Mutual Aid for Queer BIPOC Family in Immigration Crisis

Hi, my name is Kathleen and I'm reaching out with a request for mutual aid on behalf of dear friends who could really use some support.

My friends—a queer BIPOC family of five living in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland— have been caught in an unjust and many years long immigration process, all while supporting their three teenage children who have complex disabilities and trauma requiring consistent, specialized healthcare.

Most urgently, the family lost their MSP coverage since March 31, 2025 (due to immigration issues stemming from a clerical error by the government.) On two occasions since April 1st the family has faced difficult choices about whether they can afford to take a child in crisis to the ER. No one should have to forgo accessing emergency healthcare due to financial hardship, and yet that is their current reality.

This cost of healthcare, along with the ongoing immigration application hurdles and legal expenses, are well beyond what this working family can afford. And so, after struggling on their own for years they are seeking mutual aid from their community, hoping for some financial support to get them through this immensely difficult time.

A note on mutual aid: It is well documented that racialized refugees and migrants, women and 2SLGBTQ people often face overlapping structural disadvantages within the immigration legal system. Many of us feel disempowered in the face of structural violence, as though there is nothing we can do about a hopeless situation. Mutual aid is a tangible way to do something that makes a difference and shows care at a grassroots level where it is most needed.

The Ask: My friends have never asked for financial help before, and asking now is difficult for them. But even as they continue to work and support their family to the best of their abilities, these extra and necessary expenses, totalling close to $20,000 (see cost breakdown at the bottom), are well beyond what they can face on their own.

Without proper immigration status, they face:

On top of this the family also cannot afford the financial burden associated with:

Please note that the family has requested to remain anonymous to protect their current employment situations, as public attention to their immigration status could jeopardize their jobs and further complicate their case. I appreciate that anonymity and a lack of identifying details can make it harder for some folks to want to donate. Please reach out via this gofundme to chat if you have questions, and I’ll do my best to provide answers while respecting the family’s right to privacy.

My friends are generous, passionate, and truly community-minded folks who are committed to social justice and acts of solidarity. Here is a brief note they wrote: “We find strength in the support of friends, family members, and through our workers union. As you can imagine, this has been an extraordinarily stressful process, both emotionally and financially. The costs associated with immigration lawyers, IRCC fees, and health coverage have created an unsustainable situation. Inspired by our friends, we humbly ask you to consider helping our family.”

THANK YOU for your attention, and for supporting this family in whatever ways you can. The funds raised here go directly to the family.

All contributions help! If you are not able to support financially, please consider sharing this gofundme in your circles.

Kathleen Forrester

Included below is some additional information, context and details for those who are interested.

Background Story: Eight years ago, my friends left Brazil to pursue graduate studies in Canada, seeking a safe place to live and raise their family away from the extremist right-wing, racist, homophobic and transphobic government that had impeached the first-female president and would soon take power in their home country. As racialized, queer Latina women they sought safety for themselves and for their three Black, disabled children in Canada.

The plan had been to return to Brazil, but then the pandemic happened along with a multitude of other big life challenges, and so they stayed here in BC, strengthening their connections to this place, and becoming chosen family to many – including myself. They took up work in higher education, enriching the community with their teaching, activism, mentoring, and music. The children (now teenagers) continued their schooling, deepened their friendships, and importantly were able to access the complex medical care they each needed while living more independently (eg. riding transit on their own) than would ever have been possible in Brazil.

The family want to stay in Canada where they have put down roots, made community and family, and most importantly where their kids get their complex health needs met in ways that are not possible in Brazil because of inadequate systems and also because of structural violence against Afro-Brazilians and disabled people.

Now, this family faces the potential of being separated from one another due to temporary worker policy changes made in January this year, and taking on heavy financial burdens as they navigate a challenging immigration and legal process while trying to meet the teens' ongoing and often crisis level healthcare needs.

How did the family lose MSP? What is their current immigration situation? In March 2024, a clerical error between an employer and immigration officials led to their temporary permits being denied. The adult (my friend) earning the family’s main income had to stop work immediately, and because of this error, their application for permanent residency which was under review and had seemed likely to go through, was refused. At that time they lost access to MSP for 4 months, and still owe money to Fraser Health for visits to the emergency room made during that time. After that, their temporary permits were restored in the form of “implied status” which is a kind of limbo visa while they wait for a decision on a new visa application. Because of the IRCC’s very slow processing time on the new visa they have once again (as of April 1st this year) been left without access to MSP and so cannot access Provincial Healthcare or the use of BC Services Card, and cannot renew documents. The family would like to start their Permanent Residency application process again but are currently unable to submit the applications due to financial hardship.

Broader political context: All of this is happening in the political and social context of heightened anti-immigrant sentiment and tightening policies. Over recent months, the Canadian government has introduced several policies that increasingly target and restrict migrants' access to immigration status essentially scapegoating migrants for the housing and affordability crisis. The government also abandoned plans for a regularization program (that has been promised for years but never enacted) that would have supported families like this one to gain PR status.

WHERE YOUR SUPPORT GOES:

Estimated Healthcare Expenses During MSP Coverage Gap: approx. $4000-7000 (or higher)

*During a previous 4-month period without MSP coverage they had to visit the ER three times and undergo urgent tests costing over $3000 that were later charged and sent to collections.

Immediate Immigration Expenses: $1,860

Permanent Residency Re-Application Expenses: $10,565

Any funds raised in addition to the above will go toward education & employment expenses for the two older children who have now completed high school. If status is not resolved the expenses will be prohibitive, possibly including post-secondary applications ($270), Deposit fees for international students ($5,000 x 2). The teens' disabilities might prevent them from joining programs as international students, but the family is working to find alternatives including employment program fees ($4,496 x 2 x 2 terms).