Quebecers waiting years to be reunited with loved ones due to family reunification delays

Three years ago, Jaimie Roussos met the love of her life, Adam Baker.

They got married just over a year ago. Roussos lives in Montreal while Baker is in New York. They applied for Baker to become a permanent resident through the family reunification program, hoping to start their new life together in Quebec.

“When we were dating and having to travel back and forth. We didn't realize that that would be continuing several years into marriage,” said Roussos.

The couple quickly discovered they're among nearly 40,000 people stuck in a backlog of family reunification applications in Quebec.

The current wait time is nearly three years, while in other provinces it takes on average 12 months to process an application.

Last summer, former Quebec immigration minister Christine Fréchette capped applications at 13,000 for the next two years.

That's roughly half of what the province has processed in years past.

Marie Pilon with the group Quebec réunifié says the backlog and wait time will only grow.

“We're estimating that by March, the cap of 13,000 will be met, at which point there will be an increasing queue of people,” she said.

Immigration lawyer Patrice Brunet says family reunification should never be subject to quotas.

“There's no question about the bona fide of their relationship, because it's already been screened and accepted and approved. So it's really just about controlling numbers for Quebec but then you're tearing families apart,” he said.

In March immigration minister Marc Miller said Ottawa would speed up the process but it hasn't happened yet.

Immigration is a shared jurisdiction — Ottawa finalizes applications once Quebec provides a selection certificate.

Pilon and her husband Will Blewitt, who is British, have been waiting a year and a half for permanent residency.

Like Roussos and Baker, they make it work. But she says many couples can't get visitor visas, so they are separated for years on end. And that takes a toll on relationships and mental health.

“It's trauma piling on to more trauma,” said Pilon.

For Roussos and Baker, it has meant holding off on things like buying a home and starting a family.

“We wanted to have kids, you know, in the next year. But I also don't want to be traveling back and forth in that in that case, so we also have to put that off,” said Roussos.

She hopes Quebec will reverse its decision and that Ottawa will intervene so they and many others can finally plan their futures.