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Suffield family continues their fight to stay in Canada

Aug 8, 2017 | 5:00 AM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — It’s been nearly three years that the Lowe family, living in Suffield, has been fighting for permanent residency here in Canada.

Mark, Michaela and their daughter Isabella have been living in the country for the past six years.

They have a home in Suffield, their daughter goes to school in Redcliff and at one point they were both working steady jobs, paying taxes, and contributing to their community.

The family began their journey to get permanent resident status nearly three years ago.

Their application was denied twice due to issues with Michaela’s estranged son and ex partner in Germany, who refused to provide proper medical information for the boy, something required for all children under the age of 22.

The Lowe’s work visas ran out, they applied for extensions and were denied, but managed to obtain visitor visas. They sought help from MP Glen Motz’s office who has been assisting them with their case.

When their last attempt to stay was denied they were told they’d have to leave the country in April.

“Mark left Canada in January,” explained Michaela. “He’s still in the UK and probably will be for a little bit until we manage to get him a work permit.”

Michaela, who is originally from Germany, said Mark went back to find work and get things ready for the family if they couldn’t figure out a solution before the April 27th deadline.

In February Michaela went to Redhat Co-op. The company often hires foreign workers due to a shortage of people to work in the plant.

Redhat was able to offer her a job after completing a Labour Market Impact Assessment. She applied for a visitor visa extension and in May received approval to work at Redhat.

“They would even keep me on until the whole permanent residency application is finished and over and done.,” she stated. “So, I’m quite happy with that.”

In order to get her new work visa she would need to cross the boarder into the U.S. and back into Canada. She said it was one of the most intimidating things she’s done since her family’s struggle to stay in Canada began.

“I was literally physically scared to actually go to the border and leave,” she explained. “Everybody was saying ‘what do you do [if] you can’t come back in?’ I said I don’t know, but if I don’t try it I never will find out.”

She was able to cross back over and was given her work visa, meaning she and her daughter Isabella are able to stay here in Canada as long as Redhat is willing to keep Michaela on.

“You get that work permit back, [it] literally gives you your life back, gives you your hopes back, and literally your strength back to start the whole thing again,” she said..

Now the challenge is getting Mark back to Canada.

They can’t bring him over on her work visa so the MP’s office is working with them to help find a job somewhere in Canada that will sponsor him as a skilled foreign worker.

There’s a chance they may have found him a job as a machinist in Manitoba. It’s bittersweet news for the family.

“Obviously he would be probably back in Canada at some point but he wouldn’t be living with his family, he would be nine hours away.” Michaela said.

Michaela says this whole process has been exhausting, but she knows their struggle isn’t over yet. If everything goes to plan Mark could be back in the country with a job sometime later this month. Then they’ll have to start their permanent residency application all over again.

“We’ll probably go at some point to a lawyer and literally go through the whole process again and see what our options are,” Michaela said.

For now they are just enjoying what little stability they have before their struggle to call Canada home begins again.

“It’s hard to believe we’ll maybe find an end at some point, [but] I’m hoping,” she said.