• June

      28

      2023

    The Vagaries in Challenging Visa Office Refusals at the Federal Court of Canada

    The first time I appeared before the Federal Court was almost 20 years ago. Things have changed -in terms of filing procedures, remote hearings and jurisprudence from the Supreme Court with respect to deference and the reasonableness standard. Other things have not changed. One perennial issue is apparent divergence in the Court. That divergence is

    • June

      21

      2023

    Punjabi language interview: The Supreme Court on the Safe Third Country Agreement and the Plight of Indian International Students

    I was interviewed by Calgary RedFM News Director Rishi Nagar on the Supreme Court decision on the Safe Third Country Agreement and the plight of Indian international students caught up in the fake admission letter scam. 2023 06 19 redfm interview stc and students   Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2023 06 19 Redfm

    • June

      20

      2023

    Immigration Detention, the Grounds for Detention, Mandatory Factors and the Release Plan

    There was welcome news and developments concerning Canada’s troubling use of provincial jails to house foreign nationals including refugee claimants in Canada. Ontario has announced that it will stop allowing the Federal Government to use its jails for immigration detainees. It will take effect in a year, but it’s a development long awaited by stakeholders. From

    • May

      26

      2023

    Cessation -the Loss of Protected Person Status

    About a decade ago, stakeholders noticed a marked increase in applications to cessate the status of those granted protection in Canada. The Canadian Council for Refugees discussed this at length in an article published in 2014.[1] CBSA had a quota to reach and thus began a modern era of enforcement against those that had succeeded

    • May

      2

      2023

    Interview discussing the federal worker strike on immigration processing (Punjabi)

    Immigration lawyer Raj Sharma is interviewed by RedFM host Rishi Nagar during his Punjabi language morning show discussing the federal government strike impact on immigration processing and issues for international students and temporary residents.   Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2023 05 01 Redfm Interview

    • April

      25

      2023

    CBC Interview -Impact of the PSAC strike on immigration and refugee processing

    Raj Sharma was interviewed on the CBC at Noon program with Judy Aldous on April 20, 2023 —discussing the immigration issue of the day —the impact of the PSAC strike on immigration, citizenship and refugee processing. Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · April 20 2023 CBC Interview Transcript Judy Aldous: …Raj Sharma is an immigration

    • April

      12

      2023

    Is it Time for an Amnesty for the Undocumented and Without Status?

    Canada has seen a significant increase in the number of people issued permits to temporarily work and study. While intake is high, many will not be able to navigate the various immigration pathways to permanent residence status. A significant number of these individuals may not want to leave at the end of their authorized period

    • March

      31

      2023

    Deportation of Indian International Students -Interview RedFM and Rishi Nagar -Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

    As an immigration lawyer, I frequently come across cases that highlight the importance of due diligence in the immigration process. This morning, I was interviewed by Rishi Nagar of RedFM Calgary about the recent media articles regarding the deportation of hundreds of Indian international students. Raj Sharma Deportations_mixdown Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · Deportation

    • March

      31

      2023

    Ask Kubeir -Interview on the deportation of hundreds of Indian international students that entered on false admission documents

    I joined Kubeir to discuss the plight of Indian International Students facing removal because of the use of false documents in their applications. This follows my interview with Rishi Nagar of RedFM Calgary -this time, the discussion was in English. We also chatted about the huge number of individuals in Canada as temporary residents and

    • February

      7

      2023

    Excerpt -Discussion on Whether IRCC will Waive Requirements

    Is IRCC going to waive requirements for visitor visas/TRVs caught up in the backlog? I don’t think so -for a variety of reasons. An excerpt of our discussion on this topic is below (from the AMA Borderlines podcast session from last month): Steven Meurrens:           Yeah, for those who don’t know the story, the Globe and

    • February

      7

      2023

    Ask Me Anything -AMA Session on Immigration -Borderlines Interview

    I had a great time talking about a wide number of issues in immigration law with my friends Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff on the excellent Borderlines podcast. Summary: In this episode of the Canadian immigration law podcast “Borderlines,” hosts Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff interview Raj Sharma, a Calgary immigration lawyer. They answer listener

    • January

      17

      2023

    Immigrating to Canada? Consider Settling in Calgary, Alberta

    Canada will be welcoming record numbers of immigrants in the coming years. Many will choose to live in the largest cities of Canada including the GTA, Montreal and the Lower Mainland. There are many reasons why immigrants choose to settle in Alberta and in particular Calgary. There are many reasons why someone might choose to

    • January

      11

      2023

    What is a Refugee?

    Very briefly, a refugee is a person who has been forced to flee their home country because of persecution, war, or violence, and who is unable to return to their home country safely due to a personalized risk. Under the “classic” s.96 definition, refugees may be fleeing persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political

    • January

      4

      2023

    Comparing Canadian and US Immigration Systems

    Canadian immigration policies are similar to those of the United States in many ways. Both countries have a variety of programs designed to attract immigrants with specific skills and talents, and both countries have family sponsorship programs that allow citizens and permanent residents to sponsor close family members for immigration. Both countries have enforcement regimes

    • December

      14

      2022

    2022 Immigration News and Developments

    2022 has been a busy year in terms of immigration news and developments. We even got a new Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (although this is nothing new -the Department has been a revolving door since Kenney left). Canada has set out a bold plan to bring in 1.5 million Permanent Residents in the next

    • November

      1

      2022

    Discussing the Parent and Grandparent family class sponsorship process for 2022 on RedFM with host Rishi Nagar

    Immigration news and developments happen with increasing regularity. I was out of country when the family class/parents and grandparents program was set to re-open. The following is a (mostly) Punjabi language interview/discussion: 2022 10 12 redfm interview family class   Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2022 10 12 Redfm Interview Family Class

    • October

      27

      2022

    Compelling Government Action on Your Immigration File

    I have written and spoken about the remedy of mandamus before; I will be doing so again at the CBA Alberta-North Immigration Section on October 27, 2022. What is mandamus? In essence, the Federal Court has the power to compel IRCC, or Canada Border Services Agency to do something that they should be doing. More

    • October

      19

      2022

    Beware the Poison Pen Letter

    I wrapped up an immigration appeal earlier this month (sadly, a 845 AM Toronto start time which meant a 645 start time here in Calgary). My client’s sponsorship was refused because of a poison pen letter (details were redacted in the officer’s notes). Suffice it to say the poison pen letter alleged that my client

    • October

      3

      2022

    Special program to sponsor Afghan refugees without refugee status from the UNHCR or a foreign state

    Special program to sponsor Afghan refugees without refugee status from the UNHCR or a foreign state   The Government of Canada has announced that starting October 17, 2022, groups of five and community sponsors in Canada can sponsor Afghan refugees without having to submit a refugee status determination (RSD) document. An RSD document is issued

    • September

      26

      2022

    The Moral Debt Owed to Front Line Health Care Workers -Part Deux

    What do you do when your immigration appeal is refused? The IAD is probably your best shot at retaining status. The IAD remains an important safeguard and safety net for Permanent Residents that are facing a removal order. The IAD can consider both validity and humanitarian and compassionate considerations (the “Ribic and Chieu” factors that

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