Fahim and I went to the Canadian High Commission here today to renew my passport. I hand over the various forms and proof of identity and pay the fee, and find out that, contrary to what I was told, I do, in fact, need to get our marriage certificate translated elsewhere and bring it back in order to get the new passport.
That’s not the part that irritates me.
After all that, I enquire about what it would take for Fahim to get a tourist visa to visit Canada with me. No, we’re not planning a vacation. I just want to know.
Little bit of information first. When Fahim and I were talking about getting married, he tried to get a tourist visa then to visit Canada. He was denied. It’s fairly common, I understand, on the grounds that a lot of Sri Lankans visit Canada and never go home. They just stay and live in Canada illegally.
While I can understand the concern, they really should understand that not everyone wants to live in Canada. I left quite willingly. Fahim and I have no plans to ever live there. I don’t see the point. Canada has far too many problems. But we won’t get into that now.
He was denied. The government official did not believe that Fahim wanted to go to Canada for a visit and then come back to Sri Lanka. Never mind that Fahim, at that point in time, had a, for Sri Lanka, very high paying job and had firm ties in the community. Then we could add that Fahim had no problems getting hired by companies in Saudi Arabia and the US, so if he really wanted to live in Canada that way, he could easily have gone the legitimate route. He’s got skillz that are in demand. No, he was denied because no Sri Lankan could possibly ever want to just visit Canada without wanting to make it their permanent home. [/sarcasm]
So. I asked. With Fahim being married to a Canadian, if we wanted to visit Canada, what would it take for Fahim to get a visa?
I’d have to write a letter inviting him to Canada, and I’d have to sponsor him. Never mind that I live – permanently – in Sri Lanka. I’d have to go to Canada first, establish myself with a job and finances, and prove that I could financially support him if he decided to stay for the rest of his life.
And that’s if we merely wanted to visit for a few days or weeks.
What a load of hogwash.
Legally, I can move to Canada and take up residence there again anytime I see fit. No paperwork, no notice, just go. But my husband can’t even go with me to visit.
Granted, this particular employee of the Canadian High Commission may actually be full of horse manure and talking out of her butt. She might be completely clueless. If that’s the case, then why, pray tell, is she working there?
You have my sincere sympathy. The Canadian Government is bold and outspoken about fairness and human rights. — As long as someone is watching. As for the individual citizens who have the kind of problems you describe / not so much. My son is trying to return to Canada with his Korean wife. I wish she was Syrian. The BS that he has to accept as part of the process is beyond description. For example the medical information she submitted and was accepted by the government in writing has now expired and has to be re-submitted. A year later with no method of feedback available and we get this kind of BS from the government. It is driving me crazy but I do my best to say little so I dont prolong their agony. I have spent my adult life travelling as part of my employment. Slowly I have changed to being totally disgusted with the Canadian Government. They did it. I certainly didn’t start out that way.