Family in danger...

[scarycemetery]

Hello everyone

I am a Canadian citizen, and my husband is now a PR. He is from Lebanon and we are currently visiting his family. Yesterday beside their house there was a huge explosion, and it ruined everything...my brother-in-law's shops are completely destroyed. It is a dangerous situation here, and I just need to know if there is any way my husband and I can bring his family (mother, father, sister, two brothers, sister-in-law and her baby) to Canada. I know it's a long shot and there aren't many (if any) options but we can't leave them behind. My husband's mother is a British overseas citizen if that makes any difference.

 

[Betina]

Hello everyone

I am a Canadian citizen, and my husband is now a PR. He is from Lebanon and we are currently visiting his family. Yesterday beside their house there was a huge explosion, and it ruined everything...my brother-in-law's shops are completely destroyed. It is a dangerous situation here, and I just need to know if there is any way my husband and I can bring his family (mother, father, sister, two brothers, sister-in-law and her baby) to Canada. I know it's a long shot and there aren't many (if any) options but we can't leave them behind. My husband's mother is a British overseas citizen if that makes any difference.

I think you should read this section and see if it applies.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/sponsor/index.asp

I don't know how much your mother-in-law's citizenship would affect these procedures.

Good luck and stay safe!

 

[scylla]

I think you should read this section and see if it applies.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/sponsor/index.asp

I don't know how much your mother-in-law's citizenship would affect these procedures.

Good luck and stay safe!

Mother in law definitely won't qualify.

 

[Betina]

Mother in law definitely won't qualify.

I also believe that.

And wouldn't it be easier to try and immigrate to UK?

 

[keesio]

I also believe that.

And wouldn't it be easier to try and immigrate to UK?

She is not a British citizen but a British overseas citizen. I was curious so I looked it up and apparently it doesn't guarantee the right to live/work in the UK.

 

[PMM]

Hi

She is not a British citizen but a British overseas citizen. I was curious so I looked it up and apparently it doesn't guarantee the right to live/work in the UK.

If the Mother doesn't have "right of abode" in the UK, she would require a TRV as well to visit Canada. Visa exemption for UK.

British citizens and British overseas citizens - A British citizen or a British overseas citizen who is re-admissible to the United Kingdom.
British overseas territories, citizens of - A citizen of a British overseas territory who derives their citizenship through birth, descent, registration or naturalization in one of the British overseas territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands.
British National (Overseas) - holder of a British National (Overseas) passport issued by the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong.
British Subjects - holder of a British Subject passport issued by the United Kingdom which contains the observation that the holder has the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

 

[scarycemetery]

Thank you everyone for your reply. I will definitely look into refugee status and more about what my mother-in-law can do.

 

[Kuudir2]

Hi,

I also wanted to know something similar to this situation..

My husband is now residing in Cairo, Egypt.. And there are so many things happening there now and I am really worried for him and his health.

But the Canadian embassy has once again closed in the country and there is no way for me to get in contact with them and I am in desperate need to get my husband here safe and sound.

Is there anything I can possibly do to bring my husband here to safety?

Also... I have applied for family sponsorship in Feb of this year. Still no reply ever since I have received my SA back in March. I don't even know if they have opened up the documents. I also ordered GCMS notes on the 4th of July but I still haven't received them, and I don't know if that's normal in this situation (with the embassy being shut down).

Someone help!! :-\ :'(


Kuudir2

 

[Betina]

Hi,

I also wanted to know something similar to this situation..

My husband is now residing in Cairo, Egypt.. And there are so many things happening there now and I am really worried for him and his health.

But the Canadian embassy has once again closed in the country and there is no way for me to get in contact with them and I am in desperate need to get my husband here safe and sound.

Is there anything I can possibly do to bring my husband here to safety?

Also... I have applied for family sponsorship in Feb of this year. Still no reply ever since I have received my SA back in March. I don't even know if they have opened up the documents. I also ordered GCMS notes on the 4th of July but I still haven't received them, and I don't know if that's normal in this situation (with the embassy being shut down).

