Definition of Work and Paid

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

In Ogundiran v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2022 FC 1397, Madam Justice Heneghan stated that in Pathway for Health Workers the definition of “paid” could include stipends. It is important to note that the Department of Justice pointed to the Help section of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) website which defines “paid” as being wages, however, Madam Justice Heneghan said that there was nothing to link that section of the Help portion of the IRCC website to the Pathway for Health Care Workers. IMMReps  

Borderlines Podcast #187 – IRCC is Watching

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

  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 boutique. Caroline Senini is a Partner at Peck and Company, where she practices in constitutional and regulatory matters, at both trial and appeal.

Borderlines Podcast #186 – Retired IRCC Program Manager, Greg Chubak

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

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 Holders Class

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

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

Borderlines Podcast #185 – Lorne Waldman: Landmark Cases to Today’s Immigration Crisis

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

  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

Employers of Record

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

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

Borderlines Podcast #184 – Retired CBSA Chief of Enforcement & Intelligence Operations, Christian Lane

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

  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

Borderlines Podcast #183 – Failing Afghanistan’s Heroes

Steven MeurrensUncategorized

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.