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COMPARISON OF THE BEST IMMIGRATION LAWYERS IN CANADA
While Canada is largely a very welcoming nation to immigrate into, with room for citizens of many nations, there are some specific issues and challenges that immigrants face.
In October 2020, despite the global coronavirus pandemic and criticism from conservatives, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party committed to a policy of large-scale immigration over the coming years. With plans to invite 1.2 million newcomers within three years, the opportunities are there, if the standard bureaucratic requirements can be negotiated.
It’s vital, therefore, to work with an experienced immigration lawyer. However, before we consider what makes a good immigration lawyer, and look at three of the best, lets examine the hurdles immigrants to Canada must overcome.
THE CHALLENGES
Immigration eligibility in Canada is based on the notion of “human capital”. In other words, a consideration of the potential contribution the newcomer will make to their adopted nation. Demonstrating this quality is key to making a successful immigration application.
For refugees, there will be a need to demonstrate a willingness to fit in with an open and tolerant Canadian culture. However, the main challenge immigrants face is the requirement to show either a firm offer of employment in Canada or relevant experience. Lacking experience within Canada in their preferred industry, many immigrants are forced to accept entry level jobs to get “a foot in the door”, before progressing to more desirable or appropriate employment.
Language can be a barrier too, although Canada at least has the advantage of having French as an official language, in addition to English. Furthermore, immigrants can access government subsidized language programs to improve their linguistic skills.
Accommodation becomes a challenge when immigrants find themselves faced a catch-22 situation. To rent property from a private landlord, a SIN (social identification number) is usually required, as well as a bank account. Immigrants won’t have these when they first apply and may not be able to obtain them without proof of residence. This can result in immigrants taking up temporary residence in Airbnbs and cheap hotels, a particularly difficult scenario for families.
Other challenges may include difficulties obtaining a driver’s license, accessing services, and dealing with the culture shock of finding oneself in a very different nation. While an immigration law firm cannot help with all these issues, they can smooth the way into Canadian society to some extent, reducing immigrants’ stresses and anxieties considerably.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT IMMIGRATION LAWYER?
So what qualities should you look for from your lawyer and how do you select one, with hundreds of reputable firms to choose from? A first step would be drawing up a list of criteria. To help you, here are our thoughts on what makes a great immigration lawyer.
With all the above in mind, here’s our breakdown of three of the best immigration lawyers in Canada.
CANADA'S BIG THREE IMMIGRATION LAWYERS
GREEN AND SPIEGEL
Pros:
• As Canada’s oldest and largest immigration form, Green and Speigel should certainly be considered amongst the forerunners.
• They have over fifty years’ experience and are headquartered in Toronto.
• Their team of over 100 professionals can provide services in 30 languages.
• A family firm founded in 1962 by Mendel Green, the team still includes four members of the Green family, all lawyers.
Cons:
• With prestige comes a premium price and Green and Spiegel’s services can be extremely expensive. Their rates are not aimed at the average worker’s pocket.
• You typically won’t have your case handled by the firm’s main partners, who will tend to focus on high profile or celebrity cases.
• Unlike some other firms, Green and Spiegel do not offer free pre-assessments for applicants.
• As an exceptionally busy and popular firm, Green and Spiegel may not prove as responsive to initial enquiries as smaller competitors.
BELLISSIMO LAW GROUP
Pros:
• Bellissimo has a long lineage, with executive experience going back forty-five years.
• They are renowned across Canada for litigating several landmark Federal Court appeal cases.
• Bellissimo also boast a highly diverse team of talented lawyers and other professionals, with a range of cultural backgrounds.
• Founder Mario D. Bellissimo is still highly active within the firm.
Cons:
• As with many major firms, junior lawyers will typically handle your case, rather than the senior partners.
• No free pre-assessment consultations are available.
• Enquiry messages sent to their website may not be replied to promptly, presumably due to the volume of business the firm’s administrators are handling.
• Even though junior lawyers may be sent to meetings, hourly legal fees appropriate to a more senior lawyer may be levied for “overseeing” your case.
INGWE IMMIGRATION INC.
Pros:
• As a boutique specialist firm, every applicant will meet and interact with the founder, Reza Motalebpour, throughout the immigration application process.
• INGWE do not charge hourly rates. Instead, they work on a negotiable flat fee basis, giving you far greater transparency when it comes to billing.
• The company offers all applicants a FREE pre-assessment consultation. Since they only take on cases that are highly likely to prove successful, you can be confident your application is worthwhile.
• They are committed to responding speedily to all enquiries received from new applicants, whether by telephone or email.
• The diverse team at INGWE speak more than seven languages fluently, and can draw upon other language resources where necessary.
Cons:
• INGWE cannot directly handle Federal Court appeal cases, although they do partner with a firm that can.
• Due to their reduced fee structure, INGWE are conservative in terms of only taking on “winning” cases. As we describe above, this can also be interpreted as a plus point.
• Currently, many of their staff are working remotely. Face to face appointments in the office must be arranged in advance.
• Since they receive many referrals annually, INGWE institute small price increments each year, to allow for increased business pressure.
WHICH IMMIGRATION LAW SPECIALIST IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
With the principles we outlined at the head of this article in mind, which of these three firms would you most likely choose?
If you’re a large corporate entity used to working with top-end law firms, you might seek out the prestige and experience of Green & Spiegel. If you have a Federal Court appeal case looming, a specialist such as Bellissimo might prove the right match.
However, for education, investment and business immigration, we believe that INGWE Immigration come out on top, for a range of reasons.
Chief among these are:
• The responsiveness of the company to new enquiries.
• The fact that all cases are overseen by the founder himself.
• Reza Motalebpour’s family’s experience of immigrating to Canada – twice! This has made him determined to make the process as easy as possible for his clients.
• Their Free pre-assessment, meaning clients who are not appropriate for INGWE’s assistance do not waste time or money.
• The simple and transparent fee structure, without hidden costs or rapidly mounting hourly rates.
Your journey to Canada may well prove a turning point in your life, and in the lives of your loved ones. It is not a process to be undertaken lightly, or without the support of the very best professionals your money can buy.
However, Canada has made a bold and unusual commitment to immigration, at a time when other countries are closing their borders or limiting the supply of incoming applicants. In a sense, there has never been a better time to become a Canadian, provided you have the support you need to see the immigration process through.
Where business or investment immigration is concerned, we believe INWE Immigration Inc. is the best immigration assistance provider and legal firm in Toronto, Canada.
