Lives on hold, potential immigrants devastated by pandemic delays

Hopeful immigrants to Canada say they've quit their jobs, sold their homes and put their lives on hold only to beparalyzed by the processing delays and lack of communication from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Mohammad Gharachorloo, who livesin Iran, applied for permanent residency (PR) under Canada's federal skilled worker program in April 2019. He's one ofdozens ofoutlandPR applicants from Vietnam, Dubai, Tunisia to Bangladesh who emailed CBC News sharing their hardships due to pandemic delays.

The IRCC website estimates six months to process a PR application for federal skilled workers.

Gharachorloo, who has been waiting 22 months and wants to move to Ottawa, saidthe lack of answers from IRCC is"mentally torturing."

"After a while, you start to feel strongly, strongly and I can't stress this enough strongly discriminated against."

With a dream to join Canada's tech industry,Gharachorlooquit his well-paying job as a software engineer last February to move on short notice.Since then, he's been freelancing low-paying jobs, living paycheque to paycheque.

You want at least...some acknowledgement.- Mohammad Gharachorloo

Gharachorloo saidthe last step for his application was completed a year ago. He saidhe called his Ottawa visa office several times, but mainly gotgeneric responses.He started a petition on behalf of outland PR applicants having difficulty with delays.

"You want some answers," he said. "You want at least... some acknowledgement."

WATCH | This isn't just my story:

Hoping to move to Canada, permanent residency applicants are being left in limbo

4 years ago

Duration 1:15

Mohammad Gharachorloo. who lives in Iran and has applied for permanent residency status in Canada, says the process of waiting for a response from the government has been frustrating and has left him unable to plan for the future.

Plans to have 2nd baby at 'standstill,' says mom

JoyOkereke appliedin March 2020. She wanted better education, health care and safety for her family something she saidis lacking in Nigeria.

"Every day, my little daughter asks me when we are going to begin packing our bags," Okerekesaid in an email.Her application was completed last year but she's waiting for her confirmation of PR.

This indefinite silence from IRCC is taking its toll on my mental health.- Joy Okereke

To move to Canada within sixmonths, Okereke and her husband didn't renew their rental lease, didn't enroltheir child into a new school term and turned down jobs. They also stalled plans to have a second child and are now digging into their savingsfor unplanned expenses.

"Our lives are completely at a standstill," she said. "This indefinite silence from IRCC is taking its toll on my mental health and I fear that I might have a breakdown if nothing is done."

Gerard Okonkwo, also in Nigeria, saidthe delays cost him his relationship with his now ex-girlfriendwho wasn't keen on moving due to Canada's harsh winters. He was hoping to convince her after his PR was approved.

"She has completely given up on me. She doesn't take my word," said Okonkwo, who applied for his PR in October 2019. "The anxiety and doubt and lack of clarity from IRCC made us drift apart even more."

To get some answers, Okonkwo requested GCMS (Global Case Management System) notes from IRCC, a way applicants can get a detailed overview of their file. It said his case was last worked on in January 2020.

"I was worried because it's such a long time," he said. "Each time I contacted IRCC via phone or via email, they always tell me that my application is in queue for final review."

He contacted IRCC Minister Marco Mendicinoand a few MPs, but said theytoo gave him generic responses.

Okonkwo, currently a research assistant, saidhe's given up jobs and scholarshipswhile waiting for his dream move to Ottawa. He wants to do more schoolingand work in his field of interest forestry andclimate change and is already in touch with some Canadian professors.

"I'm not the only one," he said."A lot of people are depressed because lack of clarity."

Sold home and living with parents

KeivanNaghizadehsold his house last summer, switchedfrom full-time to part-time work, and moved in with his parents because his application's estimated completion date was June 24, 2020.

The Iran-native applied for PR in December 2019 after visiting his Canadian sister a year prior. Hetravelled to Ottawa on Canada Day,andfell in love.

"I told myself it seems like a place I want to grow old in," said the 33-year-old mechanical engineer.

Naghizadeh's application has been stalledfor nine months now. The lack of answers from IRCC is keeping himfrom renting a new place to finding a longer-term job.

"Uncertainty about the future is the most frustrating thing I've experienced."

Prioritizingthose who can currently travel: IRCC

IRCC did not respond to CBC's questions regarding these applicants' delays and concerns overlack of communication.

But in an emailed response, IRCCsaid it'scurrently prioritizing applicants who are eligible to travel to Canada under its current restrictions like those who got their confirmation of permanent residency on or before March 18, 2020, is an immediate family member of a Canadian, orare sponsored.

The department said it's extending deadlines and no applications will be refused due to pandemic delays.

"We are unable to provide specific timelines," it said.

But those timelines are important, said25-year-oldAditiKarande living in India,who's been in limbosince November 2019.

Karande saidrecruiters in Canada have contacted her for job opportunities but she "can't do anything" as companies want a timeline for when she can arrive.

"I can't commit to anybody," she said. "You can't just keep people in the dark."