilors.