Thank you very much, Chantal.
Thank you, honourable Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee.
Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to highlight the issues we have gone through during the 34-month process of my spousal immigration case. I will try my best to squeeze the miseries of 34 months into two minutes.
The current system basically lacks compassion and empathy. For 34 months we have suffered through severe mental stress, anxiety, depression, feelings of deprivation, lack of sleep and appetite, and most importantly, suicidal thoughts. I missed the birth of my kids, but thanks to the United States that granted me a five-year B-1/B-2 visa in 2016 by knowing only that my wife is Canadian and that I wished to see her.
I was somehow able to see my kids after a couple of months in the U.S. I missed their births. We have spent thousands of dollars on travel, etc. I missed their first step and their first birthday. My wife takes care of six kids and a sick mom, and she has faced all the storm alone up until now.
Regarding the process, it's stressful and unclear. It leaves the applicant in the dark. There are long, silent gaps after the submission of additional documents, causing unnecessary delays and stress, while other streams get approved in six to eight months. With visas being denied for applicants from developing countries because of paragraph 179(b) judging the application on the basis of wealth and properties, relationships mean nothing. Why would someone stay in Canada and jeopardize their case? Spouses are immediate family; we are not tourists.
These are a few of the many issues we faced. We need the sympathetic—