• February

      23

      2017

    Much Ado About Nothing – Refugees and Mass Hysteria

    The refugees are coming! The refugees are coming !Even after we exercised our moral authority to specifically help the Syrians by thousands, the refugees keep coming! They are now not even passively waiting for deportation or unfair treatment by the American authorities or danger and risk in their home countries, they are proactively taking their

    • February

      20

      2017

    Interview: Alberta Primetime on Islamophobia and Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Efforts

    Earlier this month, firm founder Raj Sharma was interviewed on Alberta Primetime this week. A partial transcript of that interview follows. … Michael Higgins: Mustafa, it didn’t take long for news of the ban to spread, but it also didn’t take long for the rhetoric to begin flowing. What’s your view on how Canadians are

    • February

      20

      2017

    Interview with Danielle Smith: Discussing the Spike in Canadian Refugee Claims and the Safe Third Country Agreement

    Firm founder Raj Sharma was interviewed by Danielle Smith on her radio show on AM770 on February 13, 2017. A transcript of Part 1 of that interview follows: Danielle Smith:                  … Okay, a few of you have been asking, are you going to talk about M103? Yes, indeedy we are. We’ve got Derek [inaudible 00:02:58]

    • February

      1

      2017

    Interview on AM770 with Danielle Smith Discussing Immigration Developments (Just Before the Trumpquake)

    It was a pleasure discussing immigration developments with Danielle Smith on AM770 last week, just before Trump’s Executive Order caused chaos and confusion over the weekend. A transcript of our conversation: Danielle Smith:                  Let me just take a pause, ’cause I don’t want to end up short changing the conversation with my next guest. We’re

    • January

      31

      2017

    Interview with CBC Calgary Rob Brown on the #Muslimban

    It was a pleasure being asked to discuss the #muslimban on CBC last night. A transcript of my discussion with CBC Calgary’s Rob Brown follows. Rob Brown:                                       One of the biggest protests over that travel ban was in Toronto today. Demonstrators gathering outside the US Consulate to condemn Donald Trump’s controversial decision. Demonstrator:                  This is

    • January

      8

      2017

    Interviewing the Top Immigration Lawyers in Canada: SSH Law Podcast Series: Ottawa Immigration Lawyer Ronalee Carey

    Hiring a lawyer is a tough decision. Most seek out the advice of trusted friends or relatives; many don’t have that luxury and sometimes that advice can be outdated. Hiring a lawyer is an informational based decision, but a lot of what’s available (especially on-line) can be inaccurate. There’s an unmet need: immigrating to another

    • December

      30

      2016

    Raj Sharma on the Humanitarian and Compassionate Application: A Widening Door?

    I was counsel on two recent applications for humanitarian and compassionate relief; one against Niger and one against Nepal. Both applications were refused and I was counsel on both when review was sought at the Federal Court of Canada. Both of those resulting decisions should be of assistance to all seeking relief and consideration facing

    • December

      19

      2016

    Raj Sharma on How Visa Officers Make a Decision on a Spousal Sponsorship File

    I’ve been reading “Points of Entry: How Canada’s Immigration Officers Decide Who Gets In” by Vic Satzewich. The author managed to – after obtaining with some difficulty the necessary bureaucratic blessings – interview over a hundred visa and case officers, and attend and examine the inner workings of a number of overseas visa offices. Reading

    • December

      1

      2016

    Punjabi Language Blog Post: Helping Families Navigate the Maze that is Immigration

    Many thanks to my friend, Mr. Rishi K. Nagar for translating a recent post into Punjabi; English article follows. ਆਖ਼ਰ ਮਾਸੂਮ ਬੱਚੀ ਨੂੰ ਨਾਨਾ-ਨਾਨੀ ਨਾਲ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਆਉਣ ਦੀ ਆਗਿਆ ਮਿਲ ਹੀ ਗਈ! ਇਕ ਸਾਲ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੇਰੀਆਂ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਲਈ ਇਕ ਮਿਹਨਤੀ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਨੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਤੀਕ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਕੀਤੀ। ਉਹ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਕਈ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਾਤਾ-ਪਿਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ

