Typically, our Immigration Team represents employers and the international talent they wish to bring to, and retain in, Canada. But we also represent some individuals and their families who require assistance navigating Canadian immigration laws and policies in their bid to enter the country, or to extend their status in Canada. Recently, CTV News interviewed Barteaux Lawyers’ Immigration Lawyer Lana Roberts and Senior Immigration Paralegal Chloe Talarico for a story about a same-sex couple we represent that aired on national television on April 4, 2025 and was published on CTVNews.ca on April 5th.
Our clients are a Canadian citizen and his Iranian spouse whose immigration to Canada has been sponsored by the Canadian partner. The couple’s future together has been in limbo for years due to immigration barriers, homophobia and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year ago our firm helped this couple prepare and submit a strong and thorough permanent resident (PR) application for the Iranian partner. The Canadian partner was approved as a sponsor in July 2024, but late last year the Iranian spouse was scheduled for an interview (to validate the genuineness of the couple’s six-year common-law relationship). Only a small portion of sponsored spouses are interviewed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The interview was originally scheduled to take place at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. Since our clients have been living in Thailand, last December IRCC agreed to transfer their file to the Embassy of Canada in Bangkok, but the couple has been waiting for months to hear something further. Their immediate future is up in the air since their temporary status in Thailand expires in a couple of days.
CTV News reached out to IRCC for an update on our client’s case and was told it is being reviewed for eligibility. Today, one business day after the story aired on CTV National News, our office heard from IRCC with a request for copies of the couple’s Thai immigration status documents. This was the first correspondence we received from IRCC about this case in four months. We are cautiously optimistic an approval decision is on the immediate horizon. Our clients fear they may be forced to live in different countries, and the Iranian national persecuted for his sexuality, while they await IRCC’s decision on the PR application since three prior visitor visa applications have been refused.
