Last year, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada doubled its application processing speed and accepted 5.2 million appeals from foreign nationals. This included applications from temporary residents, permanent resident applications, and applications from those seeking citizenship.
As Canada further expands its immigration programs to allow more people to obtain PR, student visas, work permits, and citizenship status, the hopes are high for all Canadian immigration aspirants.
However, to make sure that you’re well versed with the Canadian immigration system and not jeopardizing your immigration with costly mistakes, it’s essential to hire lawyers for immigration cases. Albeit not a requirement from the Canadian government, this blog lists the benefits of having immigration lawyers represent you in an immigration application process.
But first, let us explain to you the role of an immigration lawyer and then discuss how having one will benefit you.
What Does an Immigration Lawyer Do?
Top immigration lawyers in Canada have earned a reputation among the immigrant community for their services and immigration consultancy. These lawyers help immigration applicants understand the different immigration streams, fill out their forms, complete the paperwork, and then coordinate with the government on their behalf.
While you may feel that it’s unnecessary to hire lawyers for immigration cases in Canada, those who have used the services of top law firms say otherwise. Just having an experienced immigration lawyer during your immigration process is enough to give you some peace of mind and benefit from expertise.
Are There Different Types of Immigration Lawyers
Most immigration lawyers do the above-mentioned tasks for their clients. However, depending on your individual case needs, you may want to learn about the following types of immigration lawyers:
- Spousal Sponsorship Lawyers: These lawyers are experienced in inland and outland spousal sponsorship cases.
- Asylum and Refugee Lawyers: These immigration lawyers are equipped to deal with asylum and refugee claims.
- Business Immigration Lawyers: Those who’re hiring foreign nationals or looking to immigrate to Canada through Business Programs can rely on corporate immigration lawyers.
Why Do You Need an Immigration Lawyer?
As a Canadian immigration aspirant, you must have many questions and the first one is probably, why do you need a lawyer to represent you in immigration cases?
While it’s true that the Canadian government does not require you to hire an immigration lawyer, clients who have hired lawyers for immigration cases, note the following benefits.
Easy to Navigate the Immigration System
The Canadian immigration system can be complex for some. Especially those with difficulty in the English language or complicated case facts. In such a scenario, hiring an immigration lawyer can help you better navigate the process without any errors and resulting frustrations.
Avoid Delays in the Process
The Canadian government does not pay special attention to applicants with immigration lawyers. Neither a law firm will promise to magically speed up your immigration process. However, hiring a lawyer for an immigration case can help you avoid delays on the back of incomplete documents or mistakes in the application.
So even though immigration lawyers cannot speed up your immigration, they can surely help in preventing delays that will cost you stress and money.
Complete All Documents with Accuracy
Filling the Canadian immigration paperwork with accuracy is of utmost importance. Any deliberate or unintended mistake cannot only delay your immigration process but can also lead to inadmissibility. Therefore, it’s essential to hire Canadian immigration lawyers and make sure that you’re not lacking any important paperwork while filing your application.
Fully Comprehend the Jargon
The Canadian government’s website, forms, and other guidelines for the immigration process can be overwhelming for some people due to legal jargon. Having an immigration attorney who is well-versed in legal terms can simplify the process for you and help you feel in control of your immigration appeal.
Avoid Issues Leading to Inadmissibility
While you’re looking for Canadian immigration consultants and lawyers, you may across some fraudulent individuals who sound too good to be true. These individuals may suggest you falsify your information on the immigration form or omit important details.
Such actions can lead to inadmissibility in Canada and risk your immigration permanently. Thus, having an experienced lawyer is essential to guide you regarding the right practices of Canadian immigration.
Benefit from Experience
So it’s your first time applying for immigration to Canada, but for your lawyer, it certainly isn’t. Immigration lawyers process numerous immigration appeals on an everyday basis and thus know the ins and outs of the process. This is surely a great benefit for inexperienced immigration aspirants.
Protect Your Legal Rights
Whether you’re filing for immigration, a work permit, or asylum, your immigration lawyer will know your rights and protect them. This is particularly essential for those applying for immigration on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Having a lawyer who knows your legal rights and protects your best interest at all forums is crucial to a successful immigration process.
Know the Various Options
There are almost a hundred different paths to move to Canada. A Canadian immigration lawyer will help you in identifying which is the right stream for you and how to apply for it accordingly. The truth is that pursuing the right immigration path significantly improves your chances of success.
Have a Focal Person
Swamped with so much information about Canadian immigration? Have to wait for two years at least before you hear the result? This can be a daunting experience for many. But those who hire lawyers for immigration cases at least have a focal person to turn to every time they need an update or get assurance.
An immigration lawyer will coordinate with the immigration officers on your behalf and help you feel less worried during the long processing period.
Experience Seamless Immigration
Immigration aspirants who hire lawyers for their cases have a few fewer things to worry about. The immigration lawyer fills out the application, completes the document list with precision, and acts on the applicant’s behalf whenever needed. This means that you can enjoy a hassle-free and less stressful immigration process.
File Appeals Confidently
In case you have faced rejection on your first immigration application, you have the right to file an appeal in most cases. But going through the process once again on your own can be overwhelming, to say the least. Therefore, hire immigration lawyers to file for refugee appeals, spousal sponsorship, or permanent residence.
Efficiently Deal with the Bureaucracy
As said earlier, immigration lawyers coordinate with IRCC, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, or the Canada Border Services Agency on their client’s behalf. This helps applicants efficiently deal with the Canadian bureaucracy within time and avoid delays because of incomplete paperwork or errors.
Improve Your Chances of Success
No immigration lawyer will guarantee you the success of your immigration application. But if you hire lawyers for immigration cases, you may be able to increase your chances due to the various positive factors that come along with hiring a lawyer.
Who Needs Immigration Lawyers?
Take a look here to find out if you need to hire an immigration lawyer:
- If you’re hiring a foreign national employee.
- If you’re a foreign national going to work for a Canadian employer.
- If you’re seeking asylum in Canada.
- If you need to initiate a removal order appeal process.
- If you’re sponsoring your spouse or dependent children to Canada.
- If you’re looking to immigrate to Canada through any of the immigration streams.
- If you have a criminal inadmissibility caseand need legal assistance.
Who Can Be Hired As An Immigration Representative
The Canadian government allows immigration applicants to appoint a representative for their cases. The representative can liaise with the Canadian government on the applicant’s behalf, access their information, and take necessary actions to further pursue the process.
This is important to note that you cannot just appoint anyone as your immigration case representative. Here’s who can be hired (for paid services) or appointed through unpaid services.
Immigration Consultants and Lawyers with Good Standing
Immigration consultants and lawyers who’re authorized and associated with the relevant legal and consultancy societies can be hired to represent you in your process. When hiring an immigration lawyer, seek their credentials and authorization details.
Family and Friends
You can also ask your family members or friends to represent you for your immigration application. However, anyone who is not authorized by the Canadian government has to be appointed free of cost to represent an immigration applicant.
Note
It’s important to know that most people appoint their immigration lawyers in Mississauga to represent them in applications and appeals. Further, any unauthorized individual seeking money for representing you in front of the immigration officers is a fraud and must be reported.
Start Your Immigration Journey!
Whether you’re about to begin the removal order appeal process or looking for an entrepreneur work permit, reach out to us at Nanda and Associate Lawyers. Hire lawyers for immigration cases through our immigration law firm in Mississauga and start your immigration journey today.
Book a consultation here to discuss your case and seek legal assistance.
Disclaimer: This article is only intended for educational purposes and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for legal advice.
