Hi everyone,
I've been checking this forum on and off since 2012, so I thought it was time to give back. Especially now that we await the final stages of a fresh pr application for my husband. If he's refused again, I probably won't feel like writing all this. So now is the time. And hopefully this will help others, who may be searching for info, now or in the future.
I'm Canadian (born in Vancouver), and met my soul mate while living in Japan. He was from Peru. We fell madly in love. I was teaching English and he was a very hard working painter and decorator. He is the most gentle, kindest person you will ever meet. But he had two complicated situations.
He had entered Japan with a fake passport. Actually, few people know this history, but tens of thousands of Peruvians did so. In the late 80s and early 90s Peru was in a state of severe economic crisis and terrorism. Everyone wanted to get out and work abroad. At the same time, Japan opened its doors to Japanese descendants in South America, to work in the factories and other labour jobs. Peru is a very corrupt country, and before the government took control of identities, digitally, it was easy peasy to create fake birth certificates, passports etc. by paying off officials. Nikkei families themselves participated in the scams, as they needed money, just like everyone else. So suddenly you had adults being "adopted" by families. Either they made up new identities (registering fake births in town halls, going back in time), or they lent the identity of a family member who couldn't travel to Japan. Both options came with a hefty fee of course, from the families and from officials. Local recruiters also made tons of money by financing peoples' airfares to Japan and taking money from their paychecks every month for a long time. It was beneficial to all. I DO NOT CONDONE THIS AT ALL!!! Please, I do not want any criticism. I'm just trying to help others.
Soon after I met him, he told me his situation. He was still legal at the time. I was in total, complete shock. It even turned me off from our friendship. But he was such a good guy and our feelings were too strong, that I couldn't help but fall in love. Around that time, he was called in by immigration. They had discovered that he was fake, and ordered him to leave, on his own accord. He asked me to move to Peru with him but I said no way. I barely knew him (6 ish months), and I was happy with my job and life in Japan. So he decided to stay, to be with me, and to continue to support his daughters and parents in Peru.
Which brings me to the other complication. He was separated, but still married. She was in Peru. His relationship was a disaster (yes, some women can be abusive), and his wife was demanding the divorce. But because he was with a fake identity, he couldn't do anything.
In the next few years I regularly visited lawyers, trying to find a solution. A way for him to regularize his situation in Japan once he could rectify his identity and we could get married. Once all legal and living correctly in Japan, I wanted to move with him and our son to Canada. Yes, our son was born in Japan while he was illegal, despite him trying to convince me to move to Peru. I was terrified because a close friend had recently been robbed at gun point and almost killed there.
He accomplished rectifying his identity with the Peruvian authorities (it was a looooong process). But now we had two barriers. One, Japan had changed their immigration laws and there was no way. Two, his wife now refused to divorce, citing officially (to those who knew them) religious reasons, but to him demanding more money than he had. He sent her a huge amount of money, for her to buy a home for his teenage daughters, and she used it all up, in who knows what. And demanded more, which he didn't have anymore. So, no divorce.
We knew we had to leave Japan. I still didn't want to move to Peru, and left with my son when my visa expired. I also have an EU passport, and moved to Spain, hoping my husband could find a way to move there, with a job/working visa. He finally turned himself in in Japan. He apologized to the authorities, and he really meant it. Japan had been so good to him. He was already regretful for his actions.
He was was given a departure order, and allowed to leave Japan on his own. He had no criminal record. It was considered solely an immigration offense. He was never charged.
Once in Peru, I tired in earnest to bring him to Spain, but the crisis had already hit the economy hard. I had a job, but what was the point if he couldn't come. He begged us to come to Peru, literally crying on the phone every day. (And trust me, he does not cry!).
So, after almost a year apart, my son and I boarded a plane for Lima. I was so nervous, I was ill the whole way there. I started to doubt my decision. But when we arrived at the airport, and my husband came to hug me, I melted. It all felt so right.
We were in Lima for a few years. The first year was a like a honeymoon stage and every thing was so exciting. He has a humongous loving family and it felt wonderful. But Lima is a dangerous place, and the job situation is really bad. Education, health care, pollution... so many, many problems for raising a family if your'e not rich. We both worked, but we couldn't earn enough. And aside from all that, I really, really, really wanted to live in my country and raise my child in my home town, beautiful Vancouver (that was before rents sky rocketed!). I dreamed about it every single day. I spent several months working on his pr application. Because we were only common-law, and he was still legally married, I worked hard on the proof of cohabitation and proof of relationship sections.
