Welcome Home: An Immigration Law Podcast

Have you ever felt like your career success came at the expense of your mental health? In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Registered Psychotherapist Dawn Binkowski , whose two decades of experience—including a background as a court reporter—give her unique insight into the intersection of mental health and Canadian immigration law. Dawn shares powerful reflections on why mental we...

Can automation truly redefine immigration systems without sacrificing equity and trust? Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way Canadian immigration processes operate, with promises of increased efficiency and reduced backlogs. However, these innovations bring complex questions: Are biases baked into the algorithms? Is decision-making still truly in human hands? What does this mean...

In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Canada’s current “first generation” limits on citizenship violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  In this episode, citizenship experts Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss join us to break down the proposed controversial Canadian Citizenship amendments. We discuss the limitations of first-generation citizenship, the Bj...

Has the US immigration system earned its negative reputation and is Canada’s immigration system as welcoming as we think it is? In this episode Chantal and Cathryn sit down with Erick Widman to discuss United States’ immigration pathways and their unique barriers, including the "H1B Cap,” spousal sponsorship restrictions, filing fees, permanent residence country caps, and waiver requests.   H...

What degree of transparency should we expect from a government body that leverages AI to expedite processes that have a life-changing impact on thousands of people each year?  The IRCC has introduced the use of artificial intelligence to expedite the processing of immigration applications, with assurances that AI does not have the power to determine or influence the outcome of applications. Howeve...

Immigrants make up over 25% of our population and form a critical component of Canada’s workforce. Under Canada’s new immigration plan, we hope to welcome 500,000 new immigrants per year. This could be a tall order as the inherently political nature of Canadian immigration law means frequent and far-reaching policy changes, often made with little to no warning. How can practitioners deal with this...

Has a client ever mentioned why they chose you? Have you ever asked? If you had to guess what matters most to your clients when selecting a legal representative, what do you imagine their answer would be? In this episode, Chantal and Cathryn explore a client’s perspective and learn about the surprising things that matter most to a client seeking representation in an immigration law case. They inte...

Unlimited intake quotas, limited processing targets, inaccurate processing times, and resource constraints all contribute to the massive and seemingly perpetual IRCC backlog. With many cases dragging on for years and being unfairly dismissed or refused, should group litigation be considered to protect applicants' right to procedural fairness and legitimate expectations? On this episode, we welcome...

An individual can only make ONE refugee claim per lifetime. Every year, thousands of individuals flee to Canada and exercise their one and only opportunity to make a refugee claim. Many of these refugee claims are from individuals escaping domestic violence with their children.   In this episode, Chantal and Cathryn sit down with immigration and refugee lawyer Cheryl Robinson to discuss the inters...

Why is Canada falling behind in business and corporate immigration? With minuscule applicant intake numbers, protracted processing times, and unwieldy programs with no guarantees of residency, one could argue that Canada is CLOSED FOR BUSINESS, or at the very least risk-averse when it comes to foreign entrepreneurs. Join Chantal and Cathryn as they sit down with immigration lawyer Robin Seligman t...

Chantal and Cathryn welcome Lisa Middlemiss , an immigration lawyer at Gomberg and Dalfen in Montreal to discuss the opportunities and obstacles of Canada’s new virtual citizenship process.    With processing times longer than pre-pandemic and the sense of ceremony diminished for applicants, Chantal, Cathryn, and Lisa discuss the transition of interviews, tests, oath ceremonies, and some applicati...

On this week's episode of Welcome Home, join our hosts as they sit down with Steven Meurrens, partner at Larlee and Rosenberg and host of the Borderlines podcast, for a fascinating review of the top Federal Court cases from 2021 and their implications on your day-to-day immigration practice. We begin with two cases that impact practitioners representing clients facing allegations of misrepresentat...

Chantal and Cathryn welcome Stephen Green , Senior Partner at Green and Spiegel in Toronto, to discuss the fluid circumstances of Canadian immigration arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, they examine the legal, social, and professional implications of constantly shifting COVID provisions on day-to-day immigration practice. Our guest and hosts shed light on the difficulties of advi...

Join Chantal, Cathryn, and immigration lawyer, Raj Sharma as they navigate the complex and consequential maze of Canada’s inadmissibility laws, keeping in mind the question, “Does one act define you for a lifetime?” In this episode, they examine the unique personal and professional challenges of representing clients trying to overcome a finding of inadmissibility. When the stakes are so high, how...

Chantal and Cathryn welcome immigration lawyer, Adrienne Smith as they discuss the evolution of family class sponsorship in Canadian immigration law. What constitutes a family under Canada’s immigration law? Learn about the current barriers to family reunification and how they impact the rights of minorities, such as the LGBTQ2+ community. They examine recent developments from the Federal Court an...