‘I want to see my son grow’: Immigration process keeping father from family

MONTREAL – Immigration paperwork is keeping a Montreal woman away from her husband and father of her two-year-old son.

“The only happy moment in my day is when I talk to you,” said Ernesto Davalos Urbizo over a video call with his wife, Emmanuelle Bergeron, and son Lucas.

Davalos Urbizo is in Cuba. Before his son was born two years ago he applied for permanent residency in Canada, but that application is at a standstill.

And while the family waits for any update on Davalos Urbizo’s application, he misses major milestones in Lucas’ life.

“I missed when my son was born. I remember I was working, I went to a wifi place and I called (Emmanuelle),” he recalled, adding he felt both happy at the birth and sad that he wasn’t there for it.

RELATED: ‘We need to be together:’ Quebec-Colombian couple denied visa to reunite in Canada

“It was so hard,” said Bergeron. “two years later I am still mad at the government who took (away) that basic right from my husband.”

The couple was married in Cuba in March 2018 and months later started the process to get him permanent residency and a visitor visa so he could be in Canada for the birth of their baby.

The request for a visitor visa was denied over concerns Davalos Urbizo wouldn’t return to Cuba when the visa expired.

“I can’t understand—who are you to sit behind a desk and say you can’t see your baby born?” said Bergeron.

Her husband Ernesto says he’s missing the big milestones in Emmanuelle and their two-year-old Lucas’ life. They haven’t been together since January and the pandemic has only furthered the delays he was facing with his sponsorship. @CityNewsMTL pic.twitter.com/TTmzON5XJI

— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) September 4, 2020

“I wish no woman will have to live this again—giving birth alone,” she said through tears.

Davalos Urbizo only met his son in Cuba when he was two months old and of Lucas’ almost two years of life, he’s spent about 15 weeks with Davalos Urbizo.

He says the immigration process has been unfair to him and his family.

“Some people go before me with no reason,” he said. “I was super delayed, my medical tests disappeared. We paid a lot of money for everything. We wait a lot. My wife is alone. Most of the time I feel mad and sad.”

“You’re not just dealing with papers,” said immigration lawyer Ho Sung Kim.

RELATED: Thousands of lives on hold as immigration system remains largely shut down

“You’re dealing with people who are supposed to be together but are separated because of administrative processes.”

Just before the pandemic hit, things were looking up—Bergeron says they received a “welcome to Canada” notice.

“Everything was over—my husband was coming home! Yay! No, it was not over.”

Some documents were lost and needed to e resubmitted, but by then offices and embassies were closed as COVID-19 spread.

July 20 marked two years that the pair had begun the process and first submitted the application.

“My husband (hasn’t seen) his son… We haven’t been together.”

“This is something that has to be sensiblized (sic) within the government, within Immigration Canada,” said Kim.

“It’s been a problem for years.”

“I want to be with my family… I want to work for my family, I want to see my son grow,” said Davalos Urbizo.

CityNews reached out to Immigration Canada and the government agency said the pandemic is delaying a final review of the immigration application.

Read the full statement below:

“Mr. Urbizo’s application for permanent residence under the family class is pending final review by an IRCC officer. A final decision on the application has not been rendered yet, due to limitations caused by the current pandemic.

We know this has been a difficult time for families and others who are making their way through the immigration system. COVID-19 has had an effect on businesses, operations and travel around the world.

We are continuing to search for innovative and compassionate ways to reunite families, while closely following the guidance and advice of our public health experts.

IRCC continues to accept and process applications throughout the pandemic, including family sponsorship applications. We’ve adapted to increase our processing capacity over the last six months, and employees are working as quickly as possible to process applications while respecting public health guidelines.”