Canada’s immigration backlog leaves Calgary family ‘in limbo’

Whereas many spend Canada Day celebrating what it means to be Canadian, others are nonetheless ready for a chance to name Canada dwelling.

The federal authorities is presently processing immigration paperwork for an estimated 2.4 million folks.

Might Ellen Lim is one in every of them.

She spent Canada Day, celebrating her anniversary on the identical park and neighborhood corridor in northwest Calgary the place she was married on at the present time, seven years in the past.

“We get the fireworks each time we have fun our marriage ceremony anniversary,” joked Lim.

Each lecturers, Lim and her husband, Michael Quinlan, met some 10,000 kilometres away from the Canadian soil, the place her husband was born.

“I used to be dwelling abroad for about 21 years instructing at worldwide faculties, with my final submit being over in Manilla, within the Philippines,” mentioned Quinlan.

And whereas that they had all the time deliberate to resettle in Canada, the pandemic expedited their return.

“The Philippines wasn’t dealing with COVID-19 very properly and we now have a six-year-old,” mentioned Lim. “So, fortunately, we had the chance to maneuver right here, since my husband is Canadian.”

They submitted Lim’s software for everlasting residency in June 2021, earlier than transferring to Calgary in September.

“We tracked it and noticed that it was obtained and, from what we perceive, we’re alleged to get an software quantity not lengthy after it’s obtained,” mentioned Lim.

“We haven’t acquired that. And it’s been a 12 months.”

Lim has repeatedly tried to contact Service Canada for an replace on her file, receiving little indication whether or not her software is even nonetheless in queue.

“They mentioned that they will’t discover my software of their system, so we don’t precisely know what meaning: whether or not my software is sitting on somebody’s desk nonetheless ready to be processed or plugged into the system, or if it’s misplaced. We don’t know.” mentioned Lim. “The radio silence is simply nerve-wracking.”

With out her software quantity or the unique paperwork hooked up to her software, Lim is now in immigration limbo.

“I don’t have well being care. I can’t work. Our financial savings are slowly dwindling. And simply not figuring out what the longer term holds for us — particularly when we now have a six-year-old — may be very troublesome.”

Her case isn’t distinctive. At present, the processing time for outland purposes sits at 23 months.

And whereas the division of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada didn’t reply to International Information’ requests for remark by publication deadline, earlier this week, the federal authorities introduced measures to assist sort out immigration delays.

“It’s a perform of the pandemic. It’s a perform of workers shortages. It’s additionally a perform of coverage choices that the federal government made. And it’s additionally a perform of Canada being a sufferer of its personal success,” mentioned Kareem El-Assal, the director of coverage and digital technique at CanadaVisa. “Calls for to come back to Canada all the time far exceeds the variety of spots that we now have out there.”

Lim and Quinlan have confronted many different unrelated challenges on their return, together with a damaged ankle from a fall on an icy Canadian sidewalk and a delay (of a number of months) for his or her transport container from the Philippines.

“There’s been setbacks alongside the way in which,” mentioned Quinlan.

“It’s been exhausting. We will’t get solutions from transport. We will’t get solutions from immigration. It’s simply wait, wait, wait, wait.”

For now, Lim and her household try to be affected person as they proceed to carry out hope for his or her Canadian future.

“It’s been very nice being again in Canada, experiencing the seasons, seeing the pleasant faces,” mentioned Quinlan.

“We’re a rustic made up of so many cultures and it’s fantastic to be again and amongst that, and seeing all of the folks and exploring all that Canada has to supply.”