Let’s go into outer space (liberal-left-run Canada) and see if we can spot the problem—and here’s a clue: it’s not what Chuck or Annette think it is.
Brule couple stunned by immigration denial
By Sherry Martell
Truro Daily News
Saturday, December 17, 2005When Annette Hunziker stopped to pick up the mail a few weeks ago her life came to a jarring halt.
For years, as American citizens, she and her husband Chuck had been awaiting final approval from Immigration Canada, so they could officially start building their new lives here.
But with the lift of an envelope flap, their dreams came crashing down.
“It said your application has been rejected,” said Annette. “I didn’t even try to read the reasons, my heart started to pound.
“It was so horrible, I had to find Chuck. My life stopped.”
She returned home to Brule, to find her husband puttering in his workshop.
“The moment our eyes met I started to cry,” she said. “I couldn’t even talk. It was such a shock.”
Three years have passed since their initial application to Immigration Canada, requesting permanent resident visas as entrepreneurs.
“We have followed every single rule, dotted every i, crossed every t. It will withstand any test,” said Chuck.
He has been active in the community for more than a decade and Annette, half that time. They bought the Village Florist shop in 2002, providing jobs for two others, and have volunteered thousands of hours to nonprofit groups.
A system of ranking potential entrepreneurial immigrants requires a minimum score of 35 out of 100. They easily made the grade with 79.
Now, rejected by the federal department, the couple can only remain in Canada until their visitors’ visas expire in September 2006.
Chuck, 63, and Annette, 51, feel the fact they are past normal child-bearing years went against them.
“I absolutely believe it is an age thing,” said Annette.
“We don’t fit the cookie-cutter criteria.”
Ron Heisler, director of operations for Nova Scotia and District with the Department of Immigration, said he could not comment on any specific file. However, in general, age is a factor along with other issues, but he said there is no preferred age group that would be selected over another.
“We figured if immigration had a problem they’d call, we’d meet and they’d get answers to their questions. That never happened,” Annette said.
Chuck says they are financially independent with enough income to sustain themselves with their savings and investments.
The couple have received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails of support. They have approached several politicians and high ranking officials pleading for help.
Devastated by the rejection, with no backup plan, the couple say as a last resort they will hire lawyers and fight to stay in Canada.
“I think we are part of the fabric of what is Tatamagouche,” said Annette.
“We are family. This is home.”
Give up? Here’s the answer, I think. I flagged the bad words as liberals would see them and as I imagine they’d mark them up on their tally sheets:
… application to Immigration Canada, requesting permanent resident visas as entrepreneurs.
… Chuck says they are financially independent with enough income to sustain themselves with their savings and investments … He has been active in the community for more than a decade and Annette, half that time. They bought the Village Florist shop in 2002, providing jobs for two others, and have volunteered thousands of hours to nonprofit groups.
Plus, they’re not terrorists or gay or U.S. Army deserters or overt leftists or a visible minority group with lots of family ties back in some poor country. That ain’t liberal!
How in tarnation is the liberal-left going to gain any street cred (and votes!) unless people become totally and completely dependent and reliant in every which way upon the benevolent liberal-left nanny-welfare-state?
The reader, Kim, who sent me the article said in his email:
This is an interesting story about how much disconnect there is in our immigration policy / dept. in this country.
Some of us cannot understand why our cities are full of terrorists, Jamaican gun-runners (the guns aren’t coming from the US), and ‘opportunists’ from around the world … yet good, law abiding people who contribute are given the boot …. makes no sense to me.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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