Our Recent Immigration Success Stories

This Week’s Success Story: Work Permit Issued Under COVID-19 Public Policy for PGWP Holders

We were approached by a client who had an expiring Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and wanted to remain in Canada on an Open Work Permit (OWP). Our client was eligible under the COVID-19 Public Policy allowing PGWP holders inside Canada to apply for a one-time OWP of up to 18 months.

Despite meeting the eligibility requirements, our client was charged with a minor infraction in their country of birth. We were able to successfully argue that the charge did not render them inadmissible to Canada, which the Officer agreed with and issued our client an 18-month OWP! We wish them all the best.

This Week’s Success Story: Urgent Canadian Citizenship Certificate and Passport for Minor Granted!

We were approached by a client who was in urgent need of a Canadian Passport for a minor child in order for the child to accompany the client, the child’s parent, to Canada for work. The child was eligible for Canadian citizenship by descent by virtue of their parent being a Canadian citizen at the time of the child’s birth abroad.

Given the urgent need, we first made a request for urgent processing of the Canadian citizenship certificate as proof of Canadian citizenship is required in order to make a request for a Canadian Passport. We were pleased to have our request for urgent processing granted, and our client receive the Canadian citizenship certificate for their child in record time. Once received, we filed the request for a Canadian Passport for the child, which we were pleased to learn was also granted. We wish our client all the best!

This Week’s Success Story: Refugee Protection Division (RPD) Grants Refugee Claim!

We had been working with a client and her family over the years to assist with their refugee claim. Prior to their hearing, we worked with the family to identify the best evidence to support their claim as well as conducted legal and country conditions research based on the current and previous situation in their country of persecution.

After waiting a few years for their case heard at the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), we were finally able to present their case before a Member of the RPD.  Following the claimants’ testimony and counsel’s submissions, we were told the decision would be reserved. Meaning, a decision would not be made on the spot, but rather mailed at a later date after the Member had a chance to review her notes and evidence presented.

After a month, we finally received the decision we had been hoping for. Our clients’ claim was accepted and they were deemed Convention Refugees. We were pleased to learn that their claim was accepted and that they would be able to remain safely in Canada permanently.

 

This Week’s Success Story: Stalled Citizenship Application Requires Federal Court Intervention – Mandamus

We had been working with a client over the years to assist with a number of immigration matters, when we learned that the processing of his application for a grant of Canadian citizenship had become stalled. Despite meeting the eligibility requirements and having complied with all Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requests during the processing of the citizenship application, the application was still in progress after nearly three years – almost two years over the estimated processing time of twelve months for such applications.

We prepared a letter to IRCC requesting that they process the pending application for Canadian citizenship to a final decision within forty-five days, otherwise our client would be left with no choice but to seek remedy in the Federal Court of Canada in the form of a writ of mandamus. After receiving no response, we filed an application to the Federal Court.

It was not long before we received an offer to settle, before we filed any arguments at the Federal Court, indicating that our client’s application would be finalized shortly. Our client was then contacted by IRCC to schedule the final events in the processing of his citizenship application. We were pleased to learn that his application was granted and he finally received his Citizenship certificate!