Meeting with my MP. Mr. Stephen Woodworth

All in all, it was a good meeting; my MP didn’t try to antagonize my reasons; after listening to my arguments –I even had a list of cases to prove that what is happening at the Canadian Embassy in Havana is absolutely arbitrary-. People who failed to prove that they had any properties/assets, employed with an average salary, with relatives in Canada, some with more than one and with no travel history got a visa or have a multiple-entry visa; just like some others who met all the ‘requirements’ who ended up staying in Canada. The MP was aware –and he himself  provided examples- of arbitrary decisions by Canadian immigration officials in India and Russia; he mentioned talented Russian mathematicians with an extensive travel history who were equally denied entry to Canada even when they were coming for a scientific exchange  He is absolutely aware of the fact that the system doesn’t work and that the government is not about to establish an appeal process for all the visas that are denied; he added that 35 000 people make political refugee claims as soon as they arrive in Canadian soil every year which is a burden to the taxpayers. I agreed that a large number of political refugee claimants just take advantage of the system as I know some people who have successfully done it but the number in itself is the biggest evidence of the system failure. Mr. Woodworth understands that there is no way to tell who will make a refugee claim or who won’t which has been a factor in the toughening of the immigration rules with the disastrous results we know.

Good to know we were on the same page but… what does all that mean for my sister? It means that my sister will have to reapply for a visa (Same expenses again) which won’t be possible until next summer. He suggested that we put together parallel documentation which he will take to the Minister’s office prior to her applying just to see what they say and just to have some ammunition in case the embassy tries to lie again as they did this time around when they said that my sister ‘failed to provide proof of income’ and that she had ‘limited employment prospects’.

We agreed I’d provide the bulk of such parallel documentation to him by the 2^nd week of September. We’ll see where this takes us but…failing this, what? He said he would have to make a case directly with the Minister’s office but warned that the present Minister of Immigration is more about going through the channels than about backing down to an MP’s request. He suggested that would be the time to apply pressure on the government ‘in large numbers’. I mentioned the online petition and he said there was nothing wrong with that but that ‘maybe’ I was ahead of myself.

I believe Mr. Woodworth understood that I am not about to give up. I was glad he is aware of the fact –that doesn’t need to be proven- that the system simply doesn’t work; of course, this doesn’t help my sister which is the scary part as nobody seems to be interested in revamping it. It is a pity that a country like Canada has such an inefficient bureaucracy that causes so much pain and disillusion to new Canadians.

Response from Mrs. Wayne Easter's (MP) office.

Good afternoon Lucia,

After speaking with our local representative  at Citizenship and Immigration it appears as though they are unable provide any information or guidance on your case as they do not disclose such details when Mr. Easter is not your local representative. 

I would suggest you contact your local MP again or contact the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Minister Jason Kenney.  He can be reached at Minister@cic.gc.ca.

I wish you all the best.

Kind regards,

Krystal Rice

Constituency Assistant

Office of the Hon. Wayne Easter

P.O. Box 70

Hunter River, PE C0A 1N0

Tel: 902-964-2428/ Fax: 902-964-3242

Email: Eastew1@parl.gc.ca

The interview with Stephen Woodworth's will be on July 20.

I got an phone call from Stephen Woodworth's office yesterday. I will have an interview with him on July 20th at 11am.

Response from the Canadian Embassy in Havana/Message from the MP office.

Good Afternoon Ms. Gonzalez,

The following is the response that I have received from the Embassy in Havana.  You will note that the 5^th and 6^th paragraphs address your sister’s application.

Sincerely,

Michelle Salt

Constituency Assistant

Office of Stephen Woodworth

Member of Parliament

Kitchener Centre

Phone: 519-741-2001

Fax: 519-579-2404

Dear Sir/ Madam:

This is in reference to your email regarding Mrs.Yamina González Almaguer’s visa refusal.

In general terms, according to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada, any person wishing to become a temporary resident of Canada must satisfy a Visa officer that they will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay, that they will not contravene the conditions of admission and that they do not belong in a category of persons inadmissible to Canada.

