Sucks to be me....twice
The Canadian government has managed to fuck me over twice in one week. Firstly, I just found out that I am ineligible for the security clearance I need to work as a Historical Researcher. As I had been outside Canada for more than a year, there was no way I could get the clearance. Why couldn't they have told me that EIGHT MONTH AGO!!!??? I've been waiting all this time for this great job that I had been accepted to do and I now I can never have. It's been a massive blow and has left me really pondering where to go from here. The thought of a career in boring admin makes me wanna puke.
And the second screwing I got from the government is having my application for a Permanent Resident Card* sent back. The reason? When I originally immigrated to Canada as a baby, the immigration official at Vancouver Airport left my middle name off my form. So when I applied for a card (which replaces the old form) Canada does not recognise my name with my middle name. When I rang Immigration Canada the other day to discuss the ridiculousness of the situation, I asked them to make the card with just my first and last name. I was told they wouldn't allow that, as all my provincial ID has my middle name. Their suggestion? Legally change my name. To exactly as it is now. Is this not dumber than a bag of hammers? I pointed out to the telephone adviser the inanity of this suggestion and she agreed it was without sense but the only thing I could do. I complained that that was my name when I arrived in Canada, and it was the immigration officer's mistake, not mine. She said that if I can prove that, then I can apply for an amendment to my form. While this will be as slow as changing my name, it will not cost anything. Lucky for me, Mum is a Pack Rat and still has our passport (as a bubby, I travelled on her passport, not having one of my own yet) from when we arrived, with my name clearly including my middle name. So now I will have to have the form amended before I can once again apply for my PR Card. I hate bureaucracy.
* Card I need to show to get back into Canada if I leave for any reason.
And the second screwing I got from the government is having my application for a Permanent Resident Card* sent back. The reason? When I originally immigrated to Canada as a baby, the immigration official at Vancouver Airport left my middle name off my form. So when I applied for a card (which replaces the old form) Canada does not recognise my name with my middle name. When I rang Immigration Canada the other day to discuss the ridiculousness of the situation, I asked them to make the card with just my first and last name. I was told they wouldn't allow that, as all my provincial ID has my middle name. Their suggestion? Legally change my name. To exactly as it is now. Is this not dumber than a bag of hammers? I pointed out to the telephone adviser the inanity of this suggestion and she agreed it was without sense but the only thing I could do. I complained that that was my name when I arrived in Canada, and it was the immigration officer's mistake, not mine. She said that if I can prove that, then I can apply for an amendment to my form. While this will be as slow as changing my name, it will not cost anything. Lucky for me, Mum is a Pack Rat and still has our passport (as a bubby, I travelled on her passport, not having one of my own yet) from when we arrived, with my name clearly including my middle name. So now I will have to have the form amended before I can once again apply for my PR Card. I hate bureaucracy.
* Card I need to show to get back into Canada if I leave for any reason.
You seem to have the worst of luck Shan. I hope you can find a job you love soon!
"Name Legally Changed due to Bureaucracy"
Re: the job, will you be able to get something like it once you have Canadian citizenship?
Mark
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