留学生: 破碎的加国之梦

Steven's dashed Canadian dreams




以国际学生的身份在2003年来到加拿大，刘文（化名）用了十年时间在加拿大修读了大专和本科。刘的目标很明确，在加拿大拿到身份并在此建立一份生活。摄影： Andy Feng, 大中报 / 096.ca。


在2013年11月，加拿大移民局决定将2014年加拿大经验类移民（CEC）限制人数为12万。同时，移民局也宣布六大职业将不属于经验类移民的职业范畴。此决定影响了上千名曾准备以这六类工作之一申请移民的国际学生，而他们其中相当一部分来自中国。

In Nov.2013, the CIC limited the number of immigration applications under the Canadian Experience class in 2014 to 120,000 applicants.  Meanwhile, it announced that six occupations would no longer be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. The decision has affected thousands of foreign students – many of them are from China who had prepared their immigration application by taking a job in one of such categories.

在加拿大接受专上教育的国际学生多通过经验类进行移民申请。在加拿大花重金多年，付出了心血和汗水后，他们的移民申请终于万事俱备。

The CEC is a popular choice amongst international students who have received college education in Canada. After millions of dollars and years of hard studying and working in Canada, everything is fine and dandy-- except the paper work.

但移民局突然发布的消息令许多受影响的申请者震惊，令他们措手不及。这一决定使他们的生活脱轨，破碎了他们的加国之梦。

But for some affected applicants, the announcement was shocking and devastating. It has shattered their Canadian dreams, and turned some lives upside down.

来自中国的留学生刘文（Steven, 化名）就是受影响的加国留学生之一。以国际学生的身份在2003年来到加拿大，刘文用了十年时间在加拿大修读了大专和本科。刘文的目标很明确，在加拿大先拿到身份并在此建立一份生活。

Steven (not his real name), a Chinese foreign student is one of them.  Coming to Canada as a visa student in 2003, Steven spent 10 years in Canada studying in colleges and universities. His efforts focused on reaching the only one goal – getting immigration status first and then establishing a life in Canada.

刘文在与《大中报》的采访中表示：“这不仅是我的目标，也是我的父母，我的妻子和整个家族的目标。”

“It was not only my goal, but also my parents, my wife and the entire family,” said Steven in an interview with Chinese News.

“我的加拿大梦”
“My Canadian Dream”

跟那些中国富翁只觊觎加拿大的身份，却从来没打算在加拿大生活不同，刘文热爱加拿大并希望他能有机会以一名加国人士的身份在加国工作生活，并为加国作出一份贡献。

Unlike those Chinese riches who covet Canadian status but never want to live in Canada, Steven loved Canada and hoped he can be given an opportunity to devote his life and career as a Canadian.

 “我深信加拿大是一个伟大的国家，”刘文说。“我想在加拿大建立生活。我喜欢它的社会保障，它的多元文化，及最重要的是和中国形成鲜明对比的公民生活品质。”

 “I deeply believe that Canada is a great country,” said Steven. “I want to establish a life in Canada. I enjoy its social security, its multiculturalism and the most of all, the quality of life it offers to its citizens, which is in sharp contrast to the situation in China”.

“在加拿大，多挣一分钱你就多一分安心，而在中国你多挣一分钱，你多一分担心。”刘文说。

 “The more money you make in Canada the more security you feel, whereas the more money you make in China, the more worry-some you become,“ said Steven.

在加拿大留学：血汗和泪水
Study in Canada: blood sweat and tears

在2003年9月抵达加拿大后，刘文很快入读了在温哥华一所语言学校，每年需要支付10,000元学费。他努力学习并于一年后完成了英语培训课程并申请了约克大学的商业和经济专业。由于英语成绩合格，刘文于2005年入读本科学位课程。

After arriving in Canada in Sept 2003, Steven quickly enrolled in a language school in Vancouver, paying $10,000 a year as tuition. He worked hard and a year later, he finished the English language training and applied to study business and economics at York University. With a satisfactory English proficiency, Steven was admitted to the bachelor degree program in 2005.

