Randy Quaid, wanted in the United States for several outstanding warrants, can stay in Canada for the time being now that his wife, Evi, is officially a Canadian citizen, according to the Toronto Globe and Mail. “On Feb. 16, the inadmissibility proceedings against Randy Quaid were formally withdrawn by [Canada Border Service Agency]. Randy no longer faces any impediments to his presence in Canada,” said the couple’s lawyer, Catherine Sas, at a press conference in Vancouver. “Evi’s Canadian citizenship was formally recognized and we received her citizenship card on Feb. 10. Evi has formally applied to sponsor her husband and it is anticipated that Randy will be granted his permanent resident status in due course and before the refugee claim is scheduled.”
In October, the couple had been arrested in Vancouver for immigration violation charges after they’d fled felony burglary charges in California. They applied for refugee status, claiming they were being persecuted by U.S. authorities and threatened by “star whackers.” Quaid, who was nominated for an Oscar for 1973′s The Last Detail, is best known for playing Chevy Chase’s rube cousin in the Vacation films.
The CBSA has confirmed to EW that admissibility proceedings, associated to the alleged charges in California, have been withdrawn against Randy Quaid, and that his refugee claim is still in effect. Per that understanding, Quaid still needs to check in with Canadian authorities once each week.
Read more:
Randy and Evi Quaid skip hearing … again
Randy Quaid tells ‘Early Show’ that ‘star whackers’ are out to get him
Randy Quaid and wife arrested in Vancouver
Randy and Evi Quaid released from Canadian detention facility
Such an abuse of the system. Shame on them for applying for refugee status. It’s a mockery that they site persecution from the US because of an unpaid bill.
I’m not sure if that’s the case here. It looked like the wife, Evi, had some claim to citizenship – a totally different scenario than applying for refugee status.
Back in October they originally applied for refugee status. That is my beef. I assume they did this to give her time to sort her citizenship issues – playing the system, which seriously bugs me. I’d really like someone to show these crappy people the door.
They are dropping the refugee proceedings because his wife is sponsoring him and she is a Canadian citizen.
Never heard of ‘em.
How stupid is that Canada !!!! As I read it, it was her Grand Father, not her, who is the citizen…y’all are getting as stupid as the States…and I can say that cause I live in USA and every one knows how stupid things are here…
Her father was born in Canada, which means she has a right to citizenship.
So…not quite as stupid. Not yet anyway.
This is the single most ridiculous thing that I’ve ever heard! These two are seriously 12 kinds of crazy!! The Cdn govt denies refugee status to and deports people back to countries where they will more likely than not be killed, yet they’ve granted her citizenship and are allowing her to sponsor him to stay as well?!? They have caused nothing short of a ruckus since they arrived in Vancouver! I’m so ashamed right now to call myself a Canadian!
Actually, we pretty well keep everybody and let anybody and everybody in. That is the kindness (insanity!) that is Canada.
I like Canada and MOST Canadians, but like most here, I think that this is a big bunch of BS. Personally, if they were causing that much grief in Canada, I would have hoped that the Canooks would have shipped them back to the states to face prosicution and jail time.