Expect consular application charges, potential travel to the consular post, translation or evaluation costs for credentials, and any legal assistance with the eligibility file. These are in addition to costs a Canadian citizen case would not incur. Confirm current government charges directly with the consulate at the time of application.
Separate consular costs from border-related costs
Budget for the consular step as its own phase: application charges, document preparation, and travel to the post if it is not local. Ask whether legal assistance covers only the consular file or extends to the later port-of-entry presentation, since both steps involve real preparation work. If dependents require their own visas, their costs add to the total.
Confirm all current fees directly with official sources rather than relying on a past figure. Budget the consular step as its own phase with its own line items: application charges, document preparation, travel to the post where it is not local, translation or credential evaluation, and legal assistance with the eligibility file. Those costs do not arise in a Canadian citizen case, so a comparison drawn from a colleague's experience understates them.
Ask whether legal assistance covers only the consular file or extends to the later port-of-entry presentation, since both steps involve real preparation. Where dependants require their own visas, add their costs to the total. Confirm all current charges directly with official sources rather than relying on a figure quoted previously.