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| Subject: Was I wrong? If so.. please help |
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What to do in a situation like this? I am not asking sympathy or empathy but objectivity and a solution. This is the scenario: I have always been a fan of Native American culture and work with our own natives in my country as a profession enhancing skills development. This is critical for South Africa´s economy as we do have quite a bit of problems here but as much as other countries have their own. But before starting to write an endless story and reasoning my way through it I will cut to the chase and summarise as far as I can. I joined a site about a year ago called Native American and got in contact with a nice family and spoke to them on a weekly basis about their culture, spirituality and history as well as tribes. I was introduced to a young first Nations man wanting to go to university and gave him some tips on how to do a business proposal. We started talking often and I think we fell in love, as difficult as it is to admit it, coming from a proper conservative background. I am also in a very unhappy relationship even though engaged I moved out about 6 months ago. The idea of being romantically involved with the young man, I found absurd as he is 10 years younger than me. But it became quite intense after 11 months and after regular conversations. I said I will take my annual leave to come and visit and was honoured by the idea of first nations taking me to various heritage sites. We were not sure what we wanted to do and if it will be romantically pursued any further, a face to face meeting might come crashing down to pieces. I bought a ticket to Toronto Canada and applied for my visa. I went through my travelling agents. I gave them my information ( I have my own business) They phoned me later that day stating that I shouldn´t say I have my own business as the Canadians reckon any person can have a business and I should say that I work at my company on a letterhead. They asked for my personal accounts and I said I hardly ever use my personal bank accounts as it is only for my debit orders on a monthly basis. But I gave it to them. As expected my application was declined for the obvious reasons, I didn’t state I was engaged as I wasn’t sure what is going to happen with the relationship. I re-applied going through another travelling agency who said I should just submit an honest application but the fact that I am not married will count against me and there might have been something wrong with my hosts and that I should rather stay at another place. So I applied, I gave the embassy everything about me and my business. They told me it will take 4 weeks to get an answer. I was eager to go and I scheduled my annual leave according to new contracts coming in for November. So being a bit driven and maybe being too over confident I wrote a letter asking compassion to speed up the process. I was contacted by the embassy two days after for an interview. I was a bit nervous about it due to my previous application and information I omitted and thought it would be the best opportunity to rectify the situation. I was also nervous about the fact that I am a single women travelling alone as it could look suspicious due to scammers and off course my country’s reputation and pre-set profiles of women looking for a way out. (I do analysis myself) I did not know how the embassy will perceive me. I went in the morning and walked into a room that looks like something designed right out of prison break, thick glass and a telephone. ( I have never been for an interview at an embassy and did travel to Greece before and other African countries) I greeted the man and looked around in the room wondering if I should use the telephone to talk to him, I did not look at him immediately and without looking at my papers he decided I am the usual suspect. I assumed it was because of my previous application and that I am in trouble already, I heard it is very strict. He attacked me instantly stating he knows my “kind” thinking I can talk myself into anything. He accused me of lying and that he has inside information that I am in actual fact married, I rectified him and then he yelled at me stating that if my papers are false I will never get into Canada ever. In the entire interview I was not given a chance to explain my situation and If I did try to he stated I was a liar on everything I said. He wanted to know my connection with the young man in my previous application, I did not want to say we were romantically involved as we were not sure yet but I did explained the connection as being friends still and wanting to help him with a proposal for university. But he insisted my only purpose of visit is to get married and live of the country’s benefits, he wanted me to admit it and I refused, as it is not the case besides I still did not know what I wanted to do with my current relationship. I was declined again and found inadmissible for admitting my purpose of visit is not a holiday and that I admitted to it. ( I don’t get it) I saw my purpose of visit as a holiday, it was a good time to get away and get my head sorted out. I included my big contracts that I have to work on when I come back, but it wasn’t good enough. I know it is not a right to travel but a privilege but is it normal to be treated so badly and not given the time of day. Should I beg my immigration officer to go on a holiday? Does it count against me that I am a women travelling alone? Are immigration officers allowed to climb into your character and try to humiliate you? Can he decide by just looking at you and without doing research that he can do what he wants to with you? Do we live in such a corrupt world that people have lost their objectivity and humanity? My young friend is coming to visit me in South Africa now and we are wondering if we should go to the embassy and try to rectify the situation? But after that treatment I doubt I will ever have any opportunity. What should I do?
