Canada's Immigration Flaws Only Add to Nursing Shortage

Denied. The frustration of months of battling the U.S. to Canada immigration system had come to a devastating end when my roommate found our her work visa to Canada had been denied on the grounds of "lack of advertising for the position." It all started 9 months ago, when she submitted her work visa application to Canada to work as a licensed practical nurse in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Just a few short months after applying for her visa to work in Manitoba, we were reading articles of all the federal funding being sent to the province for further nursing training to help with the widespread Canadian nursing shortage. We had a good feeling that she would quickly be approved to work for a year in the province to be closer to friends who live in surrounding areas of Canada.

Hours were spent researching the work visa program in Canada, connecting with a liaison for the immigration process, and submitting form after form. While the liaison was in and out of the office, she kept in contact through email constantly staying on top of her application and applying for new positions. She even went as far as to drive the 24 hours from Pennsylvania to Manitoba to interview with a potential employer to help secure a nursing position in Manitoba.

All her fruitful efforts failed in July 2009 when the denial came from the Labor Market Opinion that there wasn't enough advertising prior to her paperwork being submitted. After her interview in Manitoba for the position, she was told the position was hers once the paperwork went through. She was given a job, just awaiting the Labor Market Opinion approval, which would then give her the ability to apply for approval of a Canadian Work Visa for one year.

She is continuing to appeal to work in Manitoba, as the position that she applied for is still open and waiting. How is is that despite a nursing shortage across this North American country, a job that was waiting, and all the proper submissions, she was given a denial?

The same goes for the Canadian to U.S. immigration process. When my late husband and I were applying for a fiance visa for him to come to the U.S., there was lots of shuffling of papers, transfers, and denials along the way.
While secure borders are important, the political runaround is causing everyday citizens of friendly nations to jump through every possible loophole to succeed in immigrating from one country to the other, even temporarily.

While she awaits her appeal decision, much discussion has been tossed around between our mutual friends and family about our surprise at the initial denial of her Labor Market Opinion. If foreigners can come into the country to do menial labor, why is it they cannot get into the country to do skilled labor? The feeling across the board is that while we appreciate the necessities of border protection and immigration, there is a fine line between sensible and outlandish procedures.

If Canada truly is experiencing a nursing shortage, as we have read in the past, it only makes sense to allow friendly foreigners into the country to offer their skilled labor to assist the situation. With public health care, nursing shortages greatly hinders the country's ability to stay ahead in areas of treatment and medical advancement.

European countries are allowing U.S. foreigners to enter and work as nannies in just 30 short days. 30 days to process a visa to work as a glorified babysitter, but 9 months and still denied to travel 1 hour over the U.S./Canadian border to work as a skilled Licensed Practical Nurse to help others live healthier, longer lives.

Rather than deny the help of others, friendly nations need to embrace to hospitality of foreigners who are coming into each other's countries through the proper channels. By denying them, despite their honest attempts at these outrageous immigration processes, we only divide the gaps between the people, and lower the standards for proper health care and medical services.