Scottish-born midwife unable to practise in B.C. after immigration flags missing proof of English proficiency

A Vancouver Island midwife who was born in Scotland has been told she failed to prove she can speak English.

At a time when maternal care in British Columbia is barely meeting the needs of patients, a Vancouver Island midwife could be forced to leave the country over a paperwork snafu.

Heather Gilchrist left Scotland two years ago, jumping through the necessary hoops to practise midwifery in Canada. She lined up a job in Victoria, where she has been delivering and caring for babies and their moms since September.

But two weeks ago, she had to stop.

“I finally received the very first correspondence from (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), which was to say that I had had my permit refused,” she told CTV News, explaining that the agency cited a missing language proficiency test for her Post-Graduation Work Permit.

Gilchrist immediately submitted the form online but hasn’t heard from officials since and hasn’t been able to practise in the meantime, leaving her midwife colleagues in Victoria working even longer hours to care for her patients.

“I’ve promised mothers and babies I’d be there for them and it’s just a terrible situation,” she said.

B.C. critically short of perinatal care

British Columbia is critically short of obstetrician-gynecologists and midwives, with two Metro Vancouver hospitals continuing to turn away patients in labour when they’re short-staffed, which has become increasingly common outside the Lower Mainland.

Immigration is a strictly federal issue, but CTV News reached out to B.C.’s ministry of health to see if it was intervening in the case. The minister’s office says they’ve reached out to the federal immigration minister and are working to provide support to Gilchrist.

CTV News has confirmed Gilchrist is fully accredited by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives.

Agency response

Since IRCC took months to notify her of the missing document, Gilchrist says she likely has to leave the country to reapply for the necessary documents given that her other paperwork has now expired—in a terrible example of cascading consequences.

The Scottish-born woman, who has a master’s degree in midwifery, is baffled and frustrated that the online intake form for her application didn’t require her to upload the language proficiency document as she completed her application.

In response to a CTV News inquiry, IRCC wouldn’t discuss Gilchrist’s case specifically due to privacy guidelines, but acknowledged it is “developing a dedicated field for clients to upload their proof of language proficiency directly into the corresponding tab when they submit their application” as part of broader improvements to its IT infrastructure.

The statement included a number for Gilchrist to call for reconsideration, but she says she’s made multiple attempts to speak to someone and has never gotten through to an actual person.

“I’m happy here, I’ve worked incredibly hard to be here, and this isn’t a reflection of how I feel about Canada,” she said. “I just need somebody with sense to intervene and let me get back to my work.”