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Six-Year Wait for Permanent Residency Leaves Montreal Family in Limbo
Lebanese husband's security screening drags on as Quebec's family reunification backlog grows
Published: July 27, 2026
A Montreal couple says they are still waiting for an answer on a permanent residency application filed nearly six years ago, despite having completed every step required of them. Sarah Abou-Nassif sponsored her husband, Mohamad Ataya, after they married in 2020, and he received provincial approval from Quebec within a year. Federal security screening, however, has dragged on ever since, leaving the family, including two young children, in prolonged uncertainty.
Immigration advocates say Quebec's family reunification cases typically take two to three times longer than in other provinces, partly because the province caps how many applications it processes annually under its own immigration accord with Ottawa. As of this spring, roughly 42,000 people were waiting in that category in Quebec alone.
Federal officials say security screening is handled independently by the Canada Border Services Agency and Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and that processing times are beginning to improve. An immigration lawyers' association has asked the Federal Court to intervene and compel faster action on the backlog.
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