https://telegra.ph/Canadas-immigration-system-is-playing-with-actual-lives-10-15
October 15, 2021
July 8th, 2020 was one of the happiest days of my life.
Let me explain why.
July 8th was the day when I received an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada. My exuberance primarily stemmed from two reasons: the pandemic-induced uncertainty around my immigration plans finally seemed to have ended, and my dream of living a better life by migrating to a first-world country from a developing nation seemed within reach. I could feel it.
As requested by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in my invitation, I submitted all of my documents for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) application well within the stipulated 90 days. After the submission of my documents and biometric information, I hoped for the IRCC to process my application within the officially communicated period of 6-8 months.
Fast forward to the middle of October 2021 and after 14 months of excruciating wait, my immigration application still sits somewhere in IRCC’s database potentially collecting (digital) dust with no end in sight.
I am not naive enough to pretend that I expected to have received IRCC’s decision within those 6-8 months. I had my expectations trimmed by the reality of the pandemic that upended the world we once knew. However, there were little rays of light that got me through each day.
First ray of light: Once Canada is able to contain the spread of the virus, I would be able to have my application processed. And if the result is positive, I would be able to change my circumstances and start anew.
The next ray of light was the vaccination campaign. Once Canada has vaccinated 75% of its eligible population, I would finally hear something from IRCC.
Next: Once the travel restrictions are eased, I can dream again.
Next: Once the elections are over, the bureaucracy would finally have some direction and certainty to clear the immigration application backlogs.
Next: Once IRCC has processed the majority of the immigration applications for customers who are inside Canada, my turn will come.
Next: Once IRCC has assisted those Afghans who are fleeing to safety, IRCC will turn their attention to my application.
Now after more than 14 months of filing my application, that ray of light seems more like an illusion than an actual opening to the realization of my foolish dream.
This is just me. There are thousands of individuals who have been in this black hole for over two years.
Our applications might just be files sitting in IRCC’s computers, but they are not just files. They are actual human beings who have dared to dream about a better life. They are actual families who struggle to go to bed at night. They are careers that are put on hold. They are individuals who have parked major life decisions. They are partners who yearn to have their travel documents so they can finally be with their loved ones they have not seen since the start of the pandemic.
The worst part is that the applicants who have applied from outside the country have not heard a word from the IRCC throughout this ordeal. The least you would expect from the first-world immigration authorities is some transparent communication so we can plan our lives and careers accordingly. So we can have a sense of certainty.
Quite the opposite.
I cannot contact an actual human being who can answer my questions. I get inundated with automatic replies whenever I try to reach the immigration department.
Will my wait be over soon? I do not know.
Will I be waiting for another year? I do not know.
Will I be waiting for two more years? I do not know.
While I do try to look for silver linings in life’s adversities, this experience has deflated me; mentally as well as physically. I had to quit my job due to circumstances unrelated to my immigration plans. And now I sit at home checking my email every other minute and surfing numerous online platforms where people who find themselves in similar situations vomit their worst fears in front of the whole world to consume.
Is this all worth it? I wish I can utter an affirmative yes, but I cannot.
The leaders of Canada try to project the country as the haven on earth where human beings are considered human beings. When you actually scratch the surface, the reality seems to be quite different.
