Neurosurgeon's American wife has tried for Canadian resident status for 3 years
Last Updated: Monday, June 14, 2010 | 11:50 AM ET
CBC News
A Toronto neurosurgeon has decided to move to the U.S. because he's fed up with waiting for Citizenship and Immigration Canada to give his American wife permanent resident status.
Dr. Ratan Bhardwaj said immigration officials told him they would contact him about his wife's application a year and a half ago, but he later found out that part of the file on his wife had been lost and her paperwork had expired.
"It was very frustrating for us. We are very disappointed with the government," he said.
Dr. Ratan Bhardwaj is Canadian. He returned to Ontario with his American wife, Anu, three years ago.
The couple had been living in Sweden, where he did stem cell research and where she got her MBA.
Bhardwaj expected his wife to get permanent resident status within six months, but she is still waiting.
"Any employer would ask, 'What's your status?'" Anu said.
"I have no status. I have zero status. I am a visitor, and I have been a visitor for three years,'" she said.
"I had amazing credentials coming here. I had a lot of international experience, and your country doesn't recognize this," she said.
Bhardwaj said Canada is losing out in more ways than one.
"It also comes down to economics. Canada's invested a lot of money to train me. If I can't work here because my wife has no papers, I will have to go where my wife can work. So that is money lost," he said.
'It's just completely inefficient': Chow
Toronto MP Olivia Chow said the frustration and long wait experienced by this couple is not unusual.
She said Canada's immigration system is still processing applications on paper instead going online.
"It's just completely inefficient. If I actually described how it actually works, I think most Canadians would be ashamed," Chow said.
Chow said she spoke to the department about this case, and officials confirmed to her that Anu's paperwork had been lost.
Ratan Bhardwaj completed his residency in neurosurgery in Canada two weeks ago. He said he plans to work in San Diego for about a year.
If his wife's application still isn't processed by the time he's ready to come back to Canada, he said he'll move to California permanently.
Last Updated: Monday, June 14, 2010 | 11:50 AM ET
CBC News
A Toronto neurosurgeon has decided to move to the U.S. because he's fed up with waiting for Citizenship and Immigration Canada to give his American wife permanent resident status.
Dr. Ratan Bhardwaj said immigration officials told him they would contact him about his wife's application a year and a half ago, but he later found out that part of the file on his wife had been lost and her paperwork had expired.
"It was very frustrating for us. We are very disappointed with the government," he said.
Dr. Ratan Bhardwaj is Canadian. He returned to Ontario with his American wife, Anu, three years ago.
The couple had been living in Sweden, where he did stem cell research and where she got her MBA.
Bhardwaj expected his wife to get permanent resident status within six months, but she is still waiting.
"Any employer would ask, 'What's your status?'" Anu said.
"I have no status. I have zero status. I am a visitor, and I have been a visitor for three years,'" she said.
"I had amazing credentials coming here. I had a lot of international experience, and your country doesn't recognize this," she said.
Bhardwaj said Canada is losing out in more ways than one.
"It also comes down to economics. Canada's invested a lot of money to train me. If I can't work here because my wife has no papers, I will have to go where my wife can work. So that is money lost," he said.
'It's just completely inefficient': Chow
Toronto MP Olivia Chow said the frustration and long wait experienced by this couple is not unusual.
She said Canada's immigration system is still processing applications on paper instead going online.
"It's just completely inefficient. If I actually described how it actually works, I think most Canadians would be ashamed," Chow said.
Chow said she spoke to the department about this case, and officials confirmed to her that Anu's paperwork had been lost.
Ratan Bhardwaj completed his residency in neurosurgery in Canada two weeks ago. He said he plans to work in San Diego for about a year.
If his wife's application still isn't processed by the time he's ready to come back to Canada, he said he'll move to California permanently.