Couple separated by visa processing delays
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/04/2021 (1766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A Brandon man has been separated from his wife for months as the couple waits on the federal government to approve a visa application that appears stalled.
David Amos, who farms near Alexander, said his wife, Daniela Perafan, is currently in Panama. She wants to come to Canada to visit Amos’ family and see the province, but delays in the federal government’s processing of Temporary Residence Visas mean the couple has been stuck in limbo for months.
“It’s been a real eye-opener of how awful the immigration process is even for simple items,” Amos said.
Perafan, who lives in Panama but is Venezuelan, needs the visa to come to Canada. Amos said the couple has been in contact with the Canadian embassy in Mexico City, but so far things aren’t moving.
Amos said he believes the visa was “red-flagged” because of Perafan’s Venezuelan citizenship and the possibility of a refugee claim. He said, though, she only wants it to be able to travel back and forth and to see him.
The couple met through a mutual friend and got married in November 2020, he said.
Perafan sent in the initial visa application in September 2019 but it was rejected. After discussing with a lawyer, Amos said she resubmitted it in March 2020, but has heard nothing after more than 400 days.
“We just get standard form letters. We’re not considered a priority, but because we’re family now we do qualify under the Family Reunification Act,” he said.
Amos said he and Perafan aren’t the only ones facing long waits for the visa, as he believes it’s a problem across the board.
“We’re not the only ones in this boat,” he said.
According to a notice on the federal department’s website, the department can’t process applications normally or give accurate processing times due to COVID-19.
Despite this, the website estimates Temporary Residence Visas from either Panama or Venezuela take 182 days to complete.
The Sun reached out to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for comment on the cause of the delay and more information but did not receive a response back by Friday’s deadline.
Amos has seen Perafan since the visa application stalled, he said, but not since the federal government mandated two-week quarantines for anyone returning to Canada from international travel.
Amos has tried reaching out to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada about the status of the application but so far it has been radio silence.
“We’re extremely frustrated, and Daniela especially. She’s a resident of Panama, she’s got a place in Panama but she’s separated from everybody,” he said. “We just want to live our lives.”
Amos said Perafan wants to eventually apply for a permanent residency, but that can’t happen until the initial visa gets approved.
» dmay@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @DrewMay_