Borderlines

Deanna, Sadaf Kashfi and Caroline Senini discuss your rights and obligations at the border, the intersection of immigration and criminal law, unreasonable search and seizure, mandatory minimum sentences and the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Quebec (Attorney General) v. Senneville , and more. Sadaf Kashfi is the founder of DMF Law, a Vancouver immigration & criminal-defence litigation bou...

Greg Chubak retired from IRCC in 2022. He was posted to South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore and the program manager in Hungary, Malaysia, Seattle, Sri Lanka and Austria. We discuss what programs have worked and haven't over the years, applications for authorization to return to Canada, rehabilitation applications, difficult cases, what concerns Greg about the direction of immigration law.  H...

Lorne Waldman, one of Canada’s most recognized immigration litigators, joins to discuss some of his most landmark cases, today’s processing and refugee backlogs, mandamus and where economic immigration policy is headed. Co-hosts Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff also field listener questions on enhanced security screening, immigration consequences of sentencing, Express Entry trends, and pra...

Christian Lane is a retired Canada Border Services Agency officer whose career included serving as a Border Services Officer, Inland Enforcement Officer, Manager of Immigration Detention Operations and Chief of Enforcement & Intelligence Operations. Topics discussed include Christian's various roles, the moral stress of immigration enforcement, whether individual officers and the agency want d...

Cory Moore is a retired Canadian Forces military lawyer who served in Afghanistan. There, he helped develop the training of female Afghan lawyers who would go on to prosecute members of the Taliban. These brave women assisted in building the country’s justice system and enforcing the rule of law, often at great personal risk. After the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, Cory has continuou...

We speak with Daniel Bernhard of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship about understanding immigrant retention in Canada. The Paper comes at a time when immigration to Canada is declining, outflows are increasing and the aging of Canada's population accelerates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven and Deanna analyze the IRCC Minister’s Transition Binder (May 2025) and its implications for processing times, including extraordinary ranges for several programs. The discussion addresses potential use of Bill C-2 authorities to suspend or terminate processing, operational realities in caregiver and Start-Up Visa files, and current dynamics in Francophone pathways. A concluding Q&A cov...

Steven and Deanna break down the collapse in internaitonal student arrivals in 2025 and plumetting approval rates across nearly all programs. . 2:14 2025 stats: what the data says 4:01 Cap vs. collapse in student entries 7:12 Worker levels and category context 21:37 Approval-rate declines and rule-of-law concerns 33:47 Category approval snapshots (CEC/FSW/Francophone/H&C) 38:45 Live Q&A Ho...

Steve and Deanna break down the latest political heat on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. What is the TFWP? Will Direct Apply meaningfully fix it? Timestamps 1:40 Today’s focus: abolish/reform the TFWP? 7:42 TFWP vs IMP—what’s where 10:26 LMIA fundamentals: wage, recruitment, Job Bank 18:02 Direct Apply: what changes 34:32 Q&A starts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

On this episode of the Borderlines podcast, Deanna Okun-Nachoff and guest co-host Zeynab Ziaie Moayyed speak with constitutional law guru Sujit Choudhry. We discuss Choudhry's work on the landmark Bjorkquist case, in which the Ontario Superior Court held that the Canadian Citizenship Act's "second-generation cut-off rule" was unconstitutional. Choudhry also describes his involvement in subsequent...

A discussion about Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc. v. Basyal, 2025 BCCA 284. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven and Deanna dig into two new Government of Canada consultations on immigration policy. The first is on immigration levels planning for 2027 and beyond. The second is on new Express Entry categories . Topics include the survey questions, the results of last year’s consultations, caps on workers, and the proposed new categories of senior managers, scientists & researchers and allied soldie...

We cover recent developments at the intersection of criminal and immigration law. We review significant Supreme Court of Canada decisions, highlight problematic CBSA investigations, discuss judicial errors during sentencing, and explore current trends in immigration policy and processing. We also answer live audience questions about express entry scores, humanitarian and compassionate applications...

We conduct a comprehensive analysis of the immigration implications of Bill C-2, an omnibus bill tabled by the federal government that significantly expands government authority and introduces sweeping changes across multiple areas of Canadian law. Bill C-2's immigration provisions would: Grant the federal government broad powers to suspend, cancel, or vary immigration documents, including permane...

The complexities of Canadian citizenship by descent with immigration lawyers Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss. [1:35] What citizenship by descent means. [3:17] Historical and current limitations, including the first-generation rule and exceptions. [5:55] The 2023 Bjorkquist decision. [9:49] Bill C-3. [13:57] Interim measures. [20:26] Debates over residency rules and comparisons to U.S. laws. [31...

This episode is a repost of our interview with John McCallum, Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration from November 2015 to January 2017. He passed away on June 15, 2025. A Member of Parliament from 2000 - 2017, he also served as Defence Minister under Jean Chrétien, and Veterans Affairs Minister, National Revenue Minister, Natural Resources Minister and as Chair of the Expenditure Review...

In this episode, we dive into Dan Hiebert's latest C.D. Howe Institute report on how different immigration rates shape Canada's economic challenges and regional disparities. Key topics include: Aging Population and Immigration: Why Canada’s current immigration levels are insufficient to offset an aging population, and the implications of a simultaneously older and larger population. Regional Dispa...

Our panel dive into several questions about Express Entry in this Ask Me Anything session. Featuring Kubir Kamal and Tamara Mosher-Kutzer as our guests. 0:20: Introduction to the panel and the state of Canadian immigration in 2025. 2:20: What does the recent Supreme Court decision on Pepa mean for visa holders' appeal rights? 7:40: Will Express Entry scores drop to 505 this year? 14:50: Why are he...

Ari Wormelli joins to discuss how to get divorced in Canada, and its intersection with Canadian immigration law. Topics discussed include non-accompanying spouses agreeing to or contesting divorce with prospective immigrants in Canada, practical barriers, serving legal documents internationally, getting foreign divorces recognized in Canada, annullment in the Philippines, marriages under fake IDs,...

Join us for an insightful episode of the Borderlines Podcast, featuring Raj Sharma and Hannah Lindy, both individuals with extensive experience submitting Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) applications. In this episode, we dive deep into H&C applications under section 25 of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act . Learn what H&C applications are, who can apply, and the key...

Immigration lawyer Lev Abramovich returns to discuss frequently asked questions regarding judicial review. This episode offers valuable guidance for legal professionals, consultants, and those navigating immigration processes. Topics Addressed: ( 1:49 ) The IRGC ( 6:32 ) Bill C-2 ( 10:48 ) What is judicial review, and how does it differ from an appeal? ( 13:30 ) When faced with an H&C refusal,...

In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Gordon Maynard, a recently retired immigration lawyer, to reflect on his remarkable 35-year career. Gordon shares how he sustained a long and fulfilling practice through the camaraderie and support of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), mentorship from peers, and the value of in-person connections. He discusses the critical role of the Immigration Appeal...

Ali Esnaashari and Kaveh Shahrooz join to discuss the Canadian immigration implications of Canada's decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. Topics Explored: Historical Context of the IRGC: Understand the origins, structure, and global activities of the IRGC, including its role in the tragic downing of Ukraine International Flight PS752. Conscription an...

In this episode, Vancouver criminal defense lawyer and Driving Law podcast host Kyla Lee unpacks Canada’s criminal justice system, tackling listener questions on bail, sentencing, and mental health treatment. From the nuances of bail hearings and the presumption of innocence to the principles of sentencing like deterrence and rehabilitation, Kyla offers expert insights into how courts address crim...

When permanent residents and foreign nationals can be found inadmissible for violating human or international rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.