The Ministry of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC, for its acronym in English) received a new indictment for slowing down the process of sponsorship of foreigners by their Canadian partners. This time it is Lauren Degilio, a Montreal woman, who accuses the IRCC of discrimination when trying to obtain permission to bring her husband Iosvany Vega Pileta, who lives in Cuba, to Canada.
3 years have passed, and the couple has not been able to meet in Canada. “Since no one listens to me, I decided to hold a sit-in in front of the office of the federal deputy David Lametti, in Verdun. Maybe that’s the way they do see me ”, says Degilio.
In search of visibility
Degilio and Vega are just one of the couples who have faced the lethargy of the system and now the crisis due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A couple of weeks ago, lovers who hope to be able to reconnect with their waiting partners in India, Cuba, China or Colombia started the movement Canadian Applicants for Spousal Sponsorship, affected by Covid-19.
Through social networks, hundreds of couples who have waited up to 4 years to unite with their spouses have gradually joined. As the pandemic crisis increased, visa processing offices outside of Canada stopped operating, so sponsorship application procedures were put on hold.
Due to the closing of the borders, many Canadians have not been able to see their spouses, and the situation becomes even more complex when it comes to domestic partners.
IRCC recognized that the border closure adopted to fight the spread of Covid-19 has increased the waiting time for reunification for many families (under normal conditions, the sponsorship process can take up to a year), so the Service Agency Border Canada decided to ease the restrictions on travelers.
He announced that foreigners, direct relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who do not have Covid-19, would be exempt from the prohibition of entry into Canada if once they enter to be with a direct family member they quarantine for a period of at least 15 days.
“The problem is that our process has already been 3 years and nothing,” said Degilio. “We met in 2017 on a vacation trip I made to Cuba, and although we have followed the process, there has been no movement. It has been a very painful situation, “he added.
By Silvia Méndez
