Spousal sponsorships

[Ritchieyyc]

Hi, we have had a spousal sponsorship application in process for 22 months. The sponsor was a privately sponsored refugee who arrived in Calgary almost 3 years ago. His wife could not travel with him because she did not have refugee status. She has an ID card but no passport and is living out of status in Malaysia as an asylum seeker from Burma.
CIC Singapore is now asking if she has travel documents and if she can depart Malaysia? Can anyone help us with this. I am a friend and unpaid representative.
Thanks.

 

[k.h.p.]

Not sure how we can help - if she has no refugee travel document or passport in Malaysia, your answer is effectively no, since she needs some sort of travel document to be able to depart Malaysia. Canada can't issue a document in lieu of a passport for a PR applicant.

 

[Ritchieyyc]

Yes I think we need to approach the Malaysian Authorities on this. See if something can be arranged, departure permit or the like. She is an asylum seeker and has been sheltering for about 5 years in K.L.

 

[Ritchieyyc]

Has anyone heard of I.O.M. Assisting with obtaining departure permits for someone out of status trying to depart Malaysian under a spousal sponsorship?

 

[armoured]

Has anyone heard of I.O.M. Assisting with obtaining departure permits for someone out of status trying to depart Malaysian under a spousal sponsorship?

There is an alphabet soup of agencies, including IOM, that may be able to do something. (So yes, I have sort-of heard of something like this, but don't know any useful details).

So yes, you could try contacting IOM. But my suggestion would be to contact the CIC Singapore office and tell them the truth and ask for assistance.

Some refugee support agencies and the like in Canada may also have run into this, as well as (for example) some of the other UN agencies that work with refugees (UNHCR?).

I'd split the issue into two related - the person needs some sort of travel document with which to board a plane and enter Canada. CIC may have procedures for the latter part (i.e. with some travel document and a COPR, border guards would let enter).

If it's a UN agency that can issue a travel doc (of some kind), it's possible they would have some procedure to facilitate departure with the Malaysian authorities.

But again, perhaps CIC singapore would have more concrete suggestions. CIC may well have someone in the region that deals with such cases and/or maintains working relationship with IOM and other relevant agencies.

 

[armoured]

A small additional note: it is possible for some governments and agencies to issue types of travel documents (various names for these) that are intended for limited use (i.e. only for departure or one-off usage).

E.g. it would (in theory) be possible for Malaysia to issue a document just for departure. But of course the entire problem is in the details and what e.g. Malaysia may require. (Canada issues travel documents to certain refugees or stateless persons resident in Canada, but again, very specific circumstances and requirements)

 

[Ritchieyyc]

Thank you for your reply. The applicant is being sponsored by her husband who landed as a refugee almost 3 years ago.
the application is in the final stages with full disclosure at the Singapore CIC. It was Singapore that asked about the travel documents.