Partnering with Consultants

Introduction
Examples
Scope of Representation

Canadian immigration law allows regulated consultants to provide advice to and represent people in immigration applications. Many immigration lawyers have a disparaging view of all immigration consultants. However, some of the most impassioned advocates on behalf of migrant rights that I have met are licensed consultants.

We have extensive experience working with immigration consultants to achieve the best results for their clients. Whether it is assisting with particularly complicated matters that an individual consultant decides they do not want to tackle themselves or acting as counsel in judicial review matters at the Federal Court of Canada, which immigration consultants are legally unable to do, we maintain a respectful relationship with the numerous consultants who we work with to ensure the best results for their clients.

Examples

Some of our recent experiences working with immigration consultants include:

Mentorship

In addition to teaching Economic Immigration at the University of British Columbia’s Certificate in Immigration: Laws, Policies and Procedures, and speaking at numerous immigration consultant Continuing Professional Development seminars, I provide ongoing mentorship to numerous immigration consultants who are looking for quick, yet comprehensive, answers on matters that they want a second opinion on.

Expert Opinions

An immigration consultant’s client could not get a medical exam for his children who had been kidnapped by an ex-spouse and taken to a different country. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sent the client a final procedural fairness letter and we drafted a legal opinion regarding Russian and American custody law. The immigration application was approved.

Judicial Review

We do judicial review applications for many clients of immigration consultants. For many of them, the success rate is almost 100%. In every instance the immigration consultants maintains involved, which lets them know that their clients are receiving good representation from us in their clients’ judicial review.