In reaching a decision, Visa officers look at many factors during the fact-finding process, which may include:

- the applicant's travel history; (Cubans cannot leave their country at will, if this one is a factor 99% of the Cubans applying for a visitor's visa would NEVER qualify as they have never been outside of their country; my parents had never been outside of Cuba and both visited Canada, their 'travel history' was not a problem.- the reason for travelling to Canada and the applicant's contacts there. (I invited my sister last year to assist me after major surgery (Humanitarian reasons which were ignored) and this time around for a cultural exchange. (Equally ignored)- the applicant's financial means for the trip. The average salary in Cuba equals between 8-14 dollars. Based on this one, Cubans should NEVER get a visa, my sister's salary is 880.00 Cuban pesos a month, the equivalent of 36.00 dollars a month, but still way above the Cuban average. The first time around I sent (As requested by the embassy) proof that I had enough funds to pay for her expenses while in Canada and this time around the person who invited her advised that he would pay for all her expenses, as requested by both the embassy and the Cuban authorities) The Canadian visa officers in Havana are more than aware that Cubans don't have the means to pay for the expenses that a trip to Canada involves.- the applicant's ties to his or her country of residence, including immigration status, employment and family ties, properties; and (Cubans are not allowed to buy homes, land or even automobiles, my sister lives with my parents in a home she will eventually inherit)- whether the applicant would be likely to leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay. (The present economical/political situation in Cuba makes it absolutely impossible for anybody to determine who will be returning to Cuba after a trip abroad. Cubans leave behind their relatives in the hope to find a way to get them out of Cuba at a later time. The 'assets' that the average Cuban may own -including a home- are not a deterrent for anybody to leave the country. I know people who owed lots of such 'assets' and left the country in a boat, risking their lives. The highest salary allowed by law in the country is ridiculously low compared to that of the humblest Canadian laborer, this is something that shouldn't even be taken into account in the case of Cuba. A quarter of a million Cubans have left the country in the last few years, at a rate that is getting close to 40 000 a year.

Please note that these objective factors are the same for all applicants, regardless of who they are and where they apply. Not true, I know about relatives of friends who met all these requirements and were denied a visa. We can not discriminate for or against applicants based on their country of origin. (Not true in the case of Cuba as it is obvious in this letter)  I realize this is a highly emotional issue, especially when dealing with family visits so can understand the feelings of your constituent. However, and with no disrespect to your constituent, nobody has a right to visit another country (I never said so, I said that, as a Canadian citizen, I have the right to be visited by my relatives in my adoptive land) - each country has their own standards and requirements when deciding who to admit. (I agree, only that the 'standards' and 'requirements' used in the case of Cubans seem to be absolutely arbitrary.) For the particular application in question, according to the documentation provided,  the applicant requested a Temporary Resident visa for cultural exchange and to visit Pulso Media Group Inc. and not  in fact to visit her sister on vacation.   If this was the true purpose of the visit (It was) it should have been noted on the application. (I invited my sister last year and she was refused a visa for the alleged same reasons)

In addition, the applicant has no travel history, no spouse, no children (ie limited family ties) (This one is new, my sister was not even notified that the absence of a husband/children was a factor in the denial of the visa. should she get married in order to apply successfully?) , limited employment ties, (Not true, my sister has a full time position as a music teacher in a conservatory and a part time position in another, she provided letters from her employers) no evidence of employment income ( Not true. My sister has a monthly salary of 450.00 at her full time job and 430.00 at her part time for a grand total of 880.00, the average monthly salary in Cuba ranges between 250-300.00. She provided the embassy with  letters from her employers in which her salary was clearly stated) and no declared properties /assets.

The onus is on applicants to show that their intentions are genuine. (Who can tell in the case of Cuba?) Their personal situation in their country of origin remains the essential aspect of the visa application assessment. (Unrealistic) If the Canadian officer is not satisfied with the temporary nature of the visit to Canada, that officer is obliged by law to refuse the application. If someone is refused, it is nearly always for this reason. (Nearly always? What are the exceptions?) Once a decision is made, the file is closed.  If the applicant feels that he or she has additional information, (Not sure what this means, if they don't even take into account the information provided) they may submit a new application and pay a new processing fee. (75.00 CDN, do the math, 26 Cuban pesos are equivalent to a dollar, average monthly salary 250-300.00 pesos, I remember the times when Cubans were allowed to pay in Cuban pesos at the embassy, the prices were affordable then, hard to find the word to describe the 'twist'),   Whenever possible, a different visa officer will examine the application. Information from any previous applications will be used as reference for the new one. (What's the point of using a different visa officer then?) However, if the applicant's personal situation has not substantively changed since the last application, there is little reason to expect a different decision. (Define 'substantively')
Best regards,

(No signature provided)

*The Ministry refused to discuss my sister's file with me on the grounds that, legally, she needed to give me authorization to do so. The embassy didn't seem to care...are they breaking the law?

