The immigration process is a tough one involving a lot of paperwork and complex processes. A person willing to come to developed and industrialised countries like Canada often struggles to understand all the processes, especially if their first language isn’t English. An immigration lawyer makes the process easier and allows a person to immigrate to a country without any hassle. Immigration lawyers help individuals and businesses with issues related to settling in a country, getting nationality, and more.
In this blog, let’s take a look at the services Canadian immigration lawyers provide, the situations they can help you in, and the benefits of hiring them if you’re planning to immigrate to Canada!
Services Immigration Lawyers Provide
There are plenty of services immigration lawyers provide, including:
1. Offering Consultation
Almost every law firm, or immigration lawyer, offers a consultation before you hire them. This meeting is a way for both the lawyer and the client to get to know each other. The lawyer will listen to your case and determine whether you should go ahead with this or not. The client can also ask whatever question they want an answer to. This could be regarding their case, Canadian laws and procedures, the lawyer’s past experiences, etc.
Consultations are always confidential, allowing the client to share everything explicitly without worrying about their privacy. After hearing all the details, the immigration lawyers then suggest what action plan they are going to implement in that particular case. Every case is different, so there is no specific strategy that fits every scenario. The lawyer also specifies their fee, as well as other costs that the client must be ready to pay.
2. Identifying Problems in Your Immigration Case
After you hire a lawyer, they will start working on your case properly. They will start by identifying possible ‘red flags’ in your case. These red flags could be any sort of problem, like missing documents, that can cause a delay in the immigration approval process or even result in a rejection.
If there are problems like criminal convictions in your record, be very straightforward with your lawyer and inform them of every detail. Your lawyer will try to overcome these problems using their experience and knowledge of the law.
3. Reviewing Supporting Documents
Apart from the mandatory documents, there are supporting documents as well that you need to submit to make your case strong. Your immigration lawyer will provide you with a complete list of supporting documents that you will need to compile.
After you’re done, the lawyer, or a paralegal, will review all the documents to make sure the list is complete and the documents are valid. Having complete documents, along with supporting documents, enhances the chances of your immigration application being approved.
4. Filling Out Immigration Forms
Immigration forms can be tricky, and many often make mistakes, leading to delays and application rejections. Your lawyer will help you fill out every detail in the form properly. They might as well fill it out themselves and just ask you to sign the form at the end.
Immigration lawyers have years of experience filling out forms and the necessary knowledge of the law that helps them avoid any mistake that can cause a problem for their clients.
5. Preparing and Sending Packages to the Government
After completing your application and immigration forms and compiling all your documents, your immigration lawyer will ship them to the right government agency. They’ll compile everything in a package, which includes your documents, immigration forms, the government’s official fee for immigration applications, and your lawyer’s statement stating how you are eligible for immigration.
Sending your immigration application through the law agency increases your chances of getting approved and also streamlines the process.
6. Preparing You for the Interview
Immigration is not an easy process. It’s not just an application that you need to fill out to immigrate to another country; you’ll also need to clear a screening interview. Every person’s screening interview contains basic questions and some other questions varying from case to case. The interview is to make sure the person applying for immigration has credibility and that their application aligns with their personality and records.
Interviews are not only conducted when you’re about to immigrate to a country. It’s also done if a person is facing deportation because of any reason. According to a study conducted in the United States, a person is five times more likely to win the case and pass their interview if an experienced immigration lawyer prepares them for it. Canada’s statistics are pretty much similar as well.
7. Reviewing Immigration Agency’s Decision
When you receive a decision from the immigration agency, your lawyer will review the decision and help you explain what it means and what should be your next steps. For example, if the decision is yes unconditionally, you are good to go. However, sometimes, there are conditions that you need to fulfill before immigrating to Canada. Your lawyer will suggest how to fulfill those conditions.
Moreover, if your application is rejected, your lawyer will explain to you the reasons for the rejection of the application and what should be your next step. If they recommend appealing the decision, they’ll also help you prepare for it.
Situations Immigration Lawyers Can Help You In
Although the services of immigration lawyers are listed above, there are some specific situations during an application process where you get stuck. This is where hiring a lawyer can come in very handy. Some of these situations include:
You’re Not Sure About Your Options
Every individual applying for immigration has a different case. However, there are plenty of options that increase your chances of getting approved for immigration. These factors include the country of origin, available documents, previous records, immigration history, and other criteria. If you’re not sure which path is the most beneficial for you, an immigration lawyer can assess all factors and help you make a decision.
For example, if a person is engaged, an immigration lawyer will look at their application and determine if they should apply for immigration before or after getting married.
You’re a Business Owner Seeking an Employee Who’s a Foreign National
Immigration lawyers don’t just help people looking to migrate to the country. They also help businesses hire employees who are foreign nationals and help them with the immigration process. A company always looks to hire the best resources within a certain budget, and if that resource is from another country, companies often get them to immigrate to the country they are based in.
Immigration lawyers help businesses stay compliant and adhere to all the laws throughout the process to save them from legal implications, all while streamlining the process and reducing the time it takes for immigration approval.
You’re Having Problems Fulfilling Your Immigration-Related Needs
Immigration lawyers can help you in situations where you, or any other person who doesn’t have proper knowledge of the law and experience, can’t. For example, in a case of inadmissibility, a person doesn’t need a lawyer to file for a waiver. Not hiring an immigration lawyer, however, is not a smart idea, as immigration lawyers will help you file the waiver and fight alongside you to prove that you are eligible for entry into Canada.
Benefits of Hiring an Immigration Lawyer
Some people believe hiring immigration lawyers and paying their fees is an expense that can be avoided. Apart from those tough situations mentioned above, there are also many other benefits of hiring immigration lawyers that make hiring immigration lawyers a necessity and well worth it. Let’s take a look at them here:
Streamlines the Process
Be it an individual looking to get into a country or a business looking to get a foreign national to come into their country and work for them, an immigration lawyer smoothens the process and reduces the time it takes for the immigration application to be approved.
Boosts Chances of Success
Hiring an immigration lawyer and paying their fee is not a guarantee of your application getting approved, but it increases your chances massively. This is because lawyers have adequate knowledge and experience to present your case in a way that doesn’t have any loopholes or mistakes.
Helps You in the Future
After you’re done with the immigration process, you’ll likely want to become a permanent resident of Canada. Immigration lawyers can help you with the application process and guide you to fulfilling all requirements for permanent residence and nationality as well.
Hire an Immigration Lawyer
If you’re looking for an experienced immigration lawyer in Canada, Nanda & Associate Lawyers can help you.
We have a team of experienced immigration lawyers that can help you with your immigration application. Moreover, we also have qualified civil litigation lawyers, personal injury lawyers, business lawyers, wills and estate lawyers, and more. We offer our services in Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton.
Book a meeting with us today to hire our services.
Disclaimer: This article is only intended for educational purposes and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for legal advice.