People advised us to hide his history of using a fake passport to enter Japan, and being illegal. But we said no way. He was living a correct life. We told all the truth, all details in the background section. I actually believed that that shouldn't have been a problem. We couldn't afford to hire a lawyer, so I did it all on my own.
DEPENDENTS' MEDICALS WHEN THE OTHER PARENT REFUSES
The problem that we had for sending in his application was medical exams for his daughters, his non-accompanying dependents. They were around 16 and 14 at the time and lived with their mother. He went on numerous occasions to talk to their mother, but she was FURIOUS and refused to cooperate. Despite him explaining everything, she accused him of wanting to take her daughters away from her. So all we could send in was his declaration and a cover letter, that we couldn't include them in the application. When our application was in Mississauga for my eligibility, they sent us an email asking for their medicals. This time I asked my husband to ask her again, by email. She then sent him death threats via email. It was soooo stressful and scary! All I could do was send them the email death threats, with official translations. This was accepted.
COMMON-LAW, one partner still married
When the application came to Lima, after waiting for a year, I went to the Embassy. They told me he needed to present divorce papers, for them to be able to approve. He was in a divorce process, but it was taking YEARS, literally.
CRIMINALITY
When I went in later with proof of his divorce process, they told me that they were reviewing his "criminality." I was in extreme shock. I couldn't believe it. He couldn't hurt a fly. He's no criminal. I ended up going in a few times, and at least twice the staff spoke to me in a humiliating way. Finally I saw an officer. He was kind and said he was doing everything he could to rehabilitate him and make him admissible. But he also had some humiliating words for me. Each time I walked out of the Embassy and onto the streets of Lima in tears. It was too painful to think that maybe I couldn't raise my children in my country.
TO BE CONTINUED BELOW
I've been checking this forum on and off since 2012, so I thought it was time to give back. Especially now that we await the final stages of a fresh pr application for my husband. If he's refused again, I probably won't feel like writing all this. So now is the time. And hopefully this will help others, who may be searching for info, now or in the future.
I'm Canadian (born in Vancouver), and met my soul mate while living in Japan. He was from Peru. We fell madly in love. I was teaching English and he was a very hard working painter and decorator. He is the most gentle, kindest person you will ever meet. But he had two complicated situations.
He had entered Japan with a fake passport. Actually, few people know this history, but tens of thousands of Peruvians did so. In the late 80s and early 90s Peru was in a state of severe economic crisis and terrorism. Everyone wanted to get out and work abroad. At the same time, Japan opened its doors to Japanese descendants in South America, to work in the factories and other labour jobs. Peru is a very corrupt country, and before the government took control of identities, digitally, it was easy peasy to create fake birth certificates, passports etc. by paying off officials. Nikkei families themselves participated in the scams, as they needed money, just like everyone else. So suddenly you had adults being "adopted" by families. Either they made up new identities (registering fake births in town halls, going back in time), or they lent the identity of a family member who couldn't travel to Japan. Both options came with a hefty fee of course, from the families and from officials. Local recruiters also made tons of money by financing peoples' airfares to Japan and taking money from their paychecks every month for a long time. It was beneficial to all. I DO NOT CONDONE THIS AT ALL!!! Please, I do not want any criticism. I'm just trying to help others.
Soon after I met him, he told me his situation. He was still legal at the time. I was in total, complete shock. It even turned me off from our friendship. But he was such a good guy and our feelings were too strong, that I couldn't help but fall in love. Around that time, he was called in by immigration. They had discovered that he was fake, and ordered him to leave, on his own accord. He asked me to move to Peru with him but I said no way. I barely knew him (6 ish months), and I was happy with my job and life in Japan. So he decided to stay, to be with me, and to continue to support his daughters and parents in Peru.
Which brings me to the other complication. He was separated, but still married. She was in Peru. His relationship was a disaster (yes, some women can be abusive), and his wife was demanding the divorce. But because he was with a fake identity, he couldn't do anything.