Someone help!! :-\ :'(


Kuudir2

I think you should stick with the Family Sponsorship, it has better processing times than any kind of refugee claim. Although I don't know how much this counts, seeing that the embassy is closed.

Just hope that the situation will calm down soon and your husband stays safe.

Maybe you could ask your MP to inquire about the situation in the Cairo Embassy and how it affects the immigration applications?

Good luck!

 

[Kuudir2]

I think you should stick with the Family Sponsorship, it has better processing times than any kind of refugee claim. Although I don't know how much this counts, seeing that the embassy is closed.

Just hope that the situation will calm down soon and your husband stays safe.

Maybe you could ask your MP to inquire about the situation in the Cairo Embassy and how it affects the immigration applications?

Good luck!

Thanks Betina,

Great advice... I am trying to be as patient as I could be. It's taking quite a bit of time for them to complete this process. But I am willing to wait. I was just checking if there was the chance that "maybe" we had a way of getting out of this difficult situation.

Can I ask you about the GCMS notes? Is it normal for it to be this late?


Kuudir2

 

[Betina]

Thanks Betina,

Great advice... I am trying to be as patient as I could be. It's taking quite a bit of time for them to complete this process. But I am willing to wait. I was just checking if there was the chance that "maybe" we had a way of getting out of this difficult situation.

Can I ask you about the GCMS notes? Is it normal for it to be this late?


Kuudir2

I personally haven't ordered my GCMS notes yet, but I understand that receiving times depend on how you ordered them. And I also heard a lot o people complaining that recently they get sent kinda late - might be affected by the strike, who knows.

From those ordering them through websites I heard of them being received after 6-8 weeks.

But I don't think it would hurt to throw a question CICs way

Did you order your GCSM notes or on behalf of your husband?

 

[Kuudir2]

I personally haven't ordered my GCMS notes yet, but I understand that receiving times depend on how you ordered them. And I also heard a lot o people complaining that recently they get sent kinda late - might be affected by the strike, who knows.

From those ordering them through websites I heard of them being received after 6-8 weeks.

But I don't think it would hurt to throw a question CICs way

Did you order your GCSM notes or on behalf of your husband?

I actually ordered the electronic version, and there is probably not that much information they need to search up since it is the beginning of our process.. I just wanted to know how far along they were and what to expect from them.

I ordered them on behalf of my husband, since I am the sponsor. And I assumed that the notes wouldn't be more than a day or so late. From what I h e been reading off the forum that's what I got.

And where would you say I contact the ATIP/GCMS folks? Or can I just call the CIC and inquire from there?


Kuudir2

 

[scylla]

Thank you everyone for your reply. I will definitely look into refugee status and more about what my mother-in-law can do.

I'm not sure the refugee option is realistic.

To qualify - they would first have to be outside of Lebanon (i.e. have fled Lebanon) and they must be unable to return to Lebanon. They must then be identified by as refugees by the UN or a similar organization for resettlement in Canada.

Anyway - good luck. Regardless of what you decide to do.

 

[Betina]

they must be unable to return to Lebanon

I've never seen this requirement until now. I know they must be outside their country, but the condition is to "fear persecution and going back to their home country."

Also, I read this on CICs website: "CIC relies on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other referral organizations and private sponsorship groups to find and refer refugees to be resettled in Canada." And also this: "You can sponsor refugees from abroad who qualify to come to Canada. Sponsors must provide financial and emotional assistance for refugees once they arrive in Canada. A group of five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18 can sponsor one or more refugees to come to Canada and settle in their area."

So it's not that restrictive as you try to make it out to be and I believe it's an option worth exploring. Especially by those that have so many reasons for being afraid of living in their one home.

 

[scylla]

You're right - conventional refugees must be able to demonstrate they cannot return home. The country of asylum don't.

However in both cases (as well as the group of five refugee sponsorship class, community sponsorship, etc.) refugees first have to be recognized by the UN or a similar organization. There's no getting around that requirement as of late last year - regardless of what route is taken from outside of Canada.