'We were ecstatic': Family's permanent residency reconsidered

As their kids headed back to school in Manitoba this week, an Americanfamily underthe threat of being forced out of their Canadian home and business received hopeful news.

"Immigration decided that they would hear what we have to say about Karalynn, so they reopened our file," said Jon Warkentin.

The Warkentin family came to Canada from Colorado in 2013 to operate an outfitting business in Waterhen, 275 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Their work permits to run their hunting and fishing lodge will expire in November.

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When they came to Canada, Jon and Karissa Warkentin didn't know that their daughter Karalynn, then two, had special needs. She was diagnosed with epilepsy and global developmental delay the next year.

Their application for permanent residency was denied in spring with the rejection letterfrom Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadasaying Karalynn's health condition might cause "excessive demand" on health or social services in Canada.

As a result, all family members were deemed inadmissible to Canada.

The Warkentins hired a lawyer who planned to appeal the decision at the federal level, but first submitted a second request for reconsideration in August. An earlier request for reconsideration had been denied.

The lawyer received an email from the Immigration Department on Wednesday that said the Warkentins' application had been reopened and is back in processing, with Karalynn's "inadmissibility still under review," Jon Warkentin said.

"We were ecstatic. The email basically means they are giving us what we were asking the judge to give us through our appeal," he said.

"So we are very happy now we are not going to have to go through the judicial process."

While there is still no certainty the family will get permanent residency, Jon Warkentin said it has given themhope that they will be able to make a permanent home in Canada.

"It's a huge, huge, huge step in the right direction for us, for our family," he said.