____________

My response

Thank you Michelle,

Now that this step has been taken I would like to have an interview with Mr. Woodworth. Please let me know when this is possible. I am available any day until 2:30pm. I would also like to know who responded to you from the Canadian Embassy in Havana.

Best regards,

Lucia Gonzalez

_____________

MP's office response

 

Hi Lucia,

I will check with Mr. Woodworth as to a convenient time for an appointment although it will not be until later in the month as he will be out of the country as a Canadian Delegate with the NATO Parliamentary Association.

Unfortunately, I am not a liberty to give you my contact name at the Embassy. (???)

I will be in touch once I have some date for a possible meeting.

Regards,

Michelle

Email to Michelle Salt. Constituency Assistant. Kitchener

Re: Denied Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)

Hi Michelle,

I am wondering what the result of my inquiry has been in regards to my sisters application for a TRV. Have you had a reply from the Canadian Embassy in Havana yet? If not, any idea how much longer it will take?

My sister's full name is Yamina Gonzalez Almaguer, (Included her D.O.B. and her file number at the Canadian Embassy in Havana.)

Best regards,

Lucia A. Gonzalez

Reply from the Ministry of Immigration

Dear Ms. Gonzalez Almaguer:

I am replying to your e-mail of June 10, 2011, addressed to the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, concerning the refusal of a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for your sister, Ms. Yamina Gonzalez Almaguer.

As you may be aware, the Privacy Act prohibits the release of information on our clients without their written consent.  This legislation was designed to protect a person’s right to privacy when dealing with Canadian government institutions.  Our records do not indicate that you have been authorized, in writing, by Ms. Gonzalez Almaguer to receive information specific to her immigration file.

If you wish to make future enquiries about her application, she should fill out and sign an Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual form (IMM 5475), available at the following address: www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/ forms/IMM5475E.pdf.  This will authorize Citizenship and Immigration Canada to provide you with information about her application.  The form can be submitted with a new written request to:

Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Ottawa ON  K1A 1L1

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act gives visa officers the authority to issue TRVs and sets out certain basic requirements.  Applicants must demonstrate that they are genuine visitors, coming to Canada for a temporary period and will return home at the end of an authorized visit.   While we are able to approve most applications, we are required by law to refuse those where the individuals have not demonstrated that they are genuine visitors, coming to Canada for a temporary visit, and will return home at the end of an authorized stay.  Unless the visa officer is completely satisfied that the applicant is a genuine visitor, a TRV cannot be issued.

Hosts and relatives in Canada are welcome to support the application of a family member.  However, although such support may be considered, the decision of the officer is ultimately based on the applicant’s circumstances, and not on any guarantees that anyone may be prepared to offer on his or her behalf.  For this reason, the officers must form an opinion about the visitors’ intentions independent of the hosts’ assurances.

Thank you for taking the time to bring your concerns to the Minister's attention.  I trust that this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

G. Holmes

Ministerial Enquiries Division 

Visit to the local MPP office.

I spoke personally today to Michelle Salt, Constituency Assistant at the office of Mr. Stephen Woodworth. I brought with me a signed waiver that allows them to -I guess- find out who I am as I am giving them permssion to check with RCMP, Immigration and Citizenship and any other government agency about me. My Social Insurance Number was also in the waiver.

Michelle said that they would inquiry with the Canadian Embassy in Havana regarding the reasons that prompted a denial of a TRV or 'Temporary Resident Visa' a.k.a 'Visitor's Visa'. (I thought all along that the 'reasons' were the ones provided to my sister by the Embassy.) This is not promising at all. Other people have had the MPP office contact the Embassy with no results whatsoever. Michelle said that those denials could not be appealed which made me smile. -Dont we live in a democracy? Why can't we question the decision of a government official?- I asked what was the next step and she wouldn't commit to anything, after insisting she mentioned the possibility of an interview with Mr. Woodworth. I made clear that I was not giving up and I guess she got the message. We'll see...

