Newfoundland woman says paperwork gaffe nixed costly bid to reunite with family
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A Newfoundland woman says one wrong checked box in a stack of paperwork wiped out thousands of dollars and years of effort to bring her family to Canada from India.
Leena Raju says a five-year application ban for an honest mistake has made her feel like a criminal. Experts say her case is all too common.
“It’s really tragic,” immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah said from Calgary. “The fact that something so minor could affect her ability to be reunited with members of her family, I think it’s heart-breaking and I think it’s unjust.”
Ackah and other lawyers who guide clients through a bureaucratic maze say it’s time for change.