Ekaterina Usmanova, who was stranded in a foreign country for two months, admitted that she "cried all the tears."

In August, the permanent Canadian resident returned to Russia for the first time in nearly three years to visit her family. Like many who were unable to visit each other while being on opposite sides of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them apart.

On her way back to Toronto, the 26-year-old stopped in Istanbul, Turkey, where her trip took a dramatic turn when her travel wallet and Canadian permanent resident card (PR) were stolen. As panic began to set in, she recalls thinking: "I just lost my whole life; I just lost everything I worked for." She also said that blind spots with security cameras at the airport meant officers could not see the perpetrator behind the brazen theft.

Usmanova also filed a police report alone in a country she had never visited before, then went to the Canadian consulate in Istanbul to try to replace her permanent resident card but was not even allowed into the office and was denied entry because she was only a permanent resident, not a full citizen.

Her next step was to submit papers with the Canadian embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara, and that was two months ago. Usmanova then contacted Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on multiple occasions, telling CTV National News: "It was really hard to get anyone or any correspondence. I exhausted all my emotions during this really stressful journey."

Eight years ago, Usmanova moved to Vancouver by herself as a teenager to attend university, and three years ago, she decided to move to Toronto to continue building her life and start her career as a marketing manager and professional photographer. While traveling on Canadian documents as a permanent resident, she thought that her emergency status as a young woman stuck in a foreign country would expedite any procedures carried out by Canadian officials, but that was not her experience.

Additionally, Usmanova said she had to move 15 times over 58 days while in Turkey. She was forced to leave the country and return to Russia, where she now waits for any news on when she can return to her home in Canada.

Last week, she said she received a message from her employer in Toronto, adding: "Unfortunately, my company had to terminate my position after two months of uncertainty." Usmanova is also unsure how she will cover her rent in Toronto, where she financially supports her younger sister who is in college and lives with her.

Similarly, the 20-year-old said she has called Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada several times daily for weeks but always receives the same frustrating automated message: "We are experiencing a high volume of calls, please call again later." When asked if she thinks the Canadian government is handling her sister's situation with the urgency she believes is required, she answered bluntly: "No, you don't feel appreciated or that this issue is important to the Canadian government."

Reflecting on her experience trying to reach a Canadian immigration official for help, younger Usmanova shares that "it's not just about her but about the immigration system, the entire system that isn't functioning properly."