Permanent Residency

Where we’re at?

Paperwork, paperwork and more paper work!

As many of you know, Nick and I have been preparing the application for my permanent residency. We are applying as common-law partners because we’ve been living together for over a year. There are two ways of doing this: from Inside Canada and from Outside Canada. The inside application takes up to two years and the outside process takes 6-8 months.

One step forward: two steps back

At first things moved quite swiftly; I had health checks and security checks completed fairly quickly. Everyone sent letters almost as soon as I requested them, so we had everything together, or so we thought!

Turns out, the Canadian police clearance takes 3 months, so that is a huge draw back.

We recently went to see a lawyer and she told us to wait until May to file the applications for residency. She referred to this several times while encouraging us, on many occasions, to swing by city hall and have a quick wedding ceremony done. (There is no way that was happening)

What do we do now?

It seems that the next steps will be as follows:

In May we should have the Canadian police cert and at that point we’ll be filing our application. At that point, I'll have to leave the country. I’ll have to go back to Ireland for 6-8 months unless a prospect arises. At this point it is very unlikely. My removal date is May 1^st.

Growing tired

This moving to Canada thing is really tiring me out. The word waiting seems to plague this move and indeed the relationship. (Yes, Mary… I hear your advice in echoing my thoughts; it’s quite reassuring at times.)

To date, I’ve spent four months here on a holiday visa and a year on a work visa- without finding work. I've also spent a 6 month waiting period in Ireland… all running into each other. I’m getting weary about deferring the application of my degree any further. I'm out two years now and I have nothing to show for it.

This moving stuff is long and arduous. The going back and forward is really killing the passion I first had. Going back to Ireland means another long distance relationship. (Obviously, I'll be heading back to Ireland alone).

Furthermore, it leads to an assessment of me surviving as a monolingual person in a market laced with Bi-lingual candidates. People who haven’t wasted two years after college ‘waiting’.

Finally, if it hasn’t worked out this year, why would it work for me next year?

Going through the process

Needless to say, we are still going to go through with the application. And hope that it will be processed swiftly and that employment will follow afterwards.

Sickness

In the past two week i have fallen sick twice. It started on Saturday the 24th when i was knock off my feet by a really bad cold. I am sure i picked it up from the doctors office a few days earlier. It's funny that a place of good health is littered with germs and bacteria.

Then, this week I went to a restaurant for Clem's birthday and i caught a bad dose of food poisoning. My god, i thought my innards were going to become external organs. I cant remember when food gave me such a bad reaction. Needless to say, i shan't be returning to that restaurant again.

On another sickness note, a few people who are close to me have gotten cancer. Thankfully all three of the people involved seemed to have caught it early. But this article is not about those who have fallen sick, rather it's a homage to the loved ones of the people who are sick.

A friend of mine said to me " I'm fine, everyone understand and sympathizes what I'm going through but [husbands name here] has a lot to deal with, but he is expected to carry on as normal" " it's terrible for him".

Now for a person suffering from the big C to acknowledge the pressures of those around them is a remarkable statement of character, but the announcement itself provokes food for thought. I have asked on many occasions how Joan, Mary, Ann or Paddy was doing, but i rarely, if ever considered the effect this infection has on the 'non- suffering, sufferers'

So, in light of this statement, I can only praise the partners and loved ones that keep it together. Those that become overnight counselors, doctors, nurses, administrators, problem solvers, public relations personnel ( handling visitors and inquiries as required) and project mangers.

For those who pick up the slack and go the extra 15000 miles, this blog salutes you.