No Visa, No Home

By the middle of March, the school contacted me to say they would not be able to finish my paperwork. By the time they finally told me, I wasn’t really surprised. Everyday, for the last two months, we had been receiving news of other co-workers in a similar situation. In light of all the blatant human rights violations going on all around our province, it’s not surprising that the government doesn’t want foreigners around to witness it all. In general, they are not kicking us out or stamping people’s passports, they are just slowly squeezing the system so tight that it’s next to impossible to make it through the application process.

The final ‘no’ from the school hit me hard. This province has been my home for over a dozen years. I am not ready to say goodbye. Currently, there are several families in similar situations, including our Korean brothers and sisters, there have been over 50 units (families, couples, or singles) forced out in the last three months. We are from all different countries and organizations, but bound together with a common love for a province we currently can’t call home.