A pair of elderly women who have been friends for 30 years – one an American citizen and one a Canadian citizen – left Canada to go to the United States despite having no friends, family or place to stay there because the American woman was facing deportation from Canada. 
The friends – Canadian citizen Mildred Sanford, 83, and American citizen Nancy Inferrera, 73, tried everything they could to remain together in their shared Nova Scotia trailer.
Sanford has given up Canada’s health care system despite the fact that she is in the early stages of dementia and has heart problems to remain with her friend, who was her only caregiver in Canada. Inferrera came to Canada specifically to live with and provide care to Sanford.
Inferrera’s application for permanent residency was denied and her appeal for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds was also denied.
The only way that Inferrera could come back to Canada would be under a ministerial order. Inferrera is considering applying for a temporary resident permit, but that will take time.
It is very unfortunate that the two were forced to leave Canada because of a removal order when Inferrera provided such support and benefit to a Canadian citizen. Not only has she been ordered out of the country, but a Canadian citizen ended up leaving too.
It might be time to re-consider how much people really contribute to Canadian society before deporting them. Inferrera provides priceless and valuable care to a Canadian citizen, while also drawing her own income from her United States pension.
News articles unclear on reason for deportation from Canada
However, the CBC article and other news articles on this case are not specific as to what happened, what immigration avenues Inferrera had come to Canada under or what the specific reason for denying residency was – it may be a case of sidestepping immigration procedures that everyone must go through, but no one seems to know for sure.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
