This Friday, Dec. 7, a South Korean family living in Olds will be leaving the country because their work permits have been revoked for what they and friends are calling some misunderstandings.
Jin Woo Jeong (also known as Jimmy) and his wife Chloe Seol intend to try and get their work permits reinstated with the help of friends and lawyers while they and their two sons: Daniel, 5, and Aiden, 4, relocate temporarily to Vietnam where Jimmy has friends.
Jeong has a degree in public relations. Chloe is a web designer with university education in Korean and English literature. Both hope to obtain permanent residency and eventually Canadian citizenship.
Jimmy immigrated to Canada and ended up in Olds in January 2017 where, with a work permit, he got a job as a supervisor at a local car wash detailing vehicles. Chloe joined him this past July. She worked from home as a web designer. Jimmy’s employer was sponsoring his bid to obtain permanent residency.
They’ve been enthusiastic members of the community. In fact, Jimmy was profiled in the National Post for his volunteer work in Olds, dedicating hundreds of hours with Citizens on Patrol. The kids were doing well in school, Jimmy says.
Their current troubles began in mid-November when they went to the Carway port of entry at the Canada-U.S. border to get Chloe’s open work permit and to obtain visas for their children.
Another reason for that trip is that Chloe’s freelance web designing work ran out.
They could have applied online to do so, but decided to go to the border at the recommendation of others who said doing so was cheaper and faster than going online because Jimmy already had his work permit.
“Eventually that turned out to be a very bad decision,” Jimmy says.
Jimmy says after a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer questioned him and phoned his employer, he was given an exclusion order requiring him to leave the country.
Jimmy says there seems to have been a misunderstanding between the officer and the employer.
“My employer is not fluent in English like me,” Jimmy says. “He was very surprised that somebody from the border called.”
As a result of the situation, Jimmy is now unemployed.
Initially, he was ordered to leave the country in November, but with the help of a lawyer, his family’s stay was extended to Dec. 7.
Jimmy says best case scenario, he and his family hope to be back in Olds in January. Worst case scenario, they may not get back here for a year.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by friends to assist the Jeong family with legal fees and income, now that he is unemployed.
Red Deer-Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen has also been contacted for help in the matter.
A Labour Standards complaint has also been submitted, alleging that his former employer breached the labour code.
The Albertan reached out to the CBSA for comment on this story.
In an emailed response, CBSA regional communications officer Mylene Estrada-del Rosario did not refer to the Jeong case directly, saying she cannot do so, due to privacy legislation.
Instead, she sent the following statement:
“The decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly. Everyone ordered removed from Canada is entitled to due process before the law and all removal orders are subject to various levels of appeal.
“Once individuals have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal/due process, they are expected to respect our laws and leave Canada or be removed.
“For information on applying for work permits, permanent residency, and citizenship, please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. For information on removal from Canada, please visit the CBSA website.”
