Keep Michael in Canada

We have been blindsided in our life. We need your help.  This is about Michael staying in Canada for good and getting back to work! Please read our story and perhaps you might be able to help us get through a few months until Michael's permits are received.

Many of you know that I have been in the hospital for open-heart surgery that took place in mid December 2018 and again in January 2019 for complications and another procedure was performed. I was hospitalized for an additional 19 days. It's been hard, on me, my family and especially Michael, who came to the hospital everyday after walking and feeding our dogs, making sure he ate properly, taking care of household chores, bringing me things I needed, including banned apple chips and chocolate covered almonds. He brought me things to make me smile and played cards with me when he was truly exhausted. He is my husband, he loves me, he takes care of me and I am the luckiest to have him in my life. Michael got me through this surgery with his love, dedication, treats and washing my hair. He has continued to have the strength to take care of me, himself, our dogs and other furbabies and never has complained. We are now is need of others strength, help and hopefully financial assistance.  Why? Our story continues. 




Many of you also know that Michael is from the US, and has been living with me in Canada since 2012. In July 2015, we were married in Battle Creek, Michigan and unfortunately Michaels and my family were unable to attend. We have been wanting to have a wedding celebration in Canada so our friends and family can share in our life and happiness. After moving to Canada, Michael obtained his Massage Therapy Degree in 2015 and also started working at PepsiCo part time while a student in 2013, to support his schooling and to contribute to our life together. He has left a country in which he was born, and where his family, friends, and church family still are to move to another country to be with me, ME!

While I was in the hospital the second time in mid January with heart complications, we received notification that Michael's most recent Work Permit application had been denied. Why? Because, In the convenience of technology and online application processes, the online forms did not indicate that the work permit type of form was not to be used for an extension, only a new application. Really? They have two different forms and Michael used the wrong one because that's the one he used with his prior application. No where did it say, for an extension application, use form bla bla bla. Our lawyer told us that this is a common error that Canada Immigration has failed to address.

At the time he received this denied work permit, his job effectively was terminated at PepsiCo. No fault of his or PepsiCo, they are required by law to terminate his employment. It is called a frustration of contract. Michael recently found out, an email was circulated that he was no longer with PepsiCo and they wished him well. Can you imagine what it must have felt like and still does, to be taking care of your wife after heart surgery, readmission and to receive an email that you no longer have a job. At the time, he was on Family Caregiver Leave and on UI to provide me care after surgery. He secured a new position as a Post Audit Analyst in August 2018. Michael has leveled his position at PepsiCo, from a part time help in the Cost Accounting department to this recent full time hire. I was so proud of him. Over the years Micheal has proved to be a extremely valuable employee. He has received several awards and was congratulated by the President of PepsiCo Foods Canada for his continued work.



If you are asking, why hasn't his permanent application been submitted in the past few years. Let's break it down for you. First, the money. Over the years the application fees have changed, along with what portions of the application they cover. Every time our forms where completed, the required forms were changed by Canada Immigration. The current fee for all documents is $2500, which included Michael's Study Permits for school and 3 Work Permits. We have saved for each and every required fee, only for an urgent life to event to set us back. Second, the application for spousal sponsorship requires being married for three (3) years, which was last summer. Third, I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Edema and Mitral Valve Stenosis in May 2018. Because of the edema, I had severe shortness or breath. I needed assistance with some tasks at home and as time went on, assistance in everyday self care.  Even our craft shows were a challenge. My heart surgery was on December 11, 2018. Our focus was on my care and surgery and while his application for his work permit was in for processing, we never thought there would be an issue.



What this means to us, as a couple and our life together.

We are asking for financial assistance to support our expenses for the 6 months we are waiting for Michael's work permit and our fingers crossed, possibly a new job at PepsiCo.

While Michael’s permanent residency application is in and being processed, the processing time could take up to a year, his new work permit (which is a part of the permanent residency application) will take approximately 5 months to receive. **This means that Michael cannot work in ANY capacity during this waiting period! Even at this point there is no guarantee the application will be successful, but in the meantime, this means that from March – July, while everything is being processed by Immigration Michael is without a valid work permit and we are without funds for living and bill expenses.  We are be in need of funds for food, car payment, credit card payments, car insurance, animal care expenses including special needs, gas and unplanned expenses.

If you cannot make an online donation through GoFundMe we have two other available options. You can do an etransfer to [email redacted] or through paypal.me/keepmichaelincanada. Offline donations are also accepted and will be acknowledged. 


How you can help.

Any financial amount that you would be able to donate towards our expenses would be greatly appreciated and we would be forever grateful. The Go Fund Me amount may seem high to you, and as a total it is. This is not the final amount, we are hoping for raise the additional funds needed through a fundraising event of our own. We carefully totaled his expenses per month and have reduced some of the required payment were we can. We are not asking you lightly, this is a game changer and decides our future together and to keep all we have worked for.

We are currently looking at doing a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to help as well. Prizes from gracious donations from friends, local business that we know and our fellow artisans/crafters. If you are interested in making a donation of a prize, we will be sending out an official letter in the next two weeks.

If you have experience in organizing a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, please let me know within the next few days. We are hoping to have a meeting very soon to start organizing and I need help. Along with time constraints, I am still recovering from two surgeries and chronic pain and fatigue are an issue. We need to know who will be available and interested to assist with this fundraiser dinner. This may include location finding, raffle ticket sales, prize donations, DJing, dinner ticket sales and other volunteer opportunities. If you could please contact us  so I can book a local restaurant to schedule the planning meeting as soon as possible. We are hoping to have the dinner in April unless we are lucky enough to find and organize an event in late March.

We also have a Etsy Store for our artisan business The Azure Owls: www.theazureowls.etsy.com and you can purchase a handpainted stone of your choice also with a coupon code: GFM20 to enter at checkout for a 20% savings! 



Other ways to help us with financial donations.

If you know us and are interested and have experience or knowledge in becoming a GoFundMe team member, please contact me. You can be in Canada or the States as long as you have a genuine and safe branch of people that would could fundraise too on our behalf. The farther the reach, the greater the impact and support.

Last words, our thanks and forever gratitude.

If Michael has touched your life in any way, you know the kind of person he is. This is very difficult for us to reach out to any of our friends and strangers, but we really do need your help. If his work permit is denied as well as his permanent residency, he will be forced to return to the US, I will be left without a husband, a friend, a caregiver, a dog walker, a business partner, a fellow crafter, a beach walker, a camping buddy, a cooking partner, a mom helper and especially a World of Warcraft game partner where we started our journey in life together on November 17, 2009 in an in-game celebration with a new guild when Sharron's character reached a huge achievement!

Thank you for your support!!! Words cannot express our gratitude! Along the way, if we can help other, you got it and we promise to pay it forward.