BAD, BAD, BAD news.

An error entering the email addresses for the Canadian Minister of Immigration in the appropriate fields on the Petition caused that those 70+ signatures DID NOT generate an email. The http://www.change.org/ Help Desk sent me an email saying that:" You can only sign a petition once with the same Change.org account. The system won't allow duplicate signatures. There's nothing you can do about this unless you want to restart your entire petition and send out a message to your current participants of the old petition to sign the new one." Arghhhhhhh!!!

Call from The Record

Got a phone call from Liz Montero, a reporter from The Record; explained what's going on, gave her my blog electronic address as well as the site of the petition; she'll talk to her editor and will get back to me.

Phone call and email from Mr. Stephen Woodworth's office (Local MP)

Had a phone call from Michelle Salt, Constituency Assistant at the office of Mr. Stephen Woodworth. She wanted to know if I had my sister's file number at the embassy and she read to me a few excerpts of the government website regarding refused applications.

Here is the email I got a few minutes later, which I responded with the information requested.

Good Afternoon Ms. Gonzalez:

As per our conversation I have attached an Authorization and Consent Waiver.  If you could complete this waiver and return it to me together with your sister’s full name, date of birth and the file number, which you had indicated that your sister had sent, I will contact the Embassy in Cuba to see if we can get more fulsome reasons for the refusal of the application.  As well, if you could then post the original of the filled out waiver to our offices it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Michelle Salt

Constituency Assistant

Office of Stephen Woodworth

Member of Parliament

Kitchener Centre

Phone: 519-741-2001

Fax: 519-579-2404

Got a reply from Minister@cic.gc.ca...

It was one of those automated responses, a long one, one of the many points read:

Please note that we will not respond to e-mails concerning the following:
>
>
> * Refusal of an application by immigration or visa officials.

Getting the media involved. First step...

I spoke with Harvey Taylor, the city editor of The Record; he said that a reporter by the name of Liz Montero will call me today...

What you can do RIGHT NOW//Ce qu'on peut faire immédiatement:

1. Call Jason Kenney: 403-225-3480 or 613-992-2235

2. Email Jason Kenney: Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca & Minister@cic.gc.ca & kennej@parl.gc.ca

3. Twitter a message to Jason Kenney: @kenneyjason

4. Find and Contact your local MP: http://tiny.cc/findmp.

5. Read my blog for updates and information:www.letmysistervisitcanada.blogspot.com

6. Visit the Facebook page: Let my sister visit Canada

 1. Appeler Jason Kenney: 403-225-3480 ou au 613-992-2235.

2. Envoyer un mail électronique à Jason Kenney: Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca & Minister@cic.gc.ca & kennej@parl.gc.ca

3. Envoyer des messages de Twitter à Jason Kenney: @kenneyjason

4. Trouver et contacter votre MP local: http://tiny.cc/findmp.

5. Lisez mon blog régulièrement pour des mises à jour et des alertes : www.letmysistervisitcanada.blogspot.com.

6. S’il vous plait visiter la page Facebook : Let my sister visit Canada

I started a petition online at http://www.change.org/. To sign my petition, click here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/help-my-sister-visit-canada?share_id=iALwvrTHkZ&pe=pce

PETITION LETTER
 
LET MY SISTER VISIT CANADA
 
To Jason Kenney and the Department of Citizenship & Immigration Canada.
 
The undersigned support my petition that my sister, Yamina Gonzalez Almaguer, from Havana, Cuba, is granted a visitor’s visa.
 
The CEO and director of the Latidos (Heartbeats) magazine, the first bilingual English-Spanish cultural magazine in Toronto, invited my sister to visit Canada as a way to inaugurate a cultural bridge between Cuba and Canada; he wanted to publish a feature article on a Cuban musician visiting Toronto for the first time. On the 31st of May 2011, her visitor’s visa was denied.
 
I issued a personal letter of invitation for her last year in which I explained I would be undergoing major surgery. She would have been of great help and support during that difficult time for me, but again her visa was denied  on the 18th of March, 2010.
 