[27-10-2010,10:57]
[***.25.255.214]
Amanda |
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(in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
Zzzzz
Try to give us the short version of it and maybe someone will be able to help you out.
[27-10-2010,11:14]
[***.115.153.178]
DocD |
Have to include everything (in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
Yes sorry about the long story, but I have to give a background on the turn of events and how it was dealt with taking into consideration on how I was perceived
[27-10-2010,12:07]
[***.54.202.226]
Amanda |
Summary (in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
Summary in point form:
Like native american history, joined a site a year ago
Started liking guy after a year of conversations
Were not sure if we want to be involved
Took my annual leave, Booked a ticket applied for visa
Flight centre did my application based on what they think is correct, but the information was not true. I did not state on that application I was engaged thought it unneccessary and wasn´t sure if I was ready to get married or not.
Application declined
re-applied: Giving all the information, my current engagement etc. was interrogated, got climbed into my character, never got the opportunity to explain my situation as my immigration officer decided I am a suspect. and if I did explain I was called a liar. How on earth do you rectify a situation like that. I was accused to have one reason for visiting and that is to get married and live of the country´s benefits???? I was asked to admit that I am romantically involved and I couldn´t see why? as we weren´t sure about it yet?? I said we might but it is still a holiday... I was declined on misrepresentation, and I don´t get it and I don´t get the horrible treatment given to me
[27-10-2010,12:24]
[***.54.202.226]
Amanda |
(in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
Let me get this straight. You are a South African national who wants to come to Canada to meet /see a person. Whether is a romantic relationship or not, the time will tell right?
The CIC officer what sees is a person who may be involved with a Canadian national and if a visa is granted there is a high risk that you will not go back to South Africa.
The officer started questioned your relationship and since you don´t know this guy very well, you got upset and probably you failed to include some details about it in your application and hence you were rejected.
OK I get it. The truth is that if you apply again, you are going to get rejected again and again and again.
What you need to understand is that you are applying for a temporary visa to visit Canada and it is up to you to prove in all possible ways that you are going to LEAVE Canada at the end of your visit. Showing enough ties to your home country is a start. Showing ties to your home country and showing that the primary reason for a visit is to meet the love of your life is not going to fly very far.
Keep in mind one thing though, even if you get a visa in the future you can still be refused of entry into Canada if your story doesn´t convince the officer at the port of entry that you are going to leave the country at the end of your visit.
[27-10-2010,12:49]
[***.115.153.178]
DocD |
(in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
Quite sad really! Is it possible for him to visit you? I see only that as an option in this situation. Hope things work out for thee! Good luck.
[27-10-2010,13:24]
[***.202.41.234]
adviser |
hello (in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
Hello Mr. Roy
Im in need in of advise very badly. im facing deportation, and was asked to appear at enforcement centre which i missed, (shame on me) and automatically it became deportation. i married my wife who is of different background as me, and have applied for sponsership inside candada. our relationship is genuine and i provided all kind of evidence, and cbsa visited our apartment recently. now im scared of my life. i dont have a lawyer. im thinking of leaving canada and applying outside because im tired of running around hiding and my wife is stressed out all the time when these people will show up and arrest me. i want to take responsibilty and do things the right way. i just needed advise. im planning to leave very soon with my wife. Please help me. is there a chance i can never return here ? i have never filed for refuggee or humanitarian before.
im ashamed of my actions and now i badly want to make things right. i just need a chance
[27-10-2010,23:54]
[**.229.6.99]
jinder |
Thank you (in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
DocD thank you for the advice. He is coming to visit me in December. And might stay with me for a couple of months. If all goes well I will re-apply in two years time and hopefully be sure about the entire situation never the less I would have still loved to see the heritage sites and Toronto city. Hopefully I will get a bit of a nicer CIC officer next time but I won´t count on it. LOL! Am just not use to that kind of treatment. But I guess when it comes to risk analysis and closing the gates for an overflow, I had everything counting against me. The big world is scary indeed.
[28-10-2010,05:48]
[***.54.202.234]
Amanda |
(in reply to: Was I wrong? If so.. please help)
If you have seen the Cape Town (the cleaner side of it), you will hate how Toronto looks!! This is a garbage town.
[28-10-2010,14:24]
[***.202.41.244]
adviser |
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