但在国外上本科课程并不是一件容易的事情。它需要天赋，努力和勤奋学习。刘文拼命学习，但两年后的一场疾病让他不得不终止继续求学。

But pursuing a bachelor degree in a foreign country was a tedious journey.  It required talents, efforts and diligence. Steven tried hard, but two years later he was struck by an illness, which left him on sick leave from the school.

“我感到很着急...我想完成学业，这样我就可以开始着手申请工作和移民… 但我病的太重以至于没法集中精力学习，”刘文说。

 “I felt very anxious… I wanted to finish the program so that I could start applying for jobs and immigration status… But I was too sick to keep going,” said Steven.

但刘文并没有放弃学业。两年后，当他感到身体恢复之后，他回到学校继续他的学业，付出比别人更多的努力。在2011年9月，他顺利毕业并获得学士学位。

But Steven didn’t give up altogether. Two years later when he recovered, Steven returned to school and continued his study, giving much more effort than his peers. In Sept. 2011, he graduated and obtained his bachelor degree.

根据当时的移民政策，专上学生被授予一年工作许可（Work Permit）用来找工作。工作一年期满后，学生就有资格申请移民身份。

Under the immigration policy at the time, college students were granted a one year work permit to look for jobs. And after working for one year, they were eligible to apply for immigration residency.

准备申请
Ready to apply

然而，加拿大就业市场没有向大学毕业生广泛开放，刘文获得的学位也没有让他在劳动力市场一枝独秀。经过几个月拼命的找工作，他看出他可能需要满足市场需求的技能来谋职。

However, the Canadian job market didn’t open widely to university graduates, and the degree Steven obtained seemed not to have prepared him well for the labour market. After several months of desperate job search, he figured that he needed other marketable skills to secure a job.

他仔细研究了自己的求职计划，并决定学些与工作场所更为接壤的会计课程。

He carefully reviewed his job search plan, and decided to enroll himself in an accounting program, which seemed to be more labour market oriented.

经过一年的培训，刘文在2012年9月找到了一份在一家公司做簿记的职位，薪水为每个月2000元。他对留在加拿大的信心大增。2013年10月下旬，他已经完全符合当时申请移民的条件：他的雅思成绩不错，他拥有大学学位和他在簿记的职位上工作了一整年。

In Sept. 2012, after one year training, Steven got a job at a company as a bookkeeper, with a salary of $2000 a month.  His confidence was growing.  By late Oct 2013, he was fully eligible to apply for immigration under the policy at the time: His IELTS test was good, he had the university degree ready and he had worked for an entire one year as bookkeeper.

但就在他发出申请后，加拿大移民局宣布改变了政策，会计技术员和薄记是6个被经验类移民排除的职业。而这一决定基本上剥夺了他申请移民的机会。

But just before he sent out the application, CIC announced that it changed the policy—accounting technician and bookkeeping was among the 6 occupations that were excluded from the CEC class. The announcement crushed his chances to apply for immigration.

刘文惊呆了，感到伤心和失望。

Steven was shocked and discouraged.

“我不知道怎么告诉我的父母和我的妻子......他们付出了这么多，牺牲了这么多了，非常希望我能骄傲地成为一名加拿大人。”

 “I didn’t know what to tell my parents and my wife… They paid so much, sacrificed so much, and had so much hope on me to become a proud Canadian.”

认为被不公平对待
Believe unfairly treated

刘文说，他认为，许多类似的人和他一样– 大多数来自中国的学生遭到加拿大移民局不公平对待。恰好是我们即将提交申请之前，移民局作出了这一突然的政策改变，就我们所经历的艰辛以及我们所付出的代价而言，难道我们不该获得第二次的申请机会？

Steven says that he believes that he and many others like him – mostly students from China were treated unfairly by the CIC’s new policy. It made such an abrupt change -- right before we were ready to file the applications. Shouldn’t we deserve a second chance to re-apply, given what we’ve gone through, the efforts we have paid out, and the pain we have suffered?”

