A Delayed Process

I recently received some really good news.

My husband, Grant, has finally received his Permanent Residence Status for Canada (PR)! This means that he can finally live in Canada in peace, with the right to live here, receive health care, work, and so much more.

This is a huge answer to prayer. Almost every time Grant and I prayed together, whether that be before bed or even before eating, we would always ask God for Grant’s PR. I can’t even count the number of friends and family members who have told me that they are praying for Grant’s PR to come. Though it took a lot of patience, God answered that prayer this month!

The average wait time when receiving Permanent Residency in Canada, pre-pandemic, was 6 months. Grant and I waited eagerly as 6 months went by, then 12 months, and finally now, after 18 months we got the good news. Altogether it’s been a year and a half of waiting and confusion. The biggest challenge we experienced in waiting for this PR was the fact that Grant was not allowed to cross the border into the US until he had it. He no longer was allowed to see all of his friends and family, in the country he knew as home. This definitely brought, to both of us, a new awareness to the struggle that so many have to go through when moving from their home country.

During the 18 months of waiting, three major things took place, contributing to the delay. The first as I mentioned was the pandemic. Worldwide, hundreds of couples, families, and close friends also went through separation through the closing of borders and airlines. The second was when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. In Canada, our leaders made it a top priority to focus on the paperwork for those fleeing from Afghanistan and seeking refuge in Canada. The third was the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine. For many reasons this delayed the PR process, and again this included giving priority to the paperwork of Ukrainian refugees.

Though Grant and I were desperate to get his papers, these major world events brought to our attention the reality of what many are facing today. Currently there is an estimate of 1.8 million people waiting for permanent residency and citizenship. Because of our situation, I’ve read countless articles and stories of so many families longing to be together again. Some families have been waiting years for their status and cannot even go home if they get rejected. Though it’s been hard to wait, I’m grateful that our leaders chose to prioritize refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Grant and I have been safe here in Canada and we were able to get by financially while we waited. There is a lot of difficulty and disorder in our immigration system that for the first time I witnessed first hand.

My heart goes out to those missing birthdays, weddings, holidays, and funerals for the ones they love. Almost everyone in the world experienced this type of separation in the lockdowns from the pandemic, but as covid restrictions subside in Canada, many immigrants still have to wait an indefinite amount of time for their reunion to come.

I am beyond excited to see Grant finally reunite with family and friends. It will be great to see the joy he feels to be back somewhere familiar and have the freedom to come back anytime. Though it was hard at times when the answer to our prayers was to wait, God taught us both a lot about leaning on His will, even when it didn’t always make sense to us.

Grant holding his finished application ready to submit it back in 2020!