November 2017
On October 11th, 2017 immigration lawyers received an early Christmas present. The residency obligation required to apply for citizenship was reduced, making many of our clients eligible earlier than originally planned.
October 2017
When I was taking legal ethics courses prior to becoming a lawyer, I was warned against giving ‘cocktail party advice.’ This is when legal advice is given in a social setting, without obtaining the required background information, and properly documenting the advice given. The Law Society of Ontario frowns upon giving advice in these circumstances.
September 2017
When we hear someone say that they are planning a trip, we often assume their biggest worries are whether they’ve figured out accommodation, packed the right clothes, or were able to secure the time off work.
August 2017
In December 2016, new application forms were introduced for individuals wishing to sponsor spouses or partners. It was part of a package of reforms designed to speed up processing. In June 2017, further improvements were made to the guides and document checklists.
July 2017
This is the story of three brilliant, but misinformed international students* whose chances of becoming Canadian permanent residents were lost.
June 2017
…. instead of residency being seen as a set of ongoing obligations and privileges, it is reduced to the status of a commodity, bought and paid-for.
Can Canada’s immigration industry bring federal millionaire migration scheme back from the dead?
Next month I will be speaking at the Canadian Bar Association’s National Immigration Law Section Annual Conference. Being asked to speak is an honour, however it comes with the requirement to submit a paper. Finding time to research and write was an issue – much of the paper was written between basketball games in the hallway of a high school in Markham, Ontario, where my son was playing in a weekend tournament.
April 2017
The joy of practicing immigration law is that there is always something new. A few things to let you know about this month:
March 2017
I do a lot of consultation appointments with individuals who want to know if they are eligible to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry.
The next question I’m always asked is ‘how long will it take until I get my permanent residency?’