The arguments used by the Canadian immigration officer to deny her visitor’s visa both times were:
 
Her travel history: Cubans are not free to leave their country at will. Both our parents visited Canada and their ‘travel history’ was never a hindrance or problem whatsoever. They had never been outside of Cuba for any other reason and both returned before their visas expired.
 
Her family ties in Canada:  I am a Canadian citizen who emigrated from Cuba legally; I came to Canada on a visitor’s visa in 1993 and returned before the visa expired. There is no family history that implies she will attempt to stay in Canada illegally.
 
Limited employment prospects in her country of residence: My sister has a full time position as a music teacher in a conservatory and a part-time position in another. She has never been unemployed.  She loves what she does and has a very rewarding career and a happy life in Cuba.
 
Her personal assets and financial status: Cubans are not allowed to buy homes, land or even automobiles. My sister lives with our parents in a home that she will eventually inherit. Along with her employment, she has a salary way above the average by Cuban Standards.
 
Canada stands for family values and we urge you to stand by us and do the right thing; a Canadian citizen has the right to be visited by relatives in their adoptive land. The only way Cubans can stay in Canada is by providing reasonable grounds that convinces the Crown that going back will put them in immediate danger; that is not the case with my sister. No member of my family has grounds to request political refugee status in this country.
 
We urge you to remember that the spirit of democracy is justice. It wasn’t fair what happened with my sister in 2010 and it isn’t fair what happened to her on May 31^st, 2011. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

LAISSER MA SOEUR RENDRE VISITE AU CANADA

Cette lettre est adressé à Jason Kenney et le Département de Citoyenneté et d'Immigration Canadienne.

Soussignez pour soutenir ma pétition pour que ma sœur, Yamina Gonzalez Almaguer, qui habite à Havana, Cuba, puisse atteindre un visa de visite.

J'ai envoyé une lettre d'invitation personnelle pour elle l'année dernière dans laquelle j'ai expliqué que j'allais subir une grosse opération. Elle aurait été un soutien majeur et elle aurait pu m'aider à traverser cette période extrêmement difficile, mais son visa a été refusé le 18 mars 2010.

Le PDG et directeur du Magazine Latidos, le premier magazine culturelle Anglais-Espagnol à Toronto, a invité ma sœur à rendre visite au Canada pour former des liens et un pont culturelle entre le Canada et Cuba; il voulait publier un article de fond à propos un musicien Cubain qui rend visite à Toronto pour la première fois.  Le 31 Mai 2011, le visa de visite a été encore une fois rejeté.

Les raisons que l'agent d'immigration Canadien a utilisé pour refuser son visa encore une fois sont à suivre;

Son Histoire de Voyage: Les Cubains n'ont pas le droit de quitter leur pays à volonté. Nos parents ont rendu visite au Canada et leur histoire de voyage n'on pas été un souci ou un empêchement quoi que ce soit. Ils n'avaient jamais quitté Cuba pour aucune autre raison et ils sont retournés avant que leurs visas ont expirés.

Ses liens familiaux au Canada: Je suis une citoyenne Canadienne qui a immigré de Cuba légalement; Je suis venue au Canada avec un visa de visite en 1993 et je suis retourné avant qu’il expire. Il n'y a rien dans notre histoire familiale ou dans nos histoires de voyage qui indiquera qu'elle tentera de rester au Canada illégalement.

Les perspectives limitées d'emploi dans son pays de résidence: Ma sœur a un emploi à temps pleins comme une professeure de musique dans un conservatoire. Elle as aussi un emploi à temps partiel dans un autre conservatoire. Elle n'a jamais été sans emploi. Elle adore son travail et elle a une vie pleine de bonheur et d’accomplissements au Cuba.

Ses biens personnels et statut financier: Les Cubains n'ont pas le droit d'acheter des maisons, de la terre ou des automobiles. Ma sœur habite avec nos parents dans la maison qu'elle va un jour hériter. Avec son emploie, elle a un salaire bien élever comparer à la moyenne des salaires au Cuba.

