Air Force member’s parents denied visa
Officials cited family ties in Canada and purpose of visit for the rejection
Deepak Sharma has fought for Canada in Afghanistan and Libya, but the Air Force veteran just cannot beat Canadian immigration officials.
The 33-year-old corporal, based at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario, has been unsuccessful in obtaining a visa for his parents in India to visit their 2-year-old grandson, Akarsh, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder.
Twice, in March and May, Sharma applied to invite his father, Ashok Kumar, and mother Renu, both in their late 50s, to visit Canada.
In rejecting the applications, the visa office in Chandigarh, India, cited his parents’ lack of travel history abroad, family ties in Canada and “purpose of visit” as reasons to believe they would not leave the country after their visit.
A Citizenship and Immigration spokesperson said she couldn’t discuss details, because the required consent form from the family was incomplete.
Sharma, a father of three who has served in the Canadian military for 10 years, called the situation “depressing.”
“I’m not trying to do anything illegal. I risk my life to go to the front line so many times for Canada. In return, my son is sick and has no rights to be seen by his grandparents?”
Akarsh was diagnosed last December with a genetic disorder that causes developmental delay and impairment and potentially paralysis if his condition deteriorates.
Sharma, a tactical Hercules aircraft mechanic, said his parents in the Punjab province wanted to see the child after learning of his condition.
“My son has this very rare disorder. We have to travel a lot to Montreal, Kingston and Toronto for his medical appointments,” he said. “We just want some support from my parents.”
Sharma said he takes his family to India once every two years because his father owns a hotel in Ludhiana and is too busy to travel. It baffles Sharma that seeing an ailing grandson was not good enough a reason for the “purpose of visit.”
Both Akarsh’s physician, Dr. Julie Bryson, and Sharma’s captain at CFB Trenton, Chinedu Chukwu, had written to the Canadian consulate in Chandigarh in support of his parents’ latest visa application. “Given the nature of the terminal illnesses this family has to deal with, I think that the family will benefit immensely from the presence and support of Deepak’s immediate family (parents),” wrote Capt. Chukwu. “This is a compassionate circum- stance, and I am sure that any support you may offer this family will be truly appreciated, since it will provide them with the emotional support they need throughout this period.” With files from Kamila Hinkson