    • October

      27

      2016

    Immigration Law: Consequences of Criminality – Interview with Canadian Immigration Lawyer Mark Holthe – Transcript

    It was my pleasure and honour to have been asked to speak to my colleagues at the CBA Immigration Subsection here in Calgary yesterday. The topic was the consequences of criminality which are manifold, and while the Immigration law in this country prioritizes security and enforcement, all is not lost nor is removal a foregone

    • August

      25

      2016

    Marriage appeal – Sponsorship Refusal – Appeals before the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board

    I’ll be attending at the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration Refugee Board on August 24, 2016 to handle an appeal against a refused spousal sponsorship application. In this case, my client is a Canadian citizen born in Punjab, India. He is a Sikh, and this is his third marriage. He had a short-lived first marriage

    • April

      13

      2016

    If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere – or a Short Guide for International Students

    If I can make it there, I’m gonna make it anywhere, It’s up to you, … The song of course refers to the metropolis of New York City. The theme is true for everyone leaving behind the familiar for the unknown. International students have to deal with the unfamiliar, maintain their studies (perhaps in a second or third

    • December

      16

      2015

    A half truth is a whole lie. Misrepresentation Explained.

    A great deal of our practice deals with allegations by CIC of misrepresentation committed by those that seek to enter, remain or bring others to Canada. As with most things in life, prevention is the best cure. Despite what anyone tells you, do not: list someone else’s child as yours simply to bring them to Canada;

    • December

      8

      2015

    Mandamus to Compel Action on Your Citizenship File

    My client was facing enforcement action by CBSA. It was a years long, seemingly interminable investigation as to her first marriage. After securing a response to an Access to Information Request (which yielded interesting details, including the fact that her citizenship application had been “put on hold”) I filed an Application for Judicial Review and

    • November

      2

      2015

    Alternative Dispute Resolution Meetings at the Immigration Appeal Division

    The Immigration Appeal Division can hear the appeal of a permanent resident who is the subject of a removal order (for misrepresentation, criminality*, and breach of the residency obligation). If you have sponsored your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and a visa officer has come to the conclusion that the marriage is not valid or

    • September

      10

      2015

    Live in Caregivers and the Hurdles they Face to Stay in Canada

    My client is a 40 year old woman from the Philippines. Trained as a dressmaker, she came here 6 years ago as a temporary foreign worker. Unfortunately, she, like many other foreign workers were exploited. She would work at one position during the week and told to do unpaid work on the weekends. Constrained by

    • February

      16

      2015

    Failure to disclose family members is a bar to sponsorship

    If a Permanent Resident fails to disclose a family member at any time prior to or at landing, he or she will be barred from sponsorship under the family class for the undisclosed individuals. This seems to happen regularly and for a variety of reasons. Sometimes there’s an issue with the custody of a child;

    • January

      29

      2015

    Maintaining Permanent Residency Status While Working Abroad

    All Permanent Residents of Canada must comply with a residency requirement. That requirement, as of now, is 730 days in every 5 year period. Many individuals want to have their cake and eat it too. Others are constrained by circumstances beyond their control. I have been consulted by both the former and latter regarding the

    • November

      29

      2014

    What do you do if you’re the victim of Marriage Fraud?

    What do you do if you’re the victim of marriage fraud? One question that is relevant is when your spouse came to Canada. Subject to some exceptions, anyone that came to Canada after October 25, 2012, needs to stay with their spouse for two years. In my opinion, however, Jason Kenney’s reforms will simply mean

    • October

      6

      2014

    Appealing a Spousal Sponsorship Refusal

    I was before the Immigration Appeal Division today on an appeal from an overseas spousal sponsorship refusal. A helpful resource to individuals and counsel is the IAD Legal Services publication Sponsorship Appeals IRPA.  The sponsor needs to establish, on a balance of probabilities, that they are not caught by s.4 of the IRPR. In essence, the

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