Le Canada est un pays qui met la vie familiale en valeur et on vous encourage de nous tenir prêt pour assurer la justice; une citoyenne Canadienne a le droit d'être visité par ses relations dans leur pays adoptif. Le seul moyen qu'un Cubain peut rester au Canada est en fournissant des raisons raisonnables qui convaincra la Couronne que si ils étaient renvoyer, ils seront en danger immédiat; ce qui n'est pas le cas pour ma sœur. Il n'y a personne dans ma famille qui a raison pour demander le statut de réfugié politique dans ce pays.

On vous prie de vous rappeler que l'esprit de la démocratie est la justice. Ce n'est pas juste, ni correcte, ce qui c'est passé à ma sœur en 2010 et ce qui lui est arrivé la semaine dernière non plus.

The alleged reasons...

The CEO and director of the Latidos (Heartbeats) magazine (latidos.ca), the first bilingual English-Spanish cultural magazine in Toronto, dreamed that my sister was going to inaugurate a cultural bridge between Cuba and Canada; he invited my sister to come over so that she got acquainted with the rich Toronto Latin cultural life; he wanted to publish a feature article on a Cuban musician visiting Toronto for the first time. Little did he know…

It was today that I found out what arguments the visa officer used to deny my sister a visitor’s visa; read on:

Her travel history: Ridiculous, according to this, few Cubans would qualify as Cubans are not free to leave their country when they want, both my parents visited me here and no one said that their ‘travel history’ was a hindrance to visit Canada. They had never been outside of Cuba until then and both returned before their visas expired.

Her family ties in Canada: So, according to this one, the fact that I live here counts against my own sister visiting? I am a Canadian citizen and came to Canada legally; to this day, I am VERY proud to be a Canadian citizen, I have never been on welfare, have paid my taxes like everybody else but…my sister cannot visit this country because I live here? This visa officer has achieved what I would have thought unthinkable: I am starting to be ashamed…of what? Not sure yet…I am thinking long and hard. I don’t want to be ashamed of living here. I have made all my dreams a reality in this land and love too many people here…they would be offended if I were to say that I am ashamed to live in this country, I can’t do that to them…

Limited employment prospects in your country of residence: My sister has a full time position as a music teacher in a conservatory. Not enough? For many years she was a pianist for the Cuban National Opera (Limited?) until SHE decided to move on.  She has never been unemployed.  She loves what she does. What kind of limited employment prospects are these? The visa officer seemed to be thinking was that ‘Should she decided to stay in Canada she would have limit employment prospects’ (Freudian slip?) Why do they consider any prospective Cuban visitor a likely immigrant? My sister has a very rewarding career and a happy life in Cuba, has never expressed the desire to leave her country and seeing the land where her sister lives is one of her most cherished dreams. Most Cubans come here looking for way more than ‘employment prospects’. I know a brilliant cardiologist who works in a second hand store in Toronto, an anesthesiologist who cleans homes and engineers who work in temp. agencies. Wouldn’t you call those ‘Limited employment prospects?’

Her personal assets and financial status: This tops every other off by far. Personal assets? A Cuban living in Cuba? When I lived in Cuba my ‘personal assets’ were a bicycle I brought back with me after visiting Canada in the summer of ’93 (See? I didn’t stay then…my mistake?)and a tape recorder I bought with money a friend living in Spain gave me…. My sister is better off than that.

As for my sister’s financial status; she has, by Cuban standards, a salary way above the average. One of the questions in the visa application forms is how much money the applicant has (?) Well, the visa application processing fee just went up; it is now 75.00 CDN; the equivalent to several month’s pay of a Cuban with a salary above average, I’ll leave to your imagination the amount of ‘assets’ you can buy with that kind of money.

I was more worried about my sister getting permission from the Cuban government to come; she got it right away, I was relieved, then she went to the Canadian Embassy in Havana...

It is sad to realize that Canadian visa officers do not understand Cuba and Cubans. It is even more sad to see  how some of these arguments are used because it wouldn’t be politically correct to use the fact that my sister is not married and has no children.

According to the arguments used to deny my sister’s entry to Canada, she needs to travel the world as a tourist before she can come here, I’ll have to move to another country; she needs to win a Nobel Prize to make sure her employment prospects are safe and needs to amass a fortune and enough (Hoy much is enough?)material assets before she can even dream of watching the majesty of The Falls or admire Toronto from CN Tower.

