Message from the CBA National Immigration Law Section

  • October 10, 2024

MESSAGE FROM IMMEDIATE PAST-CHAIR – GABRIELA RAMO

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I had the honour of becoming Chair of the National Immigration Law Section. While the past year brought unexpected and difficult challenges, it was truly the greatest experience of my career, one that not only taught me valuable lessons, allowed me to develop skills, but most importantly, allowed me to work with amazing section members who I am so happy to be able to call friends.

I have been a member of the CBA Immigration Law Section, and of the OBA, for over 30 years, and have been a volunteer for almost as long. There are many things that I find extremely valuable as a member of the Section – the amazing annual conference, the informative CPD sessions, the helpful listserv, the great advocacy the section undertakes on behalf of all of us. But at the very heart of it, I have stayed involved because of the people. Our members are a diverse group with many differing opinions, but our diversity has been our strength. We have always been able to come together in respectful dialogue, so that we could advocate on behalf of our clients and our colleagues. And despite the very fraught and divisive issues we have grappled with this past year, our ability to work together towards resolutions has not changed. I am so proud of our section and its members.

I want to say a huge thank you to my fellow Table Officers: Kamaljit, Robert, Jatin, and Lisa. And to my Senior Advisor, Kyle, and our Advocacy Lawyer, Veronique. You have all gone way above and beyond in supporting me in my work, but most importantly, you also supported me as caring friends. I also want to say thank you to all the wonderful staff at the CBA who go to great lengths to ensure our success.

I look forward to the next year and having the privilege of continuing to work with the 2024-2025 executive and coordinators. Given the pace of government announcements the last few weeks it is going to be a busy and interesting year, but I know that our members and volunteers are more than up to the challenge. Here is to another successful year – see you all in Victoria!

MESSAGE FROM CURRENT CHAIR – KAMALJIT KAUR LEHAL

I am both humbled and honored to assume the role of Chair for the 2024-25 term and I am looking forward to the year ahead. I would like to take some time to:

  1. Thank our past chair.
  2. Introduce you to your new Executive and Coordinators.
  3. Outline the priorities for the coming year.
  4. Let you know about opportunities to get involved with the national Section.

APPRECIATION

We wish to express our immense gratitude to Gabriela Ramo, our immediate Past Chair. Gabriela is to be commended for her stellar leadership throughout the 2023-24 term. Gabriela went above and beyond to support the Executive in carrying out its duties and in listening to the needs of the membership. Despite some turbulence during the year Gabriela was able to put on an exceptional conference in Montreal. Also, during her term, she was able to continue to foster important relationships with government and ministerial colleagues whilst also advocating on important issues relevant to our Section, including appearing before both the House Standing Committee and before the Senate Committee to provide expert testimony. Gabriela also established a trusting rapport with media allowing the interests of the Section to be addressed on a broader platform. She was instrumental in starting the process of creating a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisory Committee for the immigration section, allowing for opportunities to have open discussions on the wellbeing of our members. Our heartfelt thanks to Gabriela.

YOUR EXECUTIVE

We are pleased to introduce you to our 2024-2025 Executive. We are truly fortunate to have such amazing leaders of the profession dedicate their time and knowledge to addressing the needs of the Section.

The Executive would not be able to carry out its duties without the work of Section Coordinators and Committees, dedicated volunteers who give their time and expertise to conference planning, submissions on behalf of the Section, creating education and CPD opportunities for members, liaising with the IRCC on the online portals, and much more.

Please stay tuned for opportunities to become involved on Working Groups which are established throughout the year to address various immigration matters. These working groups provide written submissions, and their advocacy work has been instrumental in triggering change or encouraging further dialogue. Being part of a working group is truly rewarding and we encourage you to become involved regardless of how much experience you have as lawyer as it is a great opportunity to meet other like minded and passionate lawyers and feel supported in your career.

PRIORITIES FOR 2024-2025

Advocacy work: We will continue to advocate for issues that matter the most to our members, including:

  • Addressing processing times and backlogs in a solution focused manner, as well as enhancing channels of communication.
  • Ensuring that family reunification, a stated objective of the IRPA, is given paramountcy in the various immigration pathways.
  • The use of technology, such as AI and portals, and proposing enhancements to improve user experience and reduce service interruptions and ensure appropriate safeguards. As well as advocacy regarding the oversight and use of AI in immigration decision making.
  • Enhancing Canada’s response to refugee intake, decision making and resettlement.
  • In partnership with other CBA Sections, addressing issues of importance to the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
  • Enhancing co-ordination between federal and provincial governments in areas such as the regulation of professions, trades, employment needs and housing.
  • Access to justice and the role of counsel in immigration processes, ensuring the inclusion of counsel in all new online processes from the outset and the effective oversight of consultants.
  • Emphasising the importance of immigrants to Canada throughout our advocacy.
  • Encouraging coordinated efforts to advance immigration issues and pursue or support strategic litigation to address systemic issues faced by immigrants.

PLANNING FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW SECTION CONFERENCE

Save the date! The 2025 CBA Immigration Law Conference is set for June 5-7 at the Fairmont Hotel (the Empress) in beautiful Victoria, BC. The conference planning committee has already started working on planning another amazing conference to provide you with opportunities to expand your knowledge and legal skills while networking with colleagues from across Canada.

Mark your calendar and join us in Victoria to experience the sights while gaining valuable insights and knowledge. Stay tuned for more details – we look forward to seeing you there.

MEMBERSHIP CARE, VALUE AND RENEWAL

We continue to focus on growing our membership, ensuring diversity and developing new leaders while encouraging wellness. Our initiatives for this year to accomplish these goals are:

  • Continuing with our second year of the Sponsored Mentorship Program, a program that connects leaders in the profession with lawyers new to immigration law.
  • After a successful year we are pleased to again offer the “CBA Immigration Brunch/Lunch Series” – monthly virtual sessions which will be free to CBA members.
  • The launch of a CBA Speakers Bureau to provide further speaking opportunities for Section members and to increase diversity on conference panels and CBA webinars.
  • Addressing mental health and wellness through a Mental Health and Wellness Advisory Committee.

GET INVOLVED

There is much work to be done, and we can only successfully pursue these important initiatives with your help. There are so many ways to get involved, to contribute to the work of the Section, and to share your knowledge and ideas! We invite you to:

STILL WORKING ON YOUR CPD HOURS FOR 2024?

Did you miss the CBA Immigration Law Conference in May 2024? Purchase the on-demand recordings today! Learn from leading experts at the forefront of immigration practice and policymaking and earn CPD hours.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or to discuss ways to become more involved. We gladly welcome your emails and calls.

We look forward to another great year of advocacy, networking and camaraderie – and we hope that you will join us!