Paul Wildy

I dont know how many people have already seen this http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1069617.html

Basically this family got a provincial nomination through Nova Scotia's Community Identified PNP stream. They bought a house in Fall River and sold up in London and then moved here before getting their PR visas. But immigration officers at the border wouldnt let them in. Its possible it could be on medical grounds but it could also be because they clearly werent planning to be here as visitors - they were actually moving over - but didnt have PR status yet.

They are in Miller Lake so there are probably some people on here that know them. It must be pretty traumatic to go through that with your kids.

Biiiiink

My goodness, the daughter failed a medical for PR a few years ago and they decided to buy a house/set up a business and come here on a tourist visa anyway? Did they not know that passing the PNP selection doesn't mean you bypass medical requirements?

I feel for them, but a bit of basic research could have told them this was not a good idea They must have had a consultant after the first failed attempt, surely?

nikki dreaming

These were the exact thoughts for me.

Whilst I do really feel for this family you have to think in some respects that this was a somewhat risky approach to take, ie fly over, buy house and hope everything works out ok, particularly with their visa history.

I hope they sort something out in the end, but from reading the article it sounds that they will be coming back to the UK and going from there. I would guess that the chances are there are other issues to this story that are not public knowledge.

Paul Wildy

I'm sort of in agreement. I feel really bad for them on one hand but on the other hand I do think this highlights that many people have their priorities wrong - emigrating is about more than buying a house, you need to get PR visas first and foremost and only then can you be sure you will be able to stay.

And actually its one of the issues with this Community Identified stream too. It says you have to have close ties to NS but I think a lot of people interpret that to mean that you move here and start living in NS and then you will be able to get visas retroactively

BristolUK

We'll probably never know the rights and wrongs.

Privacy should be respected, of course, but I always feel that when someone goes to the papers like this then they waive their right to Confidentiality.

If there is indeed something else, as has been suggested, then the officials should be free to say what it is.

Paul Wildy

It all sounded very cloak and dagger didnt it when they wouldnt say what the other facts were? However I think it could actually be as simple as the family having turned up at the border without being either genuine visitors on the one hand or having PR visas on the other hand. In which case the immigration officer probably had no choice but to deny them entry.

Cookie

I had a look at their newspaper report and the mother states:

"The seven-year-old has Angelman syndrome, a rare chromosome disorder. She is unable to speak and has the mental capacity of a three-year-old but requires no additional medications or physical assistance".

Having looked at Angelman syndrome on Wikipedia there is a host of difficulties suffers have to deal with. I feel that the family have made light of their daughter's disability to the newspaper. Re the PNP - I would like to know who the 6 sponsors were. Can I assume they were sponsoring purely on the couple's business experience, after all how would they be able to judge anyone's medical health?

Anyhow, the family still had to receive Federal approval for their visas so its a whopper of a mistake to sell your house, come over on holiday and decide to stay no matter what type of visa you are applying for and especially after being refused a visa in the past.

Biiiiink

And they were going to send their son to school, on a visitor visa? Hmmm...

nikki dreaming

It does also state in all the PNP application forms that CIC (Federal) reserve the right as far as final decisions being made.

Therefore as Yes can do stated, seems an awful lot to risk when effectively they had only reached the halfway stage in the process to gaining PR, particularly so with the medical/visa history.

Paul Wildy

If it is the case that the daughter was refused a visa on medical grounds then there is a good probability that it was because they considered she would have "excessive demand" for services. Based on the wiki info it sounds as though she would need an individual care assistant with her during school etc so that would almost certainly be classed as excessive demand. But CIC are supposed to consider each case individually rather than assume all people with the same syndrome have the same care needs.

Yes, the sponsors would have been sponsoring purely based on the couple's entreprenuerial experience and plans - sponsors for the CI stream wouldnt normally be expected to consider health issues (and probably dont even know what the admission requirements are re: health)

calgarylady

I really feel for them. They have enough stress on their plate now this !!!

Rob4BC

Peoples arrrogance and or ignorance when it comes to immigration rules always makes for interesting reading.

Posidrive

The really ridiculous thing is that they had a child with the same problems and were bringing no skills to Canada as either an asylum seaker or as an obscure relative of a PR then they would probably have been welcomed with open arms.

BristolUK

Remembering of course that the family already had a safe home and a safe life before coming to Canada, whereas the asylum seeker (if genuine) doesn't have that safe home and safe life - hence the term asylum seeker.

robert_masters

Hi!!

I guess we all have to re-think then!

I believe not everybody needs a medical going through skilled TWP whilst awaiting PR???

I think it's only for people who working with children or a nurses/doctor and or employers who request it??

Perhaps we all need to a medical check/advice clearance before entering Canada?

Any thoughts??

Angela