Since the start of 2025, we have seen a flurry of national and global political events change the landscape for immigration law as we know it. With changes to leadership in Canada and to the south, rapid immigration reforms on both sides of the border, and a startling announcement by the IRCC to terminate over 3,000 employees, we are facing uncertainty at unprecedented levels.
There is no denying that 2025 will prove to be a year to remember and, for the world of immigration, one that will require immigration lawyers to unite in solidarity to ensure the rights of our clients are protected and our core principles of privilege and confidentiality in serving our clients are preserved.
A special thank you to my Table Officers, Gabriela Ramo, Robert Israel Blanshay, Jatin Shory, Christine Beltempo and Senior Advisor, Mario Bellissimo, for all their hard work and support.
Annual Immigration Law Conference – June 2025
Our annual Immigration Law Conference returns from June 5th – 7th in Victoria, BC!
Our conference planning committee has been hard at work preparing an exciting and robust agenda for this year’s attendees.
Local lawyers in Victoria are excited to host and are planning a variety of activities for your leisure and enjoyment while you attend the conference.
Book your stay at the Fairmont Empress! — Plan your travel using our flight options!
We look forward to seeing you in a few months!
Immigration Lunch & Learns
Join us near the end of each month for a free CPD session! Each session features a different topic being discussed by our very own section members.
Here’s what we’ve had so far:
Upcoming:
March – AI & Automation in Immigration Law: Federal Court Updates, Governance, and a Live CBA Tracker Demo
Watch the ListServ for CPD in April and May!
Preserving our rights as Lawyers
At the end of 2024, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration proposed new regulations that would impose administrative penalties and consequences (APC) against legal representatives in an attempt to sanction individuals who commit infractions that jeopardize the integrity of Canada’s immigration and citizenship systems. Our Section strongly opposed the inclusion of lawyers in such a scheme on a number of principled grounds.
The dedicated lawyers on the CBA team worked around the clock to prepare comprehensive submissions to ensure the concepts of privilege, confidentiality, and much more were preserved for our field (practice?).
I would like to thank the hard work of this group of lawyers who aided in the submission: Kyle Hyndman, Gordon Maynard, Micheal Greene, Mario Bellissimo, Taha Hassan, Claudia Molina, William Macintosh, Gabriela Ramo, Baerbel Langer and Robin L. Seligman, Chantal Arsenault and Veronique Morrisette.
Read the submission here.
Advocacy Initiatives
In addition to the extensive submissions on the APC the CBA has been involved in the following advocacy initiatives:
- Submission to IRCC re: Operational Bulletin 868 (sent)
- Acknowledging Kyle Hyndman for assisting with these submissions.
- Submission to IRCC re: Recent changes to the International Student Programs (sent)
- Acknowledging Will Tao for assisting with these submissions.
- Submission to IRCC re: Automated Decision Making (sent)
- Acknowledging the AI Committee.
- IEAC submission on measures for the trans community in the US (in progress)
- IRPA Modernization Working Group (in progress)
- Submission to IRB on ID/IAD consultation.
- Acknowledging Dean Pietrantonio, Douglas Cannon, Claudia Molina, Rebekka Lauks, Mario Bellissimo, and Robert Israel Blanshay for assisting and contributing to these submissions.
- Table Officers meeting with Deputy Minister Kochar on February 6, 2025.
Working to Reverse the Anti-Immigrant Narrative within Canada
The Immigration Section, through its social media committee, have started a campaign to challenge the myths and stereotypes associated with immigrants and immigration to Canada. These stereotypes have contributed to a rise in racism and anti-immigrant rhetoric in public and private spaces, congruent with rapidly changing reforms to immigration. The Immigration Section is committed to dismantling these myths and stereotypes and encourages its members to like and share posts created by the CBA for this purpose.
Find us on Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Member Survey
In February, we launched a member feedback survey (which we hope you all completed!) in order to understand our members’ evolving circumstances and need for resources. We will be reviewing the results with the objective of having candid discussions on areas of improvement to better serve our members. We plan to provide an opportunity for further engagement at our annual conference. Acknowledging Sajjad Malik, our Member Engagement Coordinator, and Siavash Shekarian for their hard work in assisting with the creation of the member survey.
Opportunities to Get Involved in the Section!
Throughout the year we announce working groups and other initiatives that require member involvement. We encourage you to watch for these opportunities and get involved!
We have just launched a new pro-bono initiative and are seeking volunteers to provide advice to trans individuals from the United States seeking protection in Canada. We acknowledge and thank the Pro Bono Coordinators for putting forward the proposal for this initiative.
Once again looking forward to seeing members at the CBA Annual Immigration Conference in beautiful Victoria BC.