A British Columbia mother was reunited with her husband and children this week after a lengthy separation that saw Canadian immigration officials repeatedly deny her two-year-old daughter entry into Canada from South Africa.
Following a months-long separation, Vancouver-born Susan Standfield says she'shappy to finally be able to start a new life in B.C. with her family by her side.
"Oh my God, I forgot what they felt like to hold," Standfield said, with her children in her arms. "It's amazing."
Standfield, a fifth-generation Canadian, was living overseas when her children were born. Her husband, Robert Spooner, has his South African and British citizenship, while her four-year-old son Jack has his British citizenship and two-year-old daughter Meg has her South African citizenship.
Earlier this year, Standfield moved back to Canada after accepting a job in Vancouver.
Her family was planning to follow her to B.C., but those plans were put on hold after two visa applications and a passport application for Meg were all denied. The toddler was not even able to secure a visitor's visa.
"Growing up in Africa, I expect red tape. But I never expected so much trying to get these two into Canada," Spooner told CTV Vancouver.
Standfield said Canadian officialshad not accepted her daughter's birth certificate, which was preventing her from securing a visa.
"Nobody seems to actually have a clear answer for me, and my daughter has a right to be here," Standfield told CTV Vancouver in October.
After Standfield came forward with her story, she said a consultant offered to help and some confusion over Meg's birth certificate was finally resolved.
Spooner said after about four months apart, he was happy to reunite his children with their mother.
"It's actually been really great because I've managed to spend so much time with the kids as a single parent," he said. "We've really bonded…it's been really special."
With a report from CTV Vancouver
