A Sunshine Coast mom is pleading for help from the federal government as she tries to bring her two-year-old daughter to B.C.
Susan Standfield is a fifth generation Canadian who was born in Vancouver but has been living overseas. Her husband has both his South African and British citizenship. Standfield’s four-year-old son, Jack, is a British citizen, but their daughter Meg only has her South African citizenship.
This summer the family decided to come back to B.C. from South Africa to visit family, and they were told by Canadian officials in South Africa to apply for a visitor’s Visa for Meg.
“The Visa was rejected after 30 days. It took longer than she said it would and that was the red flag,” said Standfield.
”It was rejected because they didn’t accept my daughter's birth certificate.”
Standfield came to BC on her own over the summer and accepted a job offer in Vancouver, with plans to re-settle her family on the Sunshine Coast. They were then told to apply for a passport for the toddler.
“But because the paperwork arrived after she turned two we were turned away,” Standfield said.
“She no longer qualified for the passport and citizenship paperwork.”
The frustrated family then received instructions from Canadian officials in South Africa to apply for another Visa, but that also failed.
Standfield said the family assumed they would get it, and she was already securing a new home for her family to live in.
“We were rejected after five weeks again on the grounds she would make claim to Canadian citizenship. They were worried there were not enough reasons to prove she was returning to South Africa,” she said.
Standfield is now alone in B.C., with her husband and two children stuck in South Africa until Meg can get the proper documents to come to Canada
Citizenship advocate Don Chapman says the case shouldn’t be complicated.
“The child is a Canadian citizen. All you need to prove you're a Canadian citizen in this situation is the child's birth certificate and the mothers' birth certificate,” said Chapman.
“The mother will say ‘that's my child,’ the mother shows she's born in Canada. End of story.”
A request for information on the case was not returned by Citizenship and Immigration on Thursday.
When asked about the case last week in Ontario, Citizenship and Immigration minister Chris Alexander refused to comment, citing privacy issues.
Standfield is frustrated by the red tape, and lack of help from the government. She says she’s been plagued by bad advice and confusion since the process began.
“I’m totally at the breaking point. I didn’t know this was going to happen,” said Standfield. “At the beginning I was trying to figure it out, but the system makes you feel like you have to prove you have a right.”
Meanwhile, the time away from her young daughter and family is taking a toll.
“This morning I spoke to her on Skype. She looked very worried,” said Stanfield. ”She wants to be with me. She thinks I’m in the computer.”
Standfield has already contacted her MP, and is hoping going public will help with their case, and also help others caught in similar situations.
