Line ups outside the grocery store. Capacity limitations in shops, gyms and places of worship. Take-out only. Closed schools, staff shortages and delays in services. 

Two years into the pandemic, many of us are so used to these inconveniences, most of them have become ordinary.  We exhale a frustrated sigh as we pull into the grocery store parking lot and calculate how long we’ll be waiting outside in the cold. So many irritations, normalized. 

But there are other pandemic-related delays that we don’t see every day. Other inconveniences that run deeper than being irritating, but that are instead, unbearable. Delays in surgeries – patients who require medical attention, informed that their life-saving procedure will have to wait. Business closures – owners who have suffered unpredictable restrictions and loss in revenue, losing their livelihood and threatening their stability. And of course, our most vulnerable – seniors, children, the immunocompromised, and marginalized communities. These groups have experienced the worst type of isolation, closures and unavailable medical care. They have carried a far heavier burden throughout the pandemic, and the systems they rely on have proven to be dangerously fragile. Among those systems shaken loose by the pandemic is the Immigration system.  

Pre-pandemic, the system that supports those immigrating to and finding refuge in Canada was like any other. Flawed, but functional. Delays were not unheard of, the rejection of an application was not impossible, but it was not the norm. An individual waiting to be reunited with their spouse three years after arriving in Canada was a rarity. Now, two years later, mid-pandemic, these situations have become familiar. Too many people have been lost in the system for so long that Canada has seen protests across the country. Delays and rejections have indeed become the norm.

For individuals who are applying to bring their spouse to Canada, the pandemic has created a perfect storm. A cacophony of issues like shortages in staffing, processing wait times and rejected visas has amounted to a precarious process that threatens painful setbacks in spousal sponsorship applications. Some individuals that were lucky to get their applications submitted before the onset of the coronavirus are still struggling in the system, and those trying to get in now are being met with changing deadlines, restrictions and inconsistent communication. Considering that even the most privileged people are missing their families and trying to plan when they might all be under the same roof again, imagine those fighting for spousal reunification, with no surety as to when or if they will be successful in their fight. Instead, they are left helpless and stuck in a painful entanglement of changing rules and regulations.

We might be okay with long line ups and take-out only, but being separated from your spouse indefinitely, while the pandemic drags on, is different. These are high stakes. 

Knowing your application is in the right hands is imperative. Having an immigration lawyer who is thoroughly familiar with the spousal sponsorship application process is the first step in limiting mistakes that can result in significant delays or the altogether refusal of an application. Slipocoff Immigration Law will act as your advocate and work with you, answering your questions and staying one step ahead of the changing curve. We navigate the system for you, and optimize the success of an application. Find solace in knowing your representation is checking every line and detail, and is working with you at every step. Our energy is focused on you and your family.  For more information, please contact us.