Ding Ding Ding Round II!!!
Sigh. I am so frustrated.
Vetania's prospective employer went through the hoops again to try and bring Vetania to Canada to work on his fruit and vegetable farm. He got the positive LMO, issued work contracts to Vetania and 3 other Dominicans, and Vetania promptly went to SD to pay the $130 again and take all documents required for the visa application.
When she left the application and passport, she was told to come back in two weeks. We thought this was a good sign, in light of the fact that she already had her next appointment. We thought perhaps at this point she would be given her visa, since there were so many problems last year. We thought wrong.
She arrived May 18, was handed her papers and passport back, along with another denial letter. This time, their excuse was that there was not sufficient reason for her to return to the Dominican Republic once the visa expired. Vetania now has a house, land, and vehicle in her name, and she brought titles to all. She has money in the bank, and has several University courses behind her, not many to complete her degree. She was not granted an interview, again, so how did they decide she would never return to the DR?
DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYBODY WHO RECENTLY RECEIVED A WORK VISA FROM THE DR??? I'm just wondering what it takes to make the grade! Here is a copy of the letter her employer is sending his MP:
Dear Ms. Gallant
My name is G XXXand I represent XXXX Farms of XXX, Ontario. I am writing to you, as my Member of Parliament, with yet again - another Immigration issue I am involved with, and am imploring that you look into this totally unjust and rather nonsensical system and see what I believe is flagrant prejudicism by C.I.C. Canada.
Let me summarize this effort thus far.
Last summer, I applied to HRSDC Canada to hire a foreign worker to come to Canada to work on our vegetable market garden farm.
I was quickly approved by HRSDC for the LMO and in turn, I promptly issued a work contract to Vetania Burgos Portorreal of Sosua, Dominican Republic. Things progressed very smoothly until the ball was handed over to CIC in the Dominican Republic. To familiarize yourself with the events that took place last season, please skip down to the lower portion of this letter where I have attached the letter I sent to your office last season, requesting your assistance. Upon reading last year's letter, you may recall the situation. Trina Burgos, from Calgary, also got her MP involved and things started to come together - although by this time, most of the summer had slid by and it was too late to justify bringing Vetania to Canada. Due to the length of processing time in the Dominican Republic, I'd basically lost the opportunity to have Vetania work for me. Vetania was granted an appeal, and had an interview, but as mentioned, it was too late for her to be of value to our farm. She was encouraged to reapply in 2007, and she was told by a CIC worker that would most assuredly be granted a work visa when she applied again in 2007.
This brings us to the current year.
I commenced procedings in February with my application to HRSDC Canada. After some delays with small details, the paperwork was again approved, confirmation #XXXXXXX, on April 25th. I immediately issued contracts to 4 prospective Dominican workers. I have traveled to the Dominican Republic each winter for the past few years, and these workers are people that I personally know. I am confident each would be a great candidate to come to Canada. All are honest, hard working, law-abiding citizens who have never been given any real breaks in their lives. Each is deserving of a chance to come to our beautiful country to not only improve their lives, but to help contribute to our economy and distressful labour situation.
On May 3, Vetania was the first of the prospective workers to go to the Embassy to deposit the required paperwork. Her positive medical examination report from last year was still valid, and she was anxious to commence the proceedings before it expired. Another medical would cost her approximately $200 CDN, and she's already needlessly spent so much money on these visa attempts. She was told to come back on May 17, but like last year, not told why. Today was May 17th and Vetania again crossed the island (whole day round trip) to be handed yet another visa denial!! The reason I have been told was "she has not demonstrated that she is established in her own country" ???????? How did they come to this conclusion? Vetania gave CIC copies of her titles to land, house, and vehicle, and is in the process of taking University courses to better her life. She needs to continue her courses, and therefore, needs to return to the Dominican Republic to work towards her degree. No one has ever attempted to interview her about this, so it leaves me to wonder what criteria this judgement against her has been based on.
Two of the other workers went to the embassy for the first time last Monday, May 14, and submitted their paperwork, passports, $130 USD etc and were then told to come back (whole day round trip) on May 28, but again, not told why. From last years experience I am certain that it will be that they will be told to go to Clinic Abreu for their medicals. I was aware of the usual chain of events that take place so over a month ago and attempted to contact Laura Diaz at the embassy via email. She received my email but has never responded to it. In this email, I asked that in order to save time (at least 2 weeks) and to avoid one additional trip across the island (whole day round trip), I was prepared to pay to have these workers' medicals done immediately, and then they could simply hand them in at the time of application for the work visa. The week prior to the date they were to be at the embassy, I repeatedly tried to phone Laura Diaz, leaving several messages for her to return my call. On May 14th, when the workers were at the embassy to file their work visa application, I called Laura Diaz several times and left messages again for her to call me back - stating that the workers were sitting in Santo Domingo and were available to go get their medicals right then if she would allow them to. You need to know that there is only one place in the whole country that work visa applicants can have their medicals done, and that is right near the embassy in Santo Domingo - so it would have been at least courteous of Ms Diaz to return my call - rather than have these people sitting there most of the day, wondering what was happening.
After today's denial for Vetania, (whom I thought for sure) was the most likely to be granted the visa - I am left wondering what does it take to make the grade?? I do not know what to tell the other workers - should they waste any more time and their hard-earned money on this process? It will have cost each of these people over 500 dollars to get this far - which is a couple months pay for them in the DR - it's all just so disappointing...
I am told that there is a quota for a set number of visas each year - if this is the case, surely they should stop taking these poor peoples' money, making them jump through all these hoops, and worst of all giving them false hopes!
I would like to see some stats on this - but I would assume that most, maybe all, Jamaicans or Mexicans given work contracts approved by HRSDC are issued work visas - why is the Dominican Republic any different?
I hope Cheryl that you can investigate this - something just is not right here. Canada claims to be the country which grants everyone equal opportunities - it does not seem to be the case here.
Thanks in advance
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