Michael Klassen still remembers the last time he saw his wife.
“I hugged her and she was crying. And then she got in the car and she was waving at me through the window. And I waved back at her until I couldn’t see the car anymore”
He got to know his wife Madison McCool from Alabama in a Facebook group. The two shared a common interest in superheroes. Klassen says she came to visit him in Saskatoon in December.
“I love him. And I can’t even sleep without him,” McCool said in an interview via Skype from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
In April, Klassen says he legally married McCool in a small wedding in North Battleford. A month later, McCool says she applied for a work permit with Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada. But during their first trip to the United States, they we’re stopped at the border.
“They thought I was just trying to immigrate.”
Klassen, from Wakaw, says he kept trying to tell border guards he was just going to visit. But despite having passports, a marriage certificate, and that his wife had applied for a work permit, he says they were taken to separate rooms and questioned by border guards.
Klassen was told he could not enter the U.S. until he had a proper visa. Madison was denied re-entry into Canada. She received notice one day later that her work permit application had been denied.
United States Customs and Border Protection would not comment on the specific case.
In a statement to CTV they said: “All travelers arriving to the United States must possess valid travel documents. For foreign nationals, this includes a current passport and a valid visa or visa waiver issued by the U.S. government. The foreign national must possess the appropriate visa for their intended purpose of travel. Additionally, potential immigrants must be able to prove sufficient ties and equities to their country of origin.”
An example of ties and equities could be owning a home, having a job or university acceptance papers to ensure the likely hood the person will return to their home country.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada also wouldn’t comment on the situation involving Klassen and McCool. They issued a statement saying: “Most people need a visa or an electronic travel authorization to travel to Canada or transit through a Canadian airport. Some people may only need their valid passport.“
Klassen eventually had no choice but to stay in Canada, while McCool couldn't cross the border from the U.S.
Chris Veeman, an immigration lawyer with Veeman Law in Saskatoonm, says it can be hard for younger people to marry a cross-border spouse.
“For a young couple, it can be hard. They haven’t lived together. They just got married. They don’t have a joint bank account. They don’t own a house together. They don’t (have) kids.”
He says leaving the country can sometimes cause issues with pending visa or permit applications.
Meanwhile, Klassen’s says a Facebook page has been set up with the hopes of raising money and getting some help to navigate the immigration process so they can spend time together.
“I wish I could be there with her.”
