[PSRList] Assistance with Stalled Application Following Applicant Interviews in Jordan

[Youzbashi, Ammar]

Hi Ann-Marie,

This is such an unusual request from the visa office. It is hard to tell what prompt them to request such document. I do not think the French embassy can issue such documents for various reasons.

You can submit Access to Information and Privacy Request (ATIP) on their behalf: https://atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca/atip/welcome.do

Each applicant over 18 should sign IMM5744E giving you a consent to access their information.

Hope this will help.

Best,
Ammar


Ammar Youzbashi
Advisor, Refugee Program
The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada
Toronto, ON  M8X 2Y4
Local: 416-231-7680 x 4045
Toll Free: 1-800-268-3781 x 4045
www.united-church.ca<http://www.united-church.ca/> / www.egliseunie.ca<http://www.egliseunie.ca/>

The United Church of Canada acknowledges that its buildings and ministries, from coast to coast to coast, are on traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples.

Our vital, innovative, and healing ministries are supported by generous Mission & Service donations.



From: PSR [mailto:psr-bounces at list.rstp.ca] On Behalf Of Ann-Marie Petr
Sent: August 21, 2017 11:17 AM
To: PSR at list.rstp.ca
Subject: [PSRList] Assistance with Stalled Application Following Applicant Interviews in Jordan

Hello,

I apologize for sending to such a large distribution, but I have exhausted all other avenues to obtain assistance and am hoping that someone here has experience with a similar case and will be able to assist us and give us a way forward with our case.

I am co-sponsor of 2 Iraqi brothers who are refugees, currently in Jordan.

They were interviewed, in January, and told that they were approved, pending medical check and security check.  Things then went silent with their case for months and, in that time, much later applicant's cases progressed.  In May, the brothers contacted the Amman Visa office who asked them to provide a document stating that they are not French citizens and are not eligible for French citizenship.  The first concern is why were they, and the SAH, were not contacted by the Visa office with a request for this information?  They had no idea that anything was required until they contacted the Visa office, months after the interview.

In order to fulfill the request, they went to the French embassy, in Amman, multiple times and were told that the embassy does not provide any such document as it does not exist.  I have called multiple other French embassies with the same response.  We have tried to contact French government agencies dealing with immigration / citizenship without success.  We even paid for translation of our request as requested by one of the agencies and, subsequently, heard nothing.  We contacted a French lawyer who also indicated that there is no such document and for actual “proof” or investigation into eligibility for French citizenship, it takes years and requires a visit to France - none of this is possible.  Even in Canada, it takes months to fulfill a request for proof of citizenship yet the Visa office, in Amman, gave the applicants 30 days to provide proof that they are NOT French citizens or eligible for citizenship.

Here we are, months later with no progress or updates on their cases.  I have contacted multiple SAHs, RSTP, Refugee613, our local MP and we have no answers and no updates and no recommendations for what to do.  In the time that their case has been under review, other refugees have applied, had applications review, approved, been interviewed, completed security checks and medicals, and flown to Canada!  I am also a sponsor of another refugee who applied 6 months after these brothers and he is already in Ottawa!

The brothers have no ties to France and have communicated such to the Visa offie with no response other than it was under review, but it has been under review for months now.  What can we do for an update or to move this forward?  Something appears to be genuinely broken in the process and with this case and we are incredibly frustrated trying to get any updates or answers or understand what is going on.  Why is this happening?  What can we do here?

Thanks and regards,

Ann-Marie
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://list.rstp.ca/pipermail/psr_list.rstp.ca/attachments/20170901/4abe8854/attachment.htm>