The government of Canada has banged the doors on my sister's face.  I feel it is my duty, out of principle, to make sure this is reversed and I will do all it takes to make it happen.

I got an answer from Mr. Woodworth's office.

Good Morning Ms. Gonzalez:

 

On behalf of Stephen Woodworth, Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre, I would like to acknowledge receipt of and thank you for your email.

 

Please be assured that your correspondence will be brought to Mr. Woodworth's direct attention.

 

Sincerely,

Samantha

Samantha Flynn

Administrative Assistant

Stephen Woodworth, MP

Kitchener Centre

Email to Mr. Stephen Woodworth

I sent this email today at 11pm to Mr. Stephen Woodworth; feel free to email him about the same matter at woodworth.s@parl.gc.ca

Mr. Stephen Woodworth
Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre

Dear Sir,

I would like to have an interview with you. My sister in Cuba was denied a visitor's visa on May 31st, 2011; this is the second time. The previous time was on May 11/2010. Cubans are routinely denied visitor's visas to Canada on the grounds that they are 'possible immigrants' . This is an issue that has been affecting the Cuban-Canadian community at length. The visa officers base their decisions on items like age, marital status, ownership of property locally (Sick joke when it comes to Cubans) and whether the applicant has children as it's clear from the forms the applicants have to fill out at the Embassy when applying for a visitor's visa. Sometimes the applicants are not even given a reason for the denial. When they are given one it is usually that 'In the opinion of the visa officer who interviewed you, you are likely to stay in Canada'. Most of the time, the 'interview' is just a matter of delivering the forms to a visa officer. The cost of the so-called interview is now 75.00 CDN, the equivalent to 3 month's salary for the average Cuban. This is wrong. We Cuban-Canadians have the right to be visited by our relatives. Canada has to come up with a different policy when it comes to visitors from countries like Cuba. I am planning to take this issue as far as necessary and I am not giving up.

Both my parents visited me in Canada and returned. Before immigrating to Canada, back in 2001; I visited briefly (28 days) in 1993. There is no history in my family of anybody wanting to stay illegally in Canada or apply for political refugee status.

My sister has no reason to apply for political refugee status in Canada; my family has never been involved in politics.

My sister's name is Yamina Gonzalez Almaguer, she is 41.

I do hope we can find a way for this issue  to be resolved for once and for all. I, for one, had enough of the inefficiencies of the system.

I am at your disposal for an interview, any day, any time.

My very best regards,

Lucia A. Gonzalez Almaguer
91 Westview Crescent.
Kitchener, ON
N2N 2X7
519-954-3889

Please join: letmysistervisitcanada@groups.facebook.com..

My sister was denied a visitor's visa to Canada...again

My 41-year old sister was denied an entry visa to Canada on May 31st, 2011 for the second time. We Cuban-Canadians have to find a way for the Canadian government to stop doing this. It is always a gamble at the Canadian Embassy in Havana; we have the right to be visited by our dear ones. I have decided that I'll do whatever it takes to find  a way for this to stop.

Step 1. I created a Facebook group. 'Let my sister visit Canada'
Step 2. I sent a message to my local MP, Mr. Stephen Woodworth. I am requesting an interview to discuss the matter. Here is the message:


Dear Sir,

I would like to have an interview with you. My sister in Cuba was denied a visitor's visa on May 31st, 2011; this is the second time. Cubans are routinely denied visitor's visas to Canada on the grounds that they are 'possible immigrants' . This is an issue that has been affecting the Cuban community at length. The visa officers base their decisions on items like age, marital status, ownership of property locally (Sick joke when it comes to Cubans) and whether the applicant has children as it's clear from the forms the applicants have to fill out at the Embassy when applying for a visitor's visa. Sometimes the applicants are not even given a reason for the denial. This is wrong. We Cuban-Canadians have the right to be visited by our relatives. Canada has to come up with a different policy when it comes to visitors from countries like Cuba. I am planning to take this issue as far as necessary and I am not giving up.

I do hope we can find a way for this issue  to be resolved for once and for all. I, for one, had enough of the inefficiencies of the system.

I am at your disposal for an interview, any day, any time.

My very best regards,

Lucia Gonzalez

Step 3. I created this blog.