In the next few years I regularly visited lawyers, trying to find a solution. A way for him to regularize his situation in Japan once he could rectify his identity and we could get married. Once all legal and living correctly in Japan, I wanted to move with him and our son to Canada. Yes, our son was born in Japan while he was illegal, despite him trying to convince me to move to Peru. I was terrified because a close friend had recently been robbed at gun point and almost killed there.
He accomplished rectifying his identity with the Peruvian authorities (it was a looooong process). But now we had two barriers. One, Japan had changed their immigration laws and there was no way. Two, his wife now refused to divorce, citing officially (to those who knew them) religious reasons, but to him demanding more money than he had. He sent her a huge amount of money, for her to buy a home for his teenage daughters, and she used it all up, in who knows what. And demanded more, which he didn't have anymore. So, no divorce.
We knew we had to leave Japan. I still didn't want to move to Peru, and left with my son when my visa expired. I also have an EU passport, and moved to Spain, hoping my husband could find a way to move there, with a job/working visa. He finally turned himself in in Japan. He apologized to the authorities, and he really meant it. Japan had been so good to him. He was already regretful for his actions.
He was was given a departure order, and allowed to leave Japan on his own. He had no criminal record. It was considered solely an immigration offense. He was never charged.
Once in Peru, I tired in earnest to bring him to Spain, but the crisis had already hit the economy hard. I had a job, but what was the point if he couldn't come. He begged us to come to Peru, literally crying on the phone every day. (And trust me, he does not cry!).
So, after almost a year apart, my son and I boarded a plane for Lima. I was so nervous, I was ill the whole way there. I started to doubt my decision. But when we arrived at the airport, and my husband came to hug me, I melted. It all felt so right.
We were in Lima for a few years. The first year was a like a honeymoon stage and every thing was so exciting. He has a humongous loving family and it felt wonderful. But Lima is a dangerous place, and the job situation is really bad. Education, health care, pollution... so many, many problems for raising a family if your'e not rich. We both worked, but we couldn't earn enough. And aside from all that, I really, really, really wanted to live in my country and raise my child in my home town, beautiful Vancouver (that was before rents sky rocketed!). I dreamed about it every single day. I spent several months working on his pr application. Because we were only common-law, and he was still legally married, I worked hard on the proof of cohabitation and proof of relationship sections.
People advised us to hide his history of using a fake passport to enter Japan, and being illegal. But we said no way. He was living a correct life. We told all the truth, all details in the background section. I actually believed that that shouldn't have been a problem. We couldn't afford to hire a lawyer, so I did it all on my own.
DEPENDENTS' MEDICALS WHEN THE OTHER PARENT REFUSES
The problem that we had for sending in his application was medical exams for his daughters, his non-accompanying dependents. They were around 16 and 14 at the time and lived with their mother. He went on numerous occasions to talk to their mother, but she was FURIOUS and refused to cooperate. Despite him explaining everything, she accused him of wanting to take her daughters away from her. So all we could send in was his declaration and a cover letter, that we couldn't include them in the application. When our application was in Mississauga for my eligibility, they sent us an email asking for their medicals. This time I asked my husband to ask her again, by email. She then sent him death threats via email. It was soooo stressful and scary! All I could do was send them the email death threats, with official translations. This was accepted.
COMMON-LAW, one partner still married
When the application came to Lima, after waiting for a year, I went to the Embassy. They told me he needed to present divorce papers, for them to be able to approve. He was in a divorce process, but it was taking YEARS, literally.
CRIMINALITY
When I went in later with proof of his divorce process, they told me that they were reviewing his "criminality." I was in extreme shock. I couldn't believe it. He couldn't hurt a fly. He's no criminal. I ended up going in a few times, and at least twice the staff spoke to me in a humiliating way. Finally I saw an officer. He was kind and said he was doing everything he could to rehabilitate him and make him admissible. But he also had some humiliating words for me. Each time I walked out of the Embassy and onto the streets of Lima in tears. It was too painful to think that maybe I couldn't raise my children in my country.
TO BE CONTINUED BELOW
If anyone has any tips or info about that, let me know. I wonder if there's too much competition. Anyway, if he gets pr, I will start career planning for Canada. 
