Christmas from behind a Cup of *Starbucks* Coffee
The gruff beard counterpoints the cheerful Santa Hat. Perhaps a cover to the balding hair – alas another year gone – it certainly has been a long one. Two men – brothers, lovers – who knows and frankly...
View ArticleA Closer Look at the Minimum Income Requirement for Parent and Grandparent...
The Minimum Necessary Income (or “MNI”) requirement affects the ability of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor certain foreign national members of the family class. IRPR s. 120 states...
View ArticleIRCC Clarifies Actively-Pursuing Studies Requirement – January 2019 Update
On 7 January 2019, IRCC updated their study permit program instructions to include more clarity on the actively pursuing studies requirement. See link here:...
View ArticleReasonable Apprehension of Bias in Immigration/Refugee-Related Decision...
In this long read, I thought it would be interesting to tackle an area I am quite interested in – the legal concept of ‘reasonable apprehension of bias’ and how it applies to Federal Court decisions...
View ArticleLetter to My Sister (in Law): A Reflection on Male Toxicity and Male...
The below piece was inspired by a recent experience in an Inland Spousal Sponsorship interview. In a moment of empowerment, I decided to step in for the Officer and question my clients, in a manner...
View ArticleIRCC Makes Positive Changes to the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program –...
Part 1: First – A Little Personal History about Pushing Change In advance, I want to make clear that I am not writing this first section to make it appear as if I had anything to do with the changes...
View ArticleI Want What Timmy Has – A Short Narrative
I haven’t wrote a fictional, lighter piece in a while so I thought I’d put together this short narrative. Like many stories there are elements of my own life embedded into it. I am also sure many of...
View Article‘I Don’t Get to Call Myself An Ally’– But I Can Aim Towards Becoming One
Tomorrow, for the first time I am speaking on the topics of decolonization and intersectionality. I don’t think I have ever been as nervous for a talk. It is a topic I have been engaged in for the past...
View Article‘Considering young lawyers in our Responses to hate’– My Email to Fellow CBA...
Following the New Zealand terrorist attack, local elements of hate have started to put out threats. Unsurprisingly, among those targeted appear to be immigration lawyers. After it was posted, a senior...
View ArticleImmigration Appeals: The One Question You Should Ask Before Retaining a...
For those that wonder why I have been posting less frequently than I used to do, one of the major reasons is that I have been putting significant time into building my immigration appeals practice...
View ArticleEight Interview Prep Tips I Use to (Try to) Avoid Becoming a Colour-Sound...
In the first three months of this month, I have had the privilege (and I would also call it also a personal and familial/community responsibility) to speak on quite a few very controversial issues for...
View ArticleInternational Students, Criminality, and Immigration Status – a Few Points...
In the past year, one of the areas in which I have received the most inquiries and run the most consultations involves international students who have found themselves facing either criminal charges or...
View ArticleWhy the 180-Day Post-Graduate Work Permit Application Period Will Create...
In past pieces I have lauded IRCC’s extension of 180 days for students to apply for post-graduate work permits. From a policy perspective, I believe it gives students more time to find a job and...
View Article21 Day Anthology – Day 1 – Beginning to Wonder and Wander
Whether it not it takes 21 days to truly make a habit, it is clear that in my life and practice, writing needs to play a more prominent role – for healing, coping, and as a bastion of creativity. Over...
View Article21 Day Anthology – Day 2 – Haiku In-Transit
This over-packed bus The bane of my existence My current dream car The post 21 Day Anthology – Day 2 – Haiku In-Transit appeared first on Welcome to Vancouver's Immigration Blog.
View Article21 Day Anthology – Day 3 – Rays of an Immigrant’s Sun
These quickly flipped pages, the work of our modern day sages, trapped in our below-average wages, creating pitfalls so cancerous they got stages, they say we’re just going through economic phases, you...
View Article21 Day Anthology – Day 4 – RACISM
Reality…. is Aryans…. are Concerned…. that Immigrants….. may Steal…. their Markets (Jobs, Homes, and Education) The post 21 Day Anthology – Day 4 – RACISM appeared first on Welcome to Vancouver's...
View Article21 Day Anthology – Day 4 – Decolonize (one day behind)
I’m one day behind. No excuses. Weekend ball drop. Paul George not playing up on Dame. Decolonize I want to decolonize. I am trapped in colonial work. It is like I forgot the colour of my own skin....
View ArticleWhat Recent IRCC Program Delivery Updates Tell Us About the Direction of...
Much of Canadian Immigration Law and Regulation around international students in Canada is given life through program delivery instructions that set out the relevant policies. I have explored in recent...
View Article21 Day Anthology – Day 5 – Storytelling Training Session
I did training today with a group of Chinese-Canadian leaders for a workshop on storytelling. There are some really good things – which I don’t want to spoil for those eventually attend the workshop,...
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