在迫离开加拿大之前，刘文认为其回国发展的前景暗淡。“我的高中同学都在中国建立了自己的事业。与他们相比，我缺乏机会，人际关系以及在本土的竞争优势。我在海外待了整整十年，到头来却一场空！”

Before leaving Canada, Steven’s saw a bleak prospect in returning China. “My high school classmates have all established their career in China. Compared with them, I lack the competitive edge – including opportunities and network connections to get ahead in the home country.  I spent an entirely 10 years time overseas, for nothing!”

“加拿大是一个珍视平等和公正的国家。但它为什么不能对像我这样的人们更公平一些？”

 “Canada is a country that values equality and fairness.  But why it doesn’t treat people like me more fairly?
 

“如果能留在加国，我将能够对加拿大做出更多的贡献，”

“I would be able to make more contributions to Canada if could stay”

据刘文描述，如果他能留在加拿大，他将开始做货物贸易的生意，同时也将促进中加文化的交流。

According to Steven if he could stay in Canada, he would start a business in commodity trading, and at the same time help facilitate the culture exchange between Canadian and China.

“中国人真的想理解加拿大的文化。我相信我们可以帮助介绍加拿大的传统和文化给我的国家– 这里的大自然很美丽，环境清新，生活安定和社会和谐... 我可以帮助弥合两国的文化差异，并帮助更多的中国人理解加拿大是个怎样伟大的国家。”

 “The Chinese people really want to understand the Canadian culture. I believe that we can help promote the Canadian traditions and culture to my home country – the beautiful nature, the clean environment, and the social security… I can help bridge the differences, and help more and more Chinese understand what a great country Canada is.”

但是这样的机会已经消失了。正如刘文收拾东西准备离开，加拿大可能已经失去了一名有才华的大学毕业生，一名热衷于把自己的前途和才华贡献给这个他关心和深爱的国家的青年。

But that opportunity has disappeared. As Steven packed his stuff preparing to leave, Canada may have lost talented youth who are passionate to devote his future and talent to this country he so cared about and loved.

导致欺诈申请
Prone to fraudulent applications

《大中报》通过电子邮件向加拿大移民局寻求有关刘文在其申请移民过程中所遭受的不公正对待投诉之反应，加拿大移民局在回信中表示，刘文可以通过其它几百个职位，或其它的联邦或者省移民项目申请加拿大经验类移民。

After receiving Chinese News email seeking response to Steven’s complaints of being treated unfairly in his immigration application, the CIC indicated that he was eligible to apply through hundreds of other occupations under Canadian Experience Class, or other federal or provincial programs.

“我们能理解许多申请者诸如刘文可能会失望，”移民局一位媒体联络官员说。“但是给那些在加国念书的人士申请加国移民的途径...还有很多。”

 “We understand that applicants in situations such as Steven may be disappointed,” said the media relations officer with the CIC. “But the pathways to immigration to Canada for those studying ... are still many.”

毫无疑问，有很多职业仍然有资格成为经验类移民的职业范畴，但通过新的工作申请移民无异于将申请者重新回到申请程序的起跑线– 从职业培训到工作申请。

Undoubtedly, there are many occupations still eligible for the CEC, but having them to apply using a different occupation would send applicants back to square one – from getting career training to job search.

消息人士告诉《大中报》，许多处于刘文状况的申请人选择了用虚假的合乎资格的工作经历申请表，即欺骗性填写他们从来没有工作过的职位。

Sources told Chinese News that many applicants in Steven’s situation chose to file a fraudulent application through a fake eligible position – a job they’ve never taken.

 “你无法责怪他们......他们也是被逼无奈。”

 “I don’t blame them… They’ve been forced into a corner.”