Borderlines

Recorded June 24, 2026. IRCC has thrown Canadian citizenship by descent into chaos. After thousands of people received Canadian citizenship certificates under Bill C-3, some were suddenly told to surrender them, only for many to receive follow-up letters days later saying their certificates had been "revalidated." Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Lena Diab has confirmed that new Bill C-3 citizenshi...

We break down several IRCC e-mail responses to representatives that answer questions by immigration lawyers and consultants. Questions include: Can foreign remote work performed while living in Canada count toward Express Entry? Does someone who applies for a new work permit before their Post-Graduation Work Permit expires have maintained status? In Start-Up Visa applications, do all essential app...

Canada's immigration system is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Refusal rates are rising, processing is slowing, and pathways that seemed viable just a few years ago are disappearing. In this episode, Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff discuss the realities facing temporary residents who are running out of options. They explore what happens when work permit applications are refuse...

In this episode of Borderlines, Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff are joined by immigration lawyer, mediator, and former Canadian Bar Association Chair Kamaljit Lehal to discuss the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark decision recognizing a new tort of intimate partner violence. We discuss how the Court addressed coercive control, financial abuse, isolation, surveillance, intimidation, and ps...

We break down a major new Federal Court of Appeal decision on criminal inadmissibility, duress, and refugee protection in Canadian immigration law. The case is Rodriguez Anzola v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) . The discussion explores whether individuals convicted abroad can still seek protection in Canada when the underlying criminal conduct occurred under coercion, threats, or fear for t...

Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff review several responses from IRCC’s Immigration Representatives’ Mailbox, where immigration representatives ask questions about how Canadian immigration law and various immigration programs are interpreted and applied Topics discussed include: (1) whether rental assistance counts as social assistance for sponsorships; (2) study permit requirements for child...

We take a look at the newly released 2025 report from Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and what it tells us about immigration security screening in Canada. CSIS reports that it received 438,600 immigration security referrals in 2025, a notable drop from prior years. Yet, at the same time, overall inventories remain at historic highs. Topics discussed include the CSIS report, includin...

Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff break down the explosive findings from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada on Canada’s report on the international student program. Topics discussed include the unexplained drops in study permit approvals, IRCC's lack of funds to address fraud, risk profiling practices, the disconnect between government targets and real-world outcomes, and what stric...

We explore one of the most complex and under-examined areas of Canadian immigration law: immigration detention—and the role that race and systemic bias may play within it. Topics discussed include the legal grounds for immigration detention, why race-based data is largely unavailable in Canada, evidence suggesting disproportionate detention of Black men, the interplay between immigration, policing...

In this episode of the Borderlines Podcast, Amandeep Hayer and Steven Meurrens break down the latest Express Entry reforms under consideration by IRCC, and what they could mean for applicants, lawyers, and Canada’s immigration system as a whole. We walk through newly released consultation materials (shared with permission from the Canadian Bar Association), including: a complete overhaul of Expres...

Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff are again joined by retired CSIS analyst Phil Gurski, this time to unpack the growing issue of transnational repression in Canada. Drawing on Phil’s recent report for the Montreal Institute for Global Security, the conversation explores how foreign states monitor, intimidate, and coerce individuals on Canadian soil, often targeting diaspora communities throu...

In this lighter episode of Borderlines, we take a break from the usual deep dives into immigration law to tackle something every new Canadian faces: the citizenship test. We start with a quick overview of how the test works. Format, requirements, and recent procedural updates. We then put ourselves on the spot with real sample questions. What follows is a mix of correct answers, educated guesses,...

A discussion of the Federal Court of Appeal's decision in Benison v. Canada (Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee), 2026 FCA 53. The decision opens with the following Supreme Court of Canada quote - "The common law system has always abhorred delay. In our system’s development of the courts’ supervisory role over administrative processes through mandamus, we see a crystallizing p...

We are joined once again by Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss, to discuss citizenship by descent post Bill C-3 With thousands of people, particularly Americans, now exploring whether they qualify for Canadian citizenship through a distant ancestor, we discuss how the law works, how to prove eligibility, and the practical challenges involved. We also discuss the genealogy research often required t...

Do Canadians have the right to travel throughout the country? A discussion of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Taylor v. Newfoundland and Labrador, 2026 SCC 5. Topics discussed include the decision, s. 6 of the Charter, whether Canadians and permanent residents have a right to travel between provinces, how section 1 of the Charter can justify limits on rights, provincial nominee programs an...

In this impromptu episode, we get a first person account of how one social justice advocate made the leap from journalist to Senator. The conversation is full of insight into the role that Senate plays in protecting the democratic process -- in particular around challenging legislation such as Bill C-12, which is approaching third reading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Former CBSA Chief Christian Lane explains how CBSA immigration investigations and deportations work in Canada. Topics discussed include CBSA investigative priorities, removals, organized crime investigations, misrepresentation, Bill C-12, refugee claims, intelligence work, the political pressure shaping immigration enforcement, whether immigration enforcement agencies sometimes pursue “low-hanging...

This epsiode offers insight into Professor Aiken's ongoing efforts to raise concern with Bill C-12 (the Stronger Borders legislation currently before Senate) -- both with the Canadian government, and with the UN Human Rights Committee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This was originally intended to be a YouTube only episode but several podcast listeners asked that we add it to the audio-only feed as well. A break down the new Express Entry categories announced on February 18, 2026, with a particular focus on the senior managers with Canadian work experience category. Key topics include: Why this category generally does not help entrepreneurs or owner-operators...

As of November 2025, internal IRCC projections reveal a stark reality about Canada’s security screening system. Based on recent processing times by partner agencies and current inventory levels, permanent residence applications referred for comprehensive security screening are projected to take approximately 64.8 months to complete. For temporary residence applications, the projected timeline is 3...

Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), joins to walk through the Federal Court of Appeal’s Emergencies Act decision, often referred to as the “Freedom Convoy” case. Topics discussed include what actually happened in Ottawa in early 2022, why existing laws were already available to address blockades, what it practically meant when the Emergencies Act...

Jonathan Leebosh is a recently retired partner and longtime leader of EY Law’s immigration practice in Vancouver. In this episode Jonathan reflects on a career that took him from refugee camps in Hong Kong with the UNHCR to building a corporate immigration practices inside a Big Four firm. Topics discussed include how EY Law scaled, serving multinational corporate clients, managing people, policy...

Canada is deliberately slowing, and possibly reversing, its population growth. But what does that actually mean for the economy? We are joined by economist Mikuel Scutterat for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about Canada’s immigration reset, GDP per capita, shrinking rental markets, Express Entry category draws, francophone targets, regional programs, and the political risks of a rapidly c...

In this audio-only reunion episode, former Borderlines Podcast host Peter Edelman joins to discuss life on the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Topics discussed include how decisions get made and written, the role of counsel in shaping outcomes, pressures facing Canada’s judicial review system, judicial collegiality and dissenting reasons, immigration backlogs, adversarial justice, and the emotio...

We discuss possible immigration implications of Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Topics discussed include trade agreements, mobility rights, national security screening, CUSMA, and the growing tension between rule-based systems and political reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.