A mother and daughter living in Halifax who were threatened with deportation over a clerical error have been granted a reprieve after weeks of uncertainty.
Diana Calderón, who moved to Canada from Peru in 2022, was shocked last month to discover Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada had rejected her work permit application, forcing her out of a job and preventing her daughter from returning to school.
In its letter, the federal department explained that Calderón’s employer, Nova Scotia Health, had not submitted the proper documentation or the $230 compliance fee required for approval — which the health authority denied.
“I almost fainted,” said Calderón in a recent interview. “I wasn’t expecting that. This is not a very complicated permit once you have your job in place.”
She had to stop working immediately as a sourcing manager for the health authority’s supply chain department, and began relying on her savings to get by. Because her daughter’s study permit is tied to Calderón’s work permit, the 14-year-old wasn’t allowed to start Grade 9 with her friends this month.
The letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) went on to say that Calderón either had to pay several thousand dollars out of pocket to start the work permit process over again, or leave Canada by November.
Calderón’s predicament and the lack of swift action from IRCC prompted Nova Scotia Health to take the unusual step of speaking publicly on a personnel matter, confirming to CBC News that it had filed the necessary paperwork and made the payment to IRCC on Dec. 12, 2024.
On Monday evening, in response to an inquiry from CBC News, IRCC said it had reversed its original decision.
“A reconsideration request was received on Sept. 15, 2025, and the case was reopened,” a department spokesperson wrote in an email. “The application is now approved.”
While IRCC said it received the reconsideration request on Monday, Nova Scotia Health told CBC News it had spent the last few weeks appealing to the department and federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab, the MP for Halifax West. The health authority said it did not receive a response.
Calderón said she and her lawyer also made several attempts to reach IRCC.
She said they were able to confirm the documents were received with the initial application, but they weren’t attached to her file. CBC News viewed a letter written by Calderón’s licensed immigration consultant, Katie Enman, containing documentation that showed the paperwork was received on time.
Calderón said she had hoped the government would fix the error so that she could “keep contributing to the community” that she called her dream city.
She said she moved to Canada from Peru in hopes of creating a safer future for her daughter.
“It’s a bit dangerous for women,” she said. “I didn’t want her to grow up in a complicated environment like that.”
IRCC said Monday that Calderón’s work permit has been renewed for two years.
Speaking before the decision was reversed, Nova Scotia Health spokesperson Jennifer Lewandowski said the ordeal had taken a toll on the family.
“Diana is a hard-working member of our team, she’s making important contributions to the work here,” she said.
“The situation has put tremendous stress on one of our own, on herself and her daughter.”
