Thomas and Jessica Serradell left everything behind. They sold their house in Aix-en-Provence – a commune in the south of France – to move to Canada. They bought a house in the Charlesbourg district.
The first winter in Quebec was not easy. The storm in December 2022 deprived the small family of power for more than ten days during the holidays. They had to sleep with their two children to keep warm. The youngest was only one year old.
They never imagined that the second winter would be even more stressful.
The family came to Canada on Jessica's study permit. Thomas' open work permit is linked to Jessica's. Children have a visitor permit.
You are currently in the process of obtaining a permanent residence permit. It can take up to two years.
The process was accelerated because Thomas completed a pilot program in artificial intelligence. He is an electronics technologist. He can repair medical devices. Expertise in demand in Quebec.
“We took the steps and everything worked as our permits expire in March. “We should apply for a post-graduate permit in December to bridge the time until we obtain permanent residence,” explains Thomas Serradell.
Everything was precisely planned. But the indefinite strike by the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) decided otherwise. She ruined the plans. Even worse, the strike jeopardized their immigration status.
Impossible to complete his internship
Jessica Serradell is studying at the Neufchâtel vocational training center. An institution under the control of the Capital School Service Center, whose teachers are represented by the FAE.
She must have completed her professional diploma for secretarial work before the holidays. She had found her internship in a company. She was just about to start when the indefinite strike began.
“I already had my certificate. All that was missing was the internship. But without my internship I can’t get my diploma and because of the strike I can’t do my internship,” emphasizes Jessica.
Although she is completing her internship in a company, she cannot start because the professor who supervises her is on strike. She can't even answer their emails to reassure the students.
And until Jessica has her certificate and diploma, she cannot apply for a work permit after graduation. This means that the family does not have a real residence permit for the country.
“We will have an implicit status for a few months. We could be deported from Canada.”
–Thomas Serradell
The strike is now over. Jessica will be able to complete her internship at the beginning of January. However, that doesn't solve the problem.
“Even when school starts again, we will still have a silent status. We can only apply for post-graduate approval at the beginning of February, but since there is a 120-day deadline and our current approval ends in March, we have an implicit status in all cases,” complains the mother. the family.
“‘Usually’ is boring”
Not knowing where to turn, the family contacted the federal representative for Charlesbourg, Pierre Paul-Hus. His team took the time to explain to them the process to follow to correctly complete all required documentation. She also told them that while they would have implied status, “normally” everything should be fine.
“It’s the “normal” that’s boring. We have no guarantee of a stay in Canada. The procedures are already extremely complicated and our mouths are already watering. We are motivated to stay here. We want to shape our lives here,” says Thomas Serradell.
However, the latter does not blame the strikers. He understands the requirements. But he admits that the strike went very badly.
“We're stuck. We can not do anything. We would like to at least have the certainty that we will not be deported. I really hope we don't get evicted. That would be stupid,” Mr. Serradell added. His employer would also be sad to see him leave, as he has risen in career since arriving in the country.
The family continues to keep its fingers crossed that the delays will be shorter than expected. That way, he may be able to get a new permit before the 90-day grace period on Jessica's study permit expires. But nothing is guaranteed.