Love it but leave it: Foreign PhD students call for changes to let them stay in N.L.
CBC
It took Foroogh Mohammadi a while to get used to the Newfoundland weather.
Five years ago she traded the hot temperatures of Iran for cool and blustery St. John's
"I got used to it because the warmth of the people and the culture and and everything in the city warm our hearts," she said.
Mohammadi, along with her husband Pouya Morshedi, are doing their PhDs in sociology at Memorial University.
They came for an education, but now it's home.
"I love St. John's and as I said, I love the people. So I definitely would love to stay here," she said.
"Unfortunately because of very different challenges we face, we have to leave the province. We have no other choice than leaving the province."
For Mohammadi, after graduation an academic job is one likely path, but it's almost impossible for her to get in Canada; Memorial University, like other Canadian universities, looks at applications for citizens and permanent residents first — but in order to get permanent residency she needs to have a job.
She's not alone in her struggle.
Sanaz Nabavian is facing the same predicament. She's also from Iran, completing her PhD in management information systems.
She's started a petition to try to change the rules.
"I'm not calling it discrimination, but it's like a a problem. It's a barrier," she said.
Nabavian is starting a business, developing a software tool to help companies like contractors compare pricing on products they need for projects.
She wants to build the business here instead of getting a job with a company, making it harder for her to get permanent residency.
