{"id":12542,"date":"2024-02-14T10:12:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T15:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infotetquebec.com\/mariem-and-chawki-a-new-chapter-in-saint-ubalde\/"},"modified":"2024-02-15T13:53:02","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T18:53:02","slug":"mariem-and-chawki-a-new-chapter-in-saint-ubalde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infotetquebec.com\/en\/mariem-and-chawki-a-new-chapter-in-saint-ubalde\/","title":{"rendered":"Mariem and Chawki: a new chapter in Saint-Ubalde"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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After more than two years separated by thousands of kilometers, Tunisians Mariem Ksaier and Chawki Tallous were able to reunite and are now settled in their fourplex in Saint-Ubalde with their baby, permanent residence in hand. Patience and perseverance have paid off!<\/strong><\/p>

Text and photos: Marie-Anne Day\u00e9<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Behind the door of one of the units in the couple’s newly purchased fourplex, the d\u00e9cor evokes the warmth of Tunisia. The paintings on the walls, the fabrics, the bites of food and the mint tea on the coffee table quickly put us in the mood. Even the crockery is authentic. “I sacrificed a 23kg suitcase to bring the plates!” says Meriem. Tunisian hospitality is no myth: guests who enter this home are immersed in Tunisian culture, a point of pride for this couple in their thirties.<\/p>

Photo: Mariem has cooked the blankit, an appetizer composed of baguette bread, harissa sauce, roasted pepper salad, eggs, tuna and olives. “Opening a restaurant is a childhood dream, but before that I was always busy with my engineering studies. Here, I’ve touched on that passion, and people enjoy my food,” she says.<\/em><\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The investment in a property and the birth of their first child mark their more official move to Quebec, particularly to Saint-Ubalde, a municipality in Portneuf. After their wedding in 2019, Chawki began the process of working in Quebec. As an engineer in biological and agri-food engineering, he had long wanted to pursue his specialty in Canada. Knowing that it would be arduous to find an avenue related to his field of expertise, he instead signed a contract with Patates Dolbec in 2019, received the positive EIMT and Certificat d’acceptation du Qu\u00e9bec (CAQ) the same year, eventually starting work in January 2020. A labourer job was far from his career aspirations, but it was a first step. “The only way to achieve a better future was to take this step. It was one of the least complicated solutions. The most important thing is the goal: to improve our conditions, our family, to live in a country that respects us, where our rights are equal to everyone else’s,” asserts Chawki.<\/p>

Far from his beloved, he tried several options to get her to join him, either with an open permit or a tourist visa. However, delays and refusals wore down the couple’s patience. The restrictions of the pandemic didn’t help either. “It was really a big ordeal for each of us and for the relationship,” Mariem points out. “We thought it would be a bit easier, but coming here we discovered another reality,” adds Chawki. “The laws are sometimes unfair, especially for newcomers. Canada and Quebec need qualified people. Why do we make their lives difficult, far from their families? The family is part of a person’s development, prosperity and quality of life,” he continues.<\/p>

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\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOpen work permit for family<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Currently, low-wage temporary foreign workers in categories F\u00c9ER 4 and 5, as well as seasonal workers in the SAWP and agricultural stream, cannot attach their spouse or partner to their work permit and give them access to an open work permit. Accompanying persons have the option of coming to Quebec with foreign student status, or with their own closed work permit, as was the case for Mariem. As of January 30, 2023, temporary foreign workers in the high-wage stream, regardless of the principal applicant's RRSP category, are eligible for an open permit for their family.<\/p>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t