Category Archive

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.

The Permit Holder Class provides a permanent residence pathway for individuals who hold a valid temporary resident permit (“TRP”) and who remain inadmissible to Canada on the same grounds that originally led to the permit’s issuance. This class is designed for people who have demonstrated long-term compliance and establishment in Canada despite previous inadmissibility. Eligibility Based on Health Inadmissibility An applicant may qualify for permanent residence under this class if: The initial inadmissibility was due to health reasons; The individual currently holds a valid temporary resident permit; The individual has resided continuously in Canada as a permit holder for at least three years; The same health-related inadmissibility persists at the time of application; and There are no additional grounds of inadmissibility, such as criminality or security concerns. Eligibility Based on Other Grounds of Inadmissibility An applicant may also qualify if the inadmissibility was for reasons other than health, provided that those reasons do not include security risks, human-rights violations, organized crime, or serious criminality. In such cases, eligibility requires that: A valid temporary resident permit remains in effect; The individual has resided continuously in Canada as a permit holder for at least five years; The same grounds of inadmissibility that … Read More

  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 practical career advice for junior counsel. Timestamps 3:12 – Maher Arar inquiry 5:41 – Niqab/citizenship-oath litigation 6:46 – Backlog cancellation class action 8:33 – Security certificates 12:13 – Pushpanathan 15:32 – Refugee health care 17:46 – The Bill of Rights and citizenship revocation 20:57 – Public opinion shift on immigration 26:49 – RPD/Federal Court backlogs and triage failures 37:07 – Federal Court inefficiencies 40:12 – Q&A: Security screening delays 49:51 – Bill C-220: should judges consider immigration consequences at sentencing? 1:00:04 – Express Entry 1:05:57 – Career advice for junior immigration lawyers

The following is an IMMRep response on the issue of employers of record. Here is another one from 2024.

Question 2

  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 discretion when it comes to removals, immigration background checks and security screening, the role of CSIS vs. CBSA, and why public-safety agencies struggle to advocate for themselves. 👉 Listen/Follow. Team 10-8 Podcast, Christian’s amazing podcast featuring interviews with various first responders, politicians and law enforcement officials. teamteneight.com 04:19 Christian’s CBSA start as a Border Services Officer 10:12 Jump to inland enforcement, the moral compexity of removals and the mental-health toll on officers 16:45 The role of discretion in a “no-surprises” risk adverse organizational culture 31:00 CBSA Enforcement & Intelligence Operations 36:10 Comprehensive background checks—who does what 46:00 Security screening trade-offs 53:15 Transparency & public advocacy by agencies; morale and leadership 58:00 Recommended Team 10-8 episodes

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 continuously worked to bring those who can still be contacted to Canada under the Afghan special measures program, a program which the Federal Court recently described as suffering from “gross governmental negligence”. Cory in this episode shares his profound sense of Canada’s betrayal of allies who placed their trust in our country, calling attention to systemic inaction and the urgent need for accountability and reform in how Canada fulfills its moral and legal obligations to those who aided its missions abroad.

Mason v. Canada was a Supreme Court of Canada decision which assessed whether inadmissibility on security grounds for engaging in violence required a nexus to national security.   The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision clarified the interpretation of “inadmissibility on security grounds” under section 34(1)(e) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the “IRPA”). The Court ruled that to deem someone inadmissible under this provision, there must be a direct link between the acts of violence committed and a threat to national security. This decision overturned a Federal Court of Appeal which had permitted a broader interpretation that did not require such a link to national security. Jurisprudence In Ali v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2025 FC 1682, the Federal Court held that in assessing whether someone is inadmissible for membership in a group that engaged in subversion it is necessary for the decision maker to determine whether a person’s removal would be contrary to the principle of non-refoulement, i.e., are they actually a danger to the security of Canada?

Here are some IRCC PPT slides on Canadian asylum claims from Indian nationals, and southbound apprehensions by US border patrol. IRCC has plans to reduce the overall claim rate from India back to 2019 levels. It anticipates that its plan could lead to reduced approval rates and increased processing times. Hare are slides on training material for processing applications from India.