Tarasishe

Hello experts. Im writing this hoping to get your help.

Here is my story: Ive been studying in Canada for almost 5 years. Before that I was in US as a student for a year. This year I am graduating from the university. I was also working here part time as a student for the entire time.

I have been in a common-law relationship with what I thought was going to be the love of my life. She is Canadian. We were going to mail the Sponsorship application in March. I went for an immigration medical and the problems started....

I consider myself very healthy, dont smoke, dont drink, dont do drugs. Well, anyhow, my chest Xray showed scars in one of the lungs. Radiologist told me it was likely old, and likely TB. That freaked me out, as I do not recall ever having any issues with my lungs.

I was refered to a lung doctor, who refered my to a specialized TB clinic. To cut the long story short, I was diagnosed with TB, with "-" smear and "+" culture. The diagnose took about 1.5 months. During this time I was discharged ones, and told i it was likely bronchiastisis. Then I got a message and was told that it actually had TB and I had to take drugs. I started the therapy with DOT nurse. However later, I got another message, saying that I have to go to a special hospital, because I have Multi-Drug Resistant TB. Now I am in a hospital, where Im being treated with IV and other drugs. Frankly speaking, I feel great, no caugh, no pain, no symptoms. The MD told me, that i do not have any symptoms of an active TB, but because they grew the culture in the lab, I must get a "cure"=pumped with drugs....

Since all this started, my personal life has been ruined. As a precaution, me and my better half agreed she is going to stay with relatives, before the issue is resolved. Well, issue is not likely to get resolved at least within the next year. THere had alot of arguements and tension, and the sponsorship application is on hold, the relationship is severely damaged, and Im stuck in this hospital at least until the end of summer.
My student status expires at the end of June. I still have UHIP medical insurance, untill August, thanks God. While they were testing me, as a precaution I had to stay at home for the entire month of May. I have lost my part time job, Im running out of money, and all my plans for the future are ruined.

Please advise, how do I keep the legal status in Canada, to get cured and with time apply for PR.

1. I have mailed in status extenssion application to CIC, asking to extend my student authorisation till August, as I have missed one of my exams and I was going to look for a full-time job after graduation (one time 90day bridge extension). Im yet to hear from CIC.

2. I can get 1 year post-grad permit, conditional on me finding an employer, which of course I can not do from the hospital, because they restrict our travel and I can not leave the hospital property, even for the weekend, until Im discharged.

3. Can I get any kind of medical insurance with my present condition? I fear that I might have to return home before the treatment is complete, and than the road back to Canada is closed for good. From what Ive been reading, Im lucky to be treated in Canada in a specialised clinic, and the cure rate is very high.

4. Can I request to change my status to a visitor in September to complete the treatment? I can ask the doctors to write me a letter and such. Everyone is being nice around here, but that does not help me to get my shattered life back together.

Please, anyone, help with a kind word or advice!.
Thanks.

us3andthedog

Sorry I cant help but I had to reply to wish you good luck and a speedy recovery.

Tarasishe

Thank you, us3andthedog.
Anyone else can suggest anything useful?

SarahBC

Hi there,

My heart really goes out to you. I'm not an expert in immigration, but I can recommend looking at:

www.lung.ca

This is the Canadian lung association. There are contacts listed for each of the provinces, with email addresses. You may have already been in contact with this organisation. They may be able to help support your case to CIC that you are not a risk to the general population.

There must be thousands of people in Canada who never discover their TB status.

All the best,

Sarah

Biiiiink

Aren't spousal/common-law applicants exempt from the "excessive demand" medical ruling now anyway? Have you filed the application yet?

Having TB/having had TB doesn't exclude you from getting PR status, it may just mean they put you under medical surveillance...

amancharan

I dont know if he comes under "excessive demand" or some other category! I am not an expert, but if he has TB, dont you think it is a medical condition that can render the visa officer to deny his application?
Plus, as he says, his personal life is ruined too because if this!

Tarasishe, try and consult someone professionally as to what effect this might have on your PR application. If your condition is not severe, try and win back your better half's confidence and ask him/her to get your sponsorship application going! I hope it works out for you and I hope that your condition is not what would render you medically inadmissible.

If your better half doesnt agree, get well soon and apply for 1 year work permit and then apply for PR on skilled category. Life is hard right now, but I bet things will look ebullient for you soon....
Good Luck!!

Jim Humphries

This is not a demand thing - multi-resistant TB is a public health risk. If the case is a sponsored spouse they will probably defer it until the